Living Stone

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men, but chosen by God and precious to him…  (1 Peter 2:4)

 

Living Stone

 

When Jesus first met Simon the fisherman and renamed him Peter (the Rock), the Master sowed seeds in this man’s soul that would lead to a lifelong meditation on the nature of Jesus’ ministry to the world. As Peter grew in His understanding of the Master’s mission, He realized that the ministry of Jesus Christ would be like rock in a world of shifting sand. That word picture became clearer on a visit to Caesarea Philippi, where Jesus asked the Apostles, “Who do you say I am?” Peter declared, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus affirmed Peter’s declaration by saying, “upon this rock I will build my church.” Later, Peter reminded the believing community that Jesus Christ is the Living Stone who joins us to Himself in this amazing organism called the Church.

 

But the message that Jesus is God’s precious Living Stone, given as the foundation of abundant life, has suffered under a long history of human disapproval. Psalm 118:22 predicted that the expert builders of the earthly Temple would reject this capstone. These men knew that the stone they chose as the capstone would determine the design and use of the building. So they discarded God’s Living Stone in favor of a dead stone carved out by the self-reliant heart of human beings. The good news is that the stone the builders rejected has now become the chief cornerstone.

 

In this eternal temple, you and I serve as priests to the Living God. Every day, we are granted an opportunity to embrace the Living Stone that energizes our souls for the love work of His Kingdom. It is marvelous in His sight!

—Frank Robinson