The Cornerstone

Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation. Isaiah 28:16

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. Psalm 118:22

And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined togethers and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2: 17-22

As I read the above passage from Ephesians, I realized that I wasn't sure of the meaning of the word cornerstone. The definitions I found were that it is a Biblical name given to Jesus as the pillar, the overseer, the first and the last. It is an important quality or feature on which a particular thing depends or is based. It is a stone that forms the base of a building joining 2 walls. The cornerstone is placed at the corner of a building during a ceremony to mark the start of construction. It is also a person of prime importance. It is the first stone set in the masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.

As I pondered these definitions, I envisioned a new spiritual holy temple with the foundation made up of the Biblical leaders like Moses, Abraham, David, and the prophets like Isaiah. Jesus became the cornerstone, the pillar between the Old and New Testament , the mediator between humans and their creator God. If it was a cornerstone joining two walls, it joined the Jews and the Gentiles. Christ is the cornerstone, the person of immense importance--all the other stones are set by this to position the entire spiritual structure. Each Christian is a stone in the wall, each with their own unique talents, to make up the holy temple, the dwelling place of God in the spirit. The church is focused on Christ and becomes the structure for continued building of the temple, stone by stone.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are our creator and our redeemer, the alpha and the omega. You are steadfast, loving, and eternal. You gave your son Jesus to die so that we might live eternally with you, blameless and cleansed of our sins. Help us remember our roles as stones in your temple, each critical to the building and focused on Christ. Amen.

Nancy Hall