Thursday, September 5, 2024
For it stands in Scripture: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and honored cornerstone, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame. So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving, The stone that the builders rejected, this one has become the cornerstone, and A stone to stumble over, and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this. 1 Peter 2:6-8
Our Cornerstone and Capstone
A cornerstone of a building is the principal stone, usually placed at the corner of a structure, as a guide for workers as they build. The cornerstone is usually the largest, the most solid, and the
most carefully constructed stone in a building. Once the cornerstone is set, it becomes the
basis for determining every measurement in the rest of the construction. Every other stone is aligned to it.
As the cornerstone of the building of the church, Jesus is our standard of measure, and our lives should be aligned with Him. He comes first and everything else is determined by our relationship with Him.
Just as the cornerstone of the building has to be the most reliable part of the foundation that the whole structure rests upon, Jesus is our cornerstone that we can rest upon and put our trust in Him fully and build our lives upon.
A capstone is a finishing stone atop an outer wall or roof. The capstone protects the masonry, causing water to flow in a certain way to prevent erosion. The capstone acts as a shield of sorts. The capstone is the final stone placed on top that helps hold the structure together.
The capstone, like the cornerstone, is an important metaphor for Jesus and His prominence as Head of the church and the kingdom of God. Jesus serves as a protector for us, just as a capstone does. He is a shield for us as a capstone shields the other stones from erosion from water. And just as a capstone is the final stone placed on a structure that holds it together, Jesus is what holds us together from top to bottom, beginning to end.
In the scripture above Peter was talking about how Jesus – the chosen and honored cornerstone – would be the stone the builders rejected. Those who believe in Him will find honor but those who reject the cornerstone will instead stumble over Him. Instead of being their salvation, Jesus becomes to a rock they trip over. For those who believe, Jesus is not only the cornerstone but also the capstone of the church and of our lives. Jesus is the Author and Perfector of our faith - meaning that He was the reason for our belief and He will bring it all the way to maturity. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end - and everything in between. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is holding the beginning and the ending of our journey. He wrote our story from start to finish and He knows every twist and turn along the way. We can look to Him for our direction, our safety, our peace, our comfort, and everything else we need.
