1 Peter 2:4-10 - Christ the Cornerstone

In this message, we continue in First Epistle of Peter 2:4–10 and consider what it means that Christ is our Cornerstone. Peter calls Him the “living stone”—chosen by God, precious to Him, yet rejected by men.

We’ll look at how the Old Testament points to Him as the foundation, and why our hope is not rooted in a place or a system, but in a Person. Christ is not a dead Messiah. He is living, reigning, and interceding for His people.

From there, we turn the focus toward the church. If He is the living stone, then we too are living stones—being built together into a spiritual house. This passage calls us to unity, reminds us that we are still being built, and anchors us in the truth that suffering does not mean we are unloved.

So the question before us is simple but searching: What are you building your life upon?

Join me as we consider Christ the Cornerstone and what it means for us as His people. Let’s dig in and look to Jesus, our true hope.

Transcript

12 - 1 Peter 2:4-10 - Christ the Cornerstone

Intro

• If you have your Bibles please turn with me to 1 Peter chapter 2 and find verse 4 as we continue forward in what Peter has penned to the scattered church.
  • 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 4.
• Our passage today will be from verse 4 down through verse 10 although our main focus will be verses 4 and 5.  
  • As we prepare to read through it together I want to draw your attention to two important areas of focus that are found in these verses…
    • The first, and the most pivotal, is what is revealed to us about Christ across these verses.
      • We are told that He is the Cornerstone…
      • That He is the Living Stone…
      • That He was chosen by God, precious to Him, and will bring honor to those who believe.
  • We will unpack this in our first point as we look to what Peter is revealing to us about Jesus.
    • Now, the second focus throughout this passage is on the Church itself and how we are to live in light of who Jesus is. 
      • Which is really not a surprise considering what we have already examined in 1 Peter.
      • He spends much time writing to the Redeemed as he strives to bring encouragement, correction, and hope…
        • He does this because he is writing to people that are scattered and considered foreigners in the world in which they live. 
        • He writes to the exiled that have been scattered, at least in part, by persecution.  
      • Peter’s focus on the church in this text is a direct connection to what he writes about Jesus.
  • So as we read this passage together I want you to already be thinking about what this passage reveals to us about Jesus and what it calls us to as the Church.  
    • As you do I also want to put forward a question…
      • What are you building your life upon?
        • OR…
      • What is the foundation of your existence? 
    • As we read this passage, as we work though these verses keep that question on your mind.  
• With that let us turn to the scripture, read it together and bow before our King in prayer.  

1 Peter 2:4-10

• Did you see the focus on Christ?
• Did you see the focus on the Church?
  • Both are present and intertwined together and both are worthy of our attention today.
• So let’s dive right in and consider how Peter presents… 

Christ the Cornerstone

• We see this from the very first verse that we read, look again with me…
  • Vs. 4a - “As you come to him, a living stone…”
    • Underline that phrase because this is going to be Peter’s focus over the next several verses.
  • This “living stone” that he is writing about is indeed Christ…
• Let’s begin to unpack this together and consider what Peter writes about our Lord.
  • First, consider what he means by calling Jesus a “living stone”.
    • To see this it is important that we understand where Peter is pulling from.
      • He quotes from three different places in the Old Testament to add to this point about Jesus being a “stone”.
        • We see this in verse 6 where he quotes from Isaiah 28:16.
        • We see this in verse 7 where he quotes from Psalm 118:22.
        • Then we also see it in verse 8 where he quotes from Isaiah 8:14.  
      • So what is this talk about a “stone” or a “cornerstone” and a “rock of offense”?
    • For us to answer that question let us consider how a Jew in the first century would have answered that question.
      • If you were a first century Jew that lived before the coming of Christ and…
        • You were asked what the cornerstone or the foundation of your religious practice was, what would you say?
          • Most, if not all, would point to the Temple, it existed as the rock that their entire system was built upon.
          • Acts of purification, the entire sacrificial system was intended to have this place as the focal point.
        • It is where you would go to atone for your sins, and where you would find a mediator, a priest…
          • To facilitate what was commanded.
      • That is why when the Temple was destroyed in the Old Testament it was a major tragedy for the people of Israel.
        • They now had nowhere to offer sacrifices, nowhere to have their sins atoned for.
          • They had the Law but the Law showed that sacrifices were required.
          • It also showed that there was to be one place where it was allowed and only the priests to offer these sacrifices.
          • This was such a problem that…
        • We have an entire book of the Bible that is centered upon the rebuilding and reinstituting of Temple worship.
          • Ezra’s main purpose was to rebuild the Temple and reestablish the sacrificial system.
            • To bring about the priestly lineage again…
          • All so that people could obey what God had commanded.  
        • That is because it was the cornerstone of Judism…
          • Therefore, no temple, no tabernacle meant no ability to fulfill what the Law required.  
      • What a tragic thing, can you imagine?
        • Having a Law but not the ability to carry it out…
        • Knowing what is required but being unable to fulfill it…
        • Interestingly enough that is where modern Jews find themselves today.
      • They have traditions and customs but without a Temple they cannot fulfill what the Law requires.
    • Peter writes though that for a Christian there exists a different foundation, a different cornerstone, it is a “living stone” and that is Jesus Himself.
      • Our foundation is not in a place, it is in a person…
        • It is in the God-man, the one who died for our sins and was raised to life again.
      • He is the One that our Hope, our Assurance, our Eternity rests upon.
        • This is good to know because it reminds us that our hope…
          • Is not in a place…
            • Therefore it cannot be destroyed…
          • It is not about what we could do…
            • It is about what Christ has done.
        • He is the “living stone” that our hope is built upon.
      • He is the foundation of what we believe, everything is built upon Him.
    • Furthermore, He is not a dead Messiah, He is a living one, one that exists eternal in the Heavens.
      • He exists as the One who intercedes for His people, for His church.  
      • So this is first, we see Jesus as the foundational rock that the church is built upon.
        • It is a living reality, an ever present assurance that we have. 
      • He is our living stone…
  • Second, we see that this “living stone” was Chosen by God and Precious to Him.
    • Think about this with me and what this means for those who Peter is writing to and what it means for us today.
      • Jesus was born in the first century and he lived a rather short life…
        • A carpenter by trade but also a Rabbi, one who taught others and proclaimed the Truth of God.
        • This Jesus also showed many miraculous signs…
          • He walked on water, calmed the seas…
          • Healed the blind, lame, and lepper…
          • He cast out demons and testified that He was the Great I AM.
          • Claiming to be God by Word and proving it by Deed.  
        • For this claim He was condemned to die, then three days later He rose back to life.
      • We are familiar with the life and ministry of Jesus, for that is why we are gathered together today.  
    • However, imagine with me that you exist in the first century and that you have also believed this story.
      • You do not have 2000 years of church history…
        • You do not have the completed Word of God…
        • You do not have the doctrines of the church…
        • Nonetheless, you have placed your faith in this Jesus.
      • Yet now because of that you are experiencing pain.
        • Maybe that pain comes in the form of…
          • Separation from your loved ones who have cast you aside after placing your faith in Jesus.
        • Maybe that pain is in the form of…
          • Physical beatings and threats of violence because of your faith.
        • Maybe you have been shunned by those around you as they look upon you as a traitor.
      • For many then and even for many today who trust in Christ this is an ever present reality.
        • We read about Jesus telling us that we need to die to ourselves and discuss what it means…
        • However, for many across our world and most throughout the ages they did not have to consider it…
          • They lived it.
      • Imagine it, think about it, that your world is turned upside down because you have been born again.
        • We dwell in a place where it is celebrated, our families maybe even rejoice, but that is not the case everywhere.
          • It was certainly not the case in Peter’s day.
        • For people to follow Jesus they often had to go against…
          • How they were raised…
          • What religion they had practiced…
        • They found themselves at odds with…
          • Their family, friends, and loved ones.  
      • If you can imagine that, if you can consider it, let me ask…
    • Would someone in that situation ever doubt that Jesus was the right choice?
      • I think it is reasonable to assume that this was a temptation for many in Peter’s day.
      • We must also remember the norm of the day was not monotheism…
        • They lived in a culture that believed in a plurality of gods and goddesses.
      • So if one did not fit, or one caused you pain, just trade off.
        • Or, worship both…
    • It is only reasonable for us to think that those who trusted in Christ and then experienced suffering and pain would be tempted to doubt.
      • I have to think that Peter writes this letter knowing that…
        • Knowing that those who will read his letter will wonder…
          • Is this Jesus really worth it?
          • Am I following the right path?
          • Is this the truth or is it in something else or someone else? 
      • What I love about Peter is that you will not find him shaming those who may have questions.
        • He did not cast them aside either, instead he did what we must do when questions arise.
      • He pointed the people to Jesus and said look at Him, look at who He is, and where He has come from.
    • Here we learn that Jesus was Chosen by God and Precious to God.
      • How we understand this is vital because of what Peter does throughout this passage.
        • He moves from talking about Jesus being chosen by God and Him being this living stone…
        • To the church being chosen and being precious to God, and also being living stones that are built together.
          • So it is not simply what we can learn about Jesus, it is what it means for us today.
        • Church, what we believe about God, what we believe about Jesus, what we believe about man…
        • It will drive our actions, it will determine our decisions.
      • So if you have questions about who this Jesus is, if you have doubt about Him being the Messiah, then let’s see what Peter reminds his readers. 
    • What does he tell us…
      • He tells that even though Christ was rejected by man and crucified…
        • That He was accepted by God, precious to Him and He had been set aside for that very purpose.
      • We have talked about this before but it is worth our time to consider this again today.
        • If you were to ask when God decided to send Jesus to redeem a people for Himself.
          • What you would find is that there has never been a point in time where Jesus was not purposed to go to the cross.
          • Which means that before the Law and Prophets were written, before the fall of man, before Creation itself, the plan was the cross.
          • From eternity past when God dwelled in perfect love and unity between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the plan was the cross.
        • If you dwell upon that it will make your head spin but you cannot deny it.
      • Jesus was chosen and set apart for that very purpose, to be the perfect sacrifice to appease the righteous wrath of the Father.
    • Which means that the rejection He experienced was not a surprise, it did not catch Him off guard.
      • He was chosen for this purpose, elected, and picked out, to be the perfect sacrifice.
        • Let us recognize that this was not easy, it was pain and suffering that we cannot imagine.
        • It was deep rejection and a lonely road where Jesus bore the cross.
        • Even upon the cross…
      • He cried out… “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
        • He was chosen for this purpose, set apart to be this perfect sacrifice.
        • All of the Old Testament only makes sense in light of what He did, it all points ahead to Him.
      • Yet here, He felt alone, He felt abandoned by His Father.
    • You see though, Peter did not just say that He was chosen by God, He was also precious to Him.
      • He was loved by the Father, this we know without a doubt.
      • Three times in the ministry of Jesus the Father spoke audibly for others to hear.
        • He did this at Jesus’ Baptism.
          • Matthew 3:17b - “...“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
        • He does this at the Transfiguration of Christ.
          • When He is on the mountain with Peter, James, and John…
            • They heard the Father say…
          • Luke 9:35b - “...This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”
        • Lastly, He did this just before Cross, Jesus prayed “Father, glorify your name”, then the Lord responded…
          • John 12:28b - “...“I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
          • Though the same type of affirmation is not used at this moment…
        • It still stands as a reminder that the Father was pleased with the Son.
      • Jesus was precious to the Father and chosen by Him…
    • These two truths must be held at the same time otherwise suffering, pain, struggle will cause us to doubt the affection of God toward us.
      • Though we may not fully grasp it, we still see it fully in the scriptures…
        • Jesus was loved by the Father yet He was also chosen to bear the weight of sin and endure the wrath from God.
      • Here is what I want you to see…
        • Though God had chosen Christ and set Him apart for this purpose.
          • Though it brought about pain and suffering and even death…
        • What also existed in the midst of that suffering was the love of the Father toward the Son.
      • So Peter writes to the church who knows suffering, who knows pain…
        • Pain that has been brought upon them because they believed this message.  
      • He reminds them to look to Jesus as their example…
        • That they would see that though He was precious, He was also chosen to suffer for the sake of man.
        • This reminds us today that just because we may endure suffering it does not mean that we are less precious to the Father.
      • Though we may have questions and doubts, it does not change the Fathers affection toward us.
    • So brothers and sisters, take heart in this, consider this as the foundation that our lives are built upon.
  • This Jesus, the living stone, chosen by God, precious to Him, suffered and died for our own sake.
    • Knowing this, dwelling upon this will certainly enable us to endure whatever we are faced with.
    • This is summarized well throughout Romans 8 but specifically near the end of the chapter…
      • Romans 8:31-32 - “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
  • Christ is the cornerstone, he is the foundation that we are built upon and Him being chosen by God and precious to Him gives us hope today.
• Now, let us move to our second point as we consider that…

Christians are Living Stones

• Turning our attention back to the opening verses of this passage let us read verse 5.
  • Vs. 5a - “you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house…”
  • Here is why it is important for us to have a grounded understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done and how God has worked through Him…
    • It is directly tied to us, His people, His church, we are “living stones” that are being built up into a spiritual house. 
  • There are several important truths that we can consider across these verses but I want us to focus on just what we see in verse 5.
• If you were to look at verse 5 and to categorize it you would find that Peter is telling us two things.
  • First, he is telling us that we should be unified.
    • Now he does not use the word unity but when you read this verse you will see unity across it, read it again with me…
      • Vs. 5a - “you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house…”
    • What Peter is giving us here is an illustration for how the church is to exist.
      • He tells us that we are being “built up” into a "spiritual house”.
        • This is not in reference to the churching building itself..
        • Instead, this is in reference to the people being built together.
      • He tells us that we are to be built together into a singular structure, into a house.
        • Imagine with me a block structure, picture it for a moment…
        • Those blocks are stacked in a staggered fashion with mortar in between…
        • One built upon another, each one tied together with multiple connecting points.
      • Singular blocks on their own but together they exist as a structure, and it is only possible with unity.
    • I will take it a step farther, because unity is only possible if God indeed builds it together.  
      • The redeemed of God that is unified together is truly an act of God building those who are His together.
    • More than that, this illustration reveals to us the importance of unity within the Body of Christ.
      • If unity does not exist in a block structure, then what will be the result?
        • Will it not crumble and fall?
        • Will it be able to stand if the blocks are missing or worse if the blocks are being built upon a different foundation.
      • True unity within the church is found only if a common foundation is shared, which is in Christ.  
    • So you show me a group of believers that are building their lives upon the Cornerstone that we have already discussed…
      • I will show you a group of people that cannot help but be unified together.
      • They cannot help it because God is in the midst of it and He is doing a work that they could not do on their own.
    • Peter writes and reminds us that as the redeemed we are to be unified but also…
  • Second, he is telling us that we are in a progressive state.
    • Again, look at verse 5…
      • Vs. 5a - “you yourselves like living stones are being built…”
    • This reminds us that we are in a state of progress toward Christ…
      • None of us have attained it and as we continue on this side of eternity we will continue in that progress.  
      • So what that means for you today as you dwell upon this text is two things…
        • First, it means that you are a work not finished.
          • The Lord is not done with you…
            • I do not care how old you are, or how young you are…
            • I do not care how long you have been a believer…
          • If you are still alive then He is still doing a work in you.
            • You are still being built, and that is a good thing.
            • It is a good thing because none of us are where we want to be.
          • Is that not true of all of us?
            • That we are all not where we want to be…
            • That there are perhaps things in our lives that we wish were not a struggle for us?
          • So I urge you, do not get discouraged in the progress but consider…
            • If He has brought you thus far, He will see it through to the end.
            • He will build you into what He desires you to be.
          • That is not all though…
        • Second, it means that you have work to do.
          • Knowing that none of us are where we desire to be it reminds us that we are striving after Him.
          • We should give ourselves to that which will build us up and build us on a sure foundation.
            • That means we should position ourselves in such a way that would benefit this process.
          • What does that mean?
            • It means setting aside time for the spiritual discipline of…
              • Reading the Word…
              • Spending time in Prayer…
              • Fellowshiping with other Beleivers…
            • Let me speak to that last one for just a moment.
          • Fellowship is something that is often watered down to mean something in our day that is different from Biblical fellowship.
            • Biblical fellowship is something that happens when believers gather…
              • And  that gathering is centered upon Christ.
              • They read the scripture, they pray together, and they discuss Jesus.
            • On a side note, personally…
              • Some of the sweetest times of fellowship that I have experienced with other believers is outside of regular worship.
            • That does not mean we are to set regular worship aside…
              • What it means is that we should not confine it to those times.
          • If you do not have someone to discuss scripture with, to pray with, to help keep you accountable…
            • Then you are missing out on the important work of fellowship.
        • Peter writes and tells us that we are to be progressing toward Christ.
      • That we are being built by Him, that we are in the process of being changed.
    • He tells us that we are “living stones”, that we are little Christ’s, that we are Christians.

Closing

• It is here we will close out our time together today.
  • I ask you to consider what we have seen together, consider who Christ is, and then ask what I did at the start… 
    • What is your life being built upon?
    • Is it on Christ or is it being built upon another foundation?
  • That question, asked honestly before the Lord will either bring you…
    • Conviction or clarity, so I urge you to ask it, to consider it, to dwell upon it as we close.
  • Let’s pray.