Cornerstone

SCRIPTURE:
Luke 20:17 NLT - Jesus looked at them and said, "Then what does this Scripture mean? 'The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.'

OBSERVATION:
Luke chapter 20 starts with a demand from the religious leaders:

Luke 20:2 NLT - They demanded, "By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?"

Previously, in chapter 19, after riding into Jerusalem on a donkey amid shouts of "Hosanna"—"Save now"-Jesus went to the temple and cleansed it. It was a sign of what was to come. Jesus vividly illustrated what needed to be done to reform the religious system of that time. Rules, regulations, and rituals had obstructed what the temple was meant to be—a place to meet with God, find restoration, experience refreshment, and rejoice in God Almighty. Yet it had become, as Jesus said:

Luke 19:46 NLT -  …"The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves."

The religious leaders had turned it into something God never meant. Jesus was there to show what God actually intended. This made the people marvel, and the religious leaders started plotting how to kill Him.

All of this raised the question, “Who gives you the right?” Jesus responded with a question:

Luke 20:3-4 NLT - "Let me ask you a question first," he replied. "Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?"

Jesus knew they would not answer because they feared what people might think or do. Then, he shared the Parable of the Evil Farmers.

In this parable, Jesus uses a vineyard—a common symbol of Israel. The vineyard was leased to farmers, symbolizing the Jewish religious leaders. This prompts the Owner—God—to send His “beloved Son,” whom they murdered, foreshadowing what they would soon do to Jesus.

Throughout the Old Testament, a rock or stone symbolized God’s presence. Jesus declared that He was that Rock—the one the “builders rejected.” In the minds of the religious leaders, Jesus did not meet their requirements, yet everything the prophets had spoken was being fulfilled right before their eyes. Jesus was and is the Cornerstone, the foundation upon which the Church is built. He is the One on whom our faith, forgiveness, and future rest—nothing else!

APPLICATION:
What does this mean for you and me?

“The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.”

Without our Cornerstone—who bore all the weight, stress, and punishment for our sin—there would be nothing for us to stand on. We could never stand before a holy God.
Jesus quotes from Psalm 118, The Rock of Salvation:
 
Psalm 118:22-29 NKJV - The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD. God is the LORD, and He has given us light; bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You. Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

From the triumphal entry to the cross, all of it was part of the Cornerstone’s work. Jesus would bear all the weight, sin, and shame that we might stumble upon—fall on—Him, our Rock.

Luke 20:18 NLT - "Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on."

We can either be crushed or broken; the choice is ours. One leads to sorrow, the other to life. Choose wisely.

PRAYER:
Jesus, thank You for being my Cornerstone. You hold me together, bear the weight of my sin, and provide a solid foundation for me to stand on. I gladly rely on You, for Your love endures forever. Save me now, I pray. Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!