Sunday Worship Service 11:00AM
JESUS CHRIST – THE CHIEF CORNER STONE
Ephesians 2:19-22
(19) Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; (20) And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Corner Stone; (21) In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: (22) In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
1st Peter 2:6
Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a Chief Corner Stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded.
Introduction
There are many Biblical references to cornerstones. In addition, there are Biblical references to the “chief” cornerstone. Most of the references point to the building of the temples in Jerusalem. There were two temples built. (The Babylonians destroyed the first temple, and the Romans destroyed the second one in 70 A.D. The only thing left of the second temple is the Wailing Wall.) Other references point to general construction projects, which include the architecture of the Greeks and the Romans. The construction of the temple or other significant edifices provide rich metaphors to affirm spiritual principles.
Allow me to digress a few moments and talk about the building of the temples. Each stone was cut so precisely that there was no need for mortar. Among the thousands of stones, each one was cut to fit in a particular spot. There was a place for every stone, and there was a “stone shepherd” to assure that every stone was available when it was time for it to be installed. Each stone was cut before it was brought to the construction site, because the ground was holy and they did not want to desecrate holy ground with the banging of the hammer or the clattering of the axe. The only sound they wanted to hear was the sound of praise and worship. In addition, these tools were composed of iron, and only gold and silver were worthy to be placed on the holy ground. Each stone fitted smoothly and snugly in its place, and they were called smooth ashlars (sometimes spelled “askler”). (Please read 1st Kings 6:7.)
In our text from Ephesians, Paul uses the analogy of the steps in a construction project. First, all of the various materials had to be transported to the staging site. Then, the actual construction would commence. During the construction phase, skilled craftsmen would put the materials together in the proper order, according to the architect’s plan, and construct a beautiful, stable, useful structure. He uses this analogy to say that the church has people of diverse backgrounds, but when fitted together in the right order, a beautiful, purposeful structure stands to the glory of God, and Jesus is the chief cornerstone.
Our text from Peter expands the idea. The chief cornerstone is unique. It is in a class all by itself. Let’s see why Jesus is called the Chief Corner Stone.
Exposition
1. The Cornerstone Was The First Component Of Construction.
(The First Stone To Be Laid.)
(The Foundation Of The Foundation.)
2. Strategically Located On The North-Eastern Corner of the Building.
(Light From Sunrise Would Illuminate It First.)
(Workers Could Commence Work First At This Location.)
(There Was No Morning Shadow.)
3. Provided Stability To Entire Building.
(More Of Its Mass Is Subsurface Than Above Ground.)
(Very Deep - More Than 12 Feet Underground.)
(Stable - Would Not Shift.)
(If Not Level, Would Re-Install.)
(Allowed to Settle Before Construction Continued.)
4. The Official Point Of Reference.
(All Measurements Were Taken From Chief Cornerstone.)
(Including The Secondary Cornerstones.)
5. The Building Received Its Identification From Chief Cornerstone.
(Engraved With Pertinent Information.)
(Name Of Architect.)
(Name Of Builder.)
(Date Of Construction.)
(King Who Authorized The Construction.)
(“If Anybody Asks You Who I Am, Tell Them I’m A Child Of God.”)
(For Me To Live Is Christ.)
Closing Thoughts
I cannot resist closing this sermon with the lyrics of the well-known hymn, The Solid Rock.
“My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand:
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.”
Give God Glory! Give God All The Glory!
Related Scriptures
Job 38:4-6
Psalm 118:22-23
Isaiah 28:16
Matthew 21:42
Mark 12:10-11
Luke 20:17
Acts 4:11
End Note
There are many allusions in the Scriptures - some listed above- to a story about the building of the first temple. It was so well known at the time that there was no need to restate it. There was a big “funny looking” stone on the site that seemed out of place. Some workers discarded it and put in the rubble pile. The master mason, Hiram of Tyre, saw what happened and informed them that this funny looking stone was to become the chief corner stone. Some connect Hiram of Tyre with the legendary Hiram Abiff. Please read 1st Kings 7:13-14 and 2nd Chronicles 2:13-14. The rejected and discarded stone became the chief corner stone. That sounds like Jesus to me, especially when I think of the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah. When you are building your life, make sure you do not reject Jesus. He is the perfect Chief Corner Stone.
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