CORNERSTONE
"So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." ~ Ephesians 2.19-22
CORNERSTONE
"So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit."
~ Ephesians 2.19-22
Sepphoris, Israel
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone (Psalm 118.22). Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record Jesus quoting this Psalm in reference to Himself.
Jesus told a parable in response to the religious leaders’ rejection of Jesus and His authority. The Parable of the Tenants is a story of a landowner who has leased out his land for farming. At harvest time he sends servants to retrieve his rightful share of the harvest. They are quickly killed by the tenants. The landowner sends his very own son who is also rejected and killed.
Jesus then quotes this Psalm about a stone that the builders reject which has become the cornerstone.
The Bible uses several rock metaphors in reference to Jesus and God. In Zechariah 4.7 He is the “capstone.” In Isaiah 28.16 He is the “chief cornerstone.” In Isaiah 8.14 He is the “stone that will make them stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”
These Old Testament verses are quoted or referenced 9 times (Psalm 118.22: Matthew 21.42, Mark 12.10, Luke 20.17, Acts 4.11, 1 Peter 2.7; Isaiah 8.14: Romans 9.33; Isaiah 28.16: 1 Corinthians 3.11, Ephesians 2.20, 1 Peter 2.6).
So, what’s the difference between a cornerstone and a capstone? Well, a cornerstone is the first large stone placed in beginning a structure. From this stone the stability, level, direction of the building was determined. If this first stone wasn’t level, if it wasn’t facing the correct direction, etc., then the rest of the structure would be unstable or unusable. Consequently, the cornerstone was the most important stone of the building!
Capstones were placed along the top of a wall or building to finish out the structure and secure it (see illustration).
(This is not to be confused with a keystone, which was the final stone placed in an arch. The keystone gave the arch stability and allowed it to hold itself up. This is most likely not what is being intended, though one can make an argument for it. Metaphorically speaking, this does describe Jesus as well!)
So, Jesus is both the capstone and the cornerstone (just as he is both the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Lion and the Lamb). He can be both the first stone and the final stone. He is the One who is the Foundation for our faith and the Foundation for the Church. He is also the final stone, the One who brings final stability and unity to our Faith and the Church.
The Isaiah 8 and Romans 9 passage refer to Jesus being a stone that makes people stumble. The Greek word used is σκάνδαλον (scandalon; we get the word scandal) “trip stick” or “snare”). Remember the old Road Runner cartoons where the coyote would set a trap that was propped up by a stick? When the stick was tripped, the prey would be captured.
Jesus is that “trip stick” which people stumble over and they are captured by their own lack of faith. The Gospel is a “scandal.” It seems too crazy for God to be human. It seems impossible for Jesus, an innocent person, to die on someone else’s behalf. It seems ludicrous that He could be resurrected. It seems foolish to believe that His death could bring me life. For many people, these objections are insurmountable, and they reject Jesus. He has become the cornerstone that they have rejected. At the same time, He has become the rock that makes them fall, a stone that makes them stumble.
Side Note:
I know you’ve heard all your life that Jesus was a carpenter. But many scholars have questioned the English translation of the Greek word τέκτων (“tekton”) which is a “craftsman.” Many craftsmen are “jacks of all trades” and do carpentry, but are also skilled in other areas, plumbing, tiling, masonry, etc.
The Greek term τέκτων can be understood as a “stone mason” as well as a “carpenter.”
Which one was Jesus? Well, like most modern handymen, he probably was multi-skilled, a “jack of all trades.” But, if I were laying my money down on what He did primarily, I would go with stone mason. Why?
There are relatively few trees in northern Israel and a carpenter would have a hard time feeding his family. Construction was primarily done by cutting and stacking stone. Jesus grew up in Nazareth, just a few miles from a major rock quarry which supplied a major construction project at Sepphoris, being built by Herod Antipas. So, for me, Jesus most likely was a stone mason, though he was likely skilled in carpentry as well.
This makes these passages about Jesus being a cornerstone, capstone, a rock of stumbling, our foundation stone, etc. come alive knowing that Jesus was speaking from experience as a stone mason.
Carpenter . . . stone mason . . . neither changes His role as the Messiah who has come to save the world!
“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone (Psalm 118.22). Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record Jesus quoting this Psalm in reference to Himself.
Jesus told a parable in response to the religious leaders’ rejection of Jesus and His authority. The Parable of the Tenants is a story of a landowner who has leased out his land for farming. At harvest time he sends servants to retrieve his rightful share of the harvest. They are quickly killed by the tenants. The landowner sends his very own son who is also rejected and killed.
Jesus then quotes this Psalm about a stone that the builders reject which has become the cornerstone.
The Bible uses several rock metaphors in reference to Jesus and God. In Zechariah 4.7 He is the “capstone.” In Isaiah 28.16 He is the “chief cornerstone.” In Isaiah 8.14 He is the “stone that will make them stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”
These Old Testament verses are quoted or referenced 9 times (Psalm 118.22: Matthew 21.42, Mark 12.10, Luke 20.17, Acts 4.11, 1 Peter 2.7; Isaiah 8.14: Romans 9.33; Isaiah 28.16: 1 Corinthians 3.11, Ephesians 2.20, 1 Peter 2.6).
So, what’s the difference between a cornerstone and a capstone? Well, a cornerstone is the first large stone placed in beginning a structure. From this stone the stability, level, direction of the building was determined. If this first stone wasn’t level, if it wasn’t facing the correct direction, etc., then the rest of the structure would be unstable or unusable. Consequently, the cornerstone was the most important stone of the building!
Capstones were placed along the top of a wall or building to finish out the structure and secure it (see illustration).
(This is not to be confused with a keystone, which was the final stone placed in an arch. The keystone gave the arch stability and allowed it to hold itself up. This is most likely not what is being intended, though one can make an argument for it. Metaphorically speaking, this does describe Jesus as well!)
So, Jesus is both the capstone and the cornerstone (just as he is both the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Lion and the Lamb). He can be both the first stone and the final stone. He is the One who is the Foundation for our faith and the Foundation for the Church. He is also the final stone, the One who brings final stability and unity to our Faith and the Church.
The Isaiah 8 and Romans 9 passage refer to Jesus being a stone that makes people stumble. The Greek word used is σκάνδαλον (scandalon; we get the word scandal) “trip stick” or “snare”). Remember the old Road Runner cartoons where the coyote would set a trap that was propped up by a stick? When the stick was tripped, the prey would be captured.
Jesus is that “trip stick” which people stumble over and they are captured by their own lack of faith. The Gospel is a “scandal.” It seems too crazy for God to be human. It seems impossible for Jesus, an innocent person, to die on someone else’s behalf. It seems ludicrous that He could be resurrected. It seems foolish to believe that His death could bring me life. For many people, these objections are insurmountable, and they reject Jesus. He has become the cornerstone that they have rejected. At the same time, He has become the rock that makes them fall, a stone that makes them stumble.
Sepphoris, Israel
Side Note:
I know you’ve heard all your life that Jesus was a carpenter. But many scholars have questioned the English translation of the Greek word τέκτων (“tekton”) which is a “craftsman.” Many craftsmen are “jacks of all trades” and do carpentry, but are also skilled in other areas, plumbing, tiling, masonry, etc.
The Greek term τέκτων can be understood as a “stone mason” as well as a “carpenter.”
Which one was Jesus? Well, like most modern handymen, he probably was multi-skilled, a “jack of all trades.” But, if I were laying my money down on what He did primarily, I would go with stone mason. Why?
There are relatively few trees in northern Israel and a carpenter would have a hard time feeding his family. Construction was primarily done by cutting and stacking stone. Jesus grew up in Nazareth, just a few miles from a major rock quarry which supplied a major construction project at Sepphoris, being built by Herod Antipas. So, for me, Jesus most likely was a stone mason, though he was likely skilled in carpentry as well.
This makes these passages about Jesus being a cornerstone, capstone, a rock of stumbling, our foundation stone, etc. come alive knowing that Jesus was speaking from experience as a stone mason.
Carpenter . . . stone mason . . . neither changes His role as the Messiah who has come to save the world!
Prayer
Jesus, You are my Foundation. You are my Cornerstone. You are my Capstone. You are my Keystone. You are the One on whom I build my life. You are my Beginning and my End and everything in between.
I know that the Gospel is a stumbling block, but I pray that I am never the thing that makes people stumble. Help me to live my life in such a way that people are drawn toward You rather than driven away from You. Help me not to erect stumbling blocks of my own making before them.
Thank You for being my Cornerstone. Amen.
Cornerstone (19th century)
by James Jacques Tissot
French artist, James Jacques Tissot has captured Jesus teaching in the Temple courts. The Jewish religious leaders are questioning the authority of Jesus to make the incredibly bold statements He is making. Ultimately, they reject His authority.
In response Jesus quotes from Psalm 118.22 and equates Himself to the “chief cornerstone” that the builders reject.
Tissot has captured Jesus using His surroundings, at this moment the large Herodian building stones of the Temple plaza, as an apropos illustration.
The religious leaders are clearly looking on with disdain, shocked that this craftsman from Nazareth would dare to speak to them in such a manner.
Onlookers watch with awe, wondering how Jesus could speak with such authority. Wondering if He truly were the long-promised Messiah.
Jesus, for His part, speaks calmly and with the authority that comes with His position as the Cornerstone of the universe.
Cornerstone (19th century)
by James Jacques Tissot
French artist, James Jacques Tissot has captured Jesus teaching in the Temple courts. The Jewish religious leaders are questioning the authority of Jesus to make the incredibly bold statements He is making. Ultimately, they reject His authority.
In response Jesus quotes from Psalm 118.22 and equates Himself to the “chief cornerstone” that the builders reject.
Tissot has captured Jesus using His surroundings, at this moment the large Herodian building stones of the Temple plaza, as an apropos illustration.
The religious leaders are clearly looking on with disdain, shocked that this craftsman from Nazareth would dare to speak to them in such a manner.
Onlookers watch with awe, wondering how Jesus could speak with such authority. Wondering if He truly were the long-promised Messiah.
Jesus, for His part, speaks calmly and with the authority that comes with His position as the Cornerstone of the universe.
Playlist Daily Highlight
Take the time to listen . . . really listen to the words of this song. Reflect on them. Let God’s spirit speak to you in this moment.
