Cornerstone or Stumbling Stone? 1 Peter 2:4-10

Last time we were together we began our study of 1 Peter 2:4-10 by taking a long look at what it means for Jesus to be the Cornerstone of God’s purpose for history and for our lives as followers of Jesus. Those who first heard Peter’s letter read to them, back in early 60s AD, had to have been strengthened and encouraged by Peter’s teaching. Their lives were in a state of upheaval. They were outsiders because of their love and commitment to Jesus. Their lives were on shaky ground in the communities in which they lived under the authority of the Roman Empire. Yet, Peter says they are living stones who will never be put to shame because of their connection to the Cornerstone, Jesus their Lord and Savior. Peter has much more to say to them in the verses we are looking at this morning so won’t you turn to 1 Peter 2:4-10 and let’s read them together.

4 As you come to him, the living Stone-- rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him-- 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," 8 and, "A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message-- which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:4-10 NIV)

We made our way through verses 4-5 in our last study so we are going to pick up in verse 6 this morning. Peter writes, “For in Scripture it says:” The Greek word for “Scripture” is used 51 times in the New Testament. In almost every instance the word refers back to the Hebrew Bible. It is never used to describe any other holy book from some other religion. John wrote, after the death of Jesus, in John 19:36-37.

36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," 37 and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced." (John 19:36-37 NIV)

What Scripture is John referring to when he writes, “These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled?” He is referring to Psalm 34:20 and Zechariah 12:10, prophecies found in the Hebrew Bible. 

Jesus also pointed people back to the Scriptures, to the Hebrew Bible, over and over again so the people could gain an understanding about who He was and what He was doing. While Jesus was speaking to the Jewish religious leaders one day, He told them, 

39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (John 5:39-40 NIV)

The Pharisees and Sadducess studied the Hebrew Bible through and through and yet they rejected Jesus. Jesus said, “These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” All of the Hebrew Bible was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born and yet Jesus says they all testify about Him, they were all pointing to Him. 

Let’s go back to verse 6 where Peter pointed us to a verse from the Scriptures. Which verse was Peter quoting? It was Isaiah 28:16. 

16 So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic. (Isaiah 28:16 NIV)

Peter was not the only one who quoted this verse as a Messianic prophecy. Paul also quoted the verse in reference to Jesus in Romans 9:33. It is important for us to take just a minute and look at the meaning of the verse as it was used by Isaiah. Through the prophet Isaiah, God told His people that He was laying a precious cornerstone in Zion, in Jerusalem, and that those who trusted in God’s promise would never be “stricken with panic.” They were already panicking. They saw the power of the nations around them and feared for their lives. Instead of trusting in God and His promises they turned to trying to make treaties with the nations so they wouldn’t be attacked. The promised Cornerstone became a stumbling stone which brought about God’s judgment. In Isaiah 30:1-3 we read,

1 "Woe to the obstinate children," declares the LORD, "to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin; 2 who go down to Egypt without consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh's protection, to Egypt's shade for refuge. 3 But Pharaoh's protection will be to your shame, Egypt's shade will bring you disgrace. (Isaiah 30:1-3 NIV)

Do you see any parallel between the situation of God’s people in Isaiah’s day and the situation being faced by the people living under the heavy hand of the Roman Empire in Peter’s day? Just as those living in Jerusalem feared the power of the surrounding nations, so those living in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Bithynia, and Asia were fearful of what those who opposed them would do to them. It made sense to assimilate, blend in with the culture, and downplay their commitment to Jesus. Go ahead and visit the Roman temples where your neighbors worship their pagan gods so nobody will suspect you. Play down your belief that Jesus is the only way to be saved and reconciled to God, the One True and Living God. This would be the prudent thing to do, the reasonable thing to do if you are a follower of Jesus living in a hostile culture, but they were not called to be prudent or reasonable, they were called to be faithful to the One who suffered and died for their freedom and salvation. 

This powerful word of encouragement for those who first heard Peter’s letter read to them is equally powerful for you and me today. Far too many followers of Jesus today are indistinguishable from the unbelievers surrounding us. Instead of being indistinguishable from our surrounding culture, there should be something distinctive about everything we do. The definition of distinctive is “to mark as separate or different.” If we are truly following Jesus then what we do, how we live, how we use our time and finances, and how we speak should mark us as different from the surrounding culture. We are not to withdraw from life, but we are to be the very salt and light of our city. Jesus said,

13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16 NIV)

We are to let His light shine through us so that others may see something distinctive, something different about us, and that distinctiveness point them to the Lord. 

There was nothing special about Doug Nichols growing up. He made bad grades, partied all the time, and had no interest in Jesus whatsoever. Then he met a young woman who was a Christian, who grew up the daughter of missionaries in China, and the Lord used her to change Doug’s life. 

Some time after Doug became a follower of Jesus, he felt called to be a missionary. He applied to twelve missionary organizations and all of them turned him down. Then Doug heard about Operation Mobilization. Doug said he later learned that Operation Mobilization would accept anyone with a pulse. Doug was sent to India in 1967. Shortly after he arrived, and before he learned to speak the language, Doug found out he had tuberculosis. Doug was taken to a sanitarium and at first they rejected him because he was an American. God later opened a door for Doug and he was allowed into the sanitarium. Doug took lots of Bible tracts and little copies of the Gospel of John to give to the other patients and staff in the sanitarium, but every time he would hand a patient a Bible tract they would tear it up in front of him. 

The big room in the sanitarium where Doug was placed was filled with beds of Indians who were suffering from tuberculosis. It was hard to rest because everyone was coughing around the clock. One day Doug saw an old emaciated man who was being treated harshly by one of the nurses. He found out the old man was unable to get out of the bed to go to the bathroom and the nurse was angry that she had to clean up his mess. Doug said,

The stench in the ward was awful. Other patients yelled insults at the man. Angry nurses moved him roughly from side to side as they cleaned up the mess. One nurse even slapped him. The old man curled into a ball and wept. (Doug Nichols)

The next night Doug’s cough woke him up about 2 am and he noticed the old man trying to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. He tried and tried to lift his body from the bed, but he just couldn’t. Doug said he felt God nudging him to help the old man so he got up, lifted the man who didn’t weigh anything into his arms, and carried him to the bathroom which was nothing more than a hole in the ground. After the man finished, Doug carried him back to his bed. When he laid him in his bed the old man kissed Doug on the cheek and said something that Doug couldn’t understand. The next morning the old man motioned to Doug that he wanted one of the Bible tracts Doug had been trying to give to the patients. Another patient woke Doug up later in the day and handed him a steaming cup of tea and motioned for a Bible tract. Throughout the day other patients approached Doug and let him know they also wanted a Bible tract. Then doctors, nurses, and interns also asked for Bible tracts. Then Doug writes,

Weeks later, an evangelist who spoke the language visited me, and as he talked to others in the sanitarium, he discovered that several had put their trust in Christ as Savior as a result of reading the literature! What did it take to reach these people with the Gospel? It wasn’t health, the ability to speak their language, or a persuasive talk. I simply took a trip to the bathroom. (Doug Nichols)

There was something distinctive about Doug and it wasn’t his Bible knowledge or powerful sermon that touched the hearts of those who did not know Jesus–it was his willingness to help an old man that others simply saw as a burden. A little later in our study of 1 Peter, he will tell those living among the unbelievers in the Roman Empire.

12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (1 Peter 2:12 NIV)

Let’s move on and take a look at 1 Peter 2:7-8. I want us to pay close attention as we read these verses. Let’s see if we can identify the two responses to Jesus, the Cornerstone, as we read these verses. 

7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," 8 and, "A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message-- which is also what they were destined for. (1 Peter 2:7-8 NIV)

To some, to those who believe, the Cornerstone, Jesus, is precious, but to others He is the Stumbling Stone. Let’s take a look at these two groups. “...to you who believe, this stone is precious.” What does Peter mean when he writes “...to you who believe?”  The Greek word translated “believe” is the word “πιστεύω” (pisteuō)  and it means “to consider something to be true and therefore worthy of one’s trust.” One Greek dictionary says, “Pisteuo represents an intellectual apprehension of truth, surrender to that truth, and exhibiting a lifestyle concordant with that surrender. It is more than simply saying ‘I believe in Jesus’ and then going on about your life never exhibiting a change in attitude or actions.”

To believe in Jesus is more than a verbal confession, it is believing so as to live our lives based upon, molded, and guided by our belief in Jesus. Evidently, the problem we face today with many followers of Jesus saying they believe, but living for themselves and not for the Lord was also a problem in the early Church. James wrote,

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that-- and shudder. (James 2:14-19 NIV)

And to those who believe, He is precious. When I hear the word “precious” I think of those things that are of the highest value to you and me. Last week Ryan showed us a video of a man who sold everything he had to buy a field where he had found treasure. The treasure cost him everything and yet it was precious to him so in actuality all that he gave up was nothing in comparison to the treasure. 

Those of us who are parents see our children as precious. There is nothing we would not do or give up for the blessing of our children. We know that it will cost us in one way or another, but whatever sacrifice we have to make is nothing compared to the priceless treasure of our kids. 

Hopefully this helps us better understand what Peter has written, when He describes the mindset of those who believe and trust in Jesus…He is precious to us. This verse, 1 Peter 2:7, is the very first verse of Scripture that Charles Spurgeon preached in 1850, when he was just 16 years old. Years later, in 1908, he preached on the Scripture again. In his sermon, he wrote how Jesus is precious to the believer because He has freed us from our sin. Then, he wrote,

And, O Beloved, beside that, He is precious to us because He has changed the whole bent and current of our thoughts. We were once selfish and cared for nobody else. But since the Lord Jesus Christ has saved us, we serve not self, but Christ. We do not now live to hoard money, or to get ourselves honor, or even to save our own souls, for that is completed—we now rise above the groveling love of self and our whole being is devoted to Jesus! He is precious beyond all price, for He has taught us to live for God's Glory and for the welfare of our fellow men. (Spurgeon, Charles. A Sermon and a Reminiscence. October 1, 1908) 

For those who believe, He is precious, of greater value than anything we could ever possess or anyone we could ever know. This is only true for those who believe. We also read in verse 8 that Jesus is “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” Peter goes on to say, “They stumble because they disobey the message–which is also what they were destined for.” The Greek word translated “stumble” is the word, “Πρόσκομμα” (proskomma) and it means “a stumbling block, an obstacle in the way which if one strikes his foot against he stumbles or falls, or that which causes one to sin.” In other letters, Peter and Paul both use this word to describe the things we can do to cause our brothers and sisters in Christ to stumble in their faith.  

Here, in 1 Peter 2:8, Peter says it is the Cornerstone that causes people to stumble. Peter also writes that the Cornerstone, Jesus, is a “rock that makes them fall.”  The Greek word translated “makes them fall” is “σκάνδαλον” (skandalon). It is the word from which we get our word “scandal.”  In some other translations of this verse we read that Jesus is the “rock of offense.” Jesus, God’s Cornerstone, is a hindrance to those who refuse to believe because He stands in the way of their own selfish desires. What Peter is stressing to those in the early Church and to you and me is this: Jesus is either a stumbling stone to destruction or He is a stepping stone to salvation. Paul wrote to the people of Corinth.

20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Cor. 1:20-24 NIV)

The world’s wisdom finds the claims of Jesus utterly unacceptable because Jesus demands the total surrender of ourselves if we are going to be His disciple. We do not want any Lord, any Master directing our lives except ourselves. We don’t think we need a Savior. 

Most of us, the vast majority of us, are not as open and honest as Kanye West, but deep inside we hold to the same philosophy. Just last week Kanye was interviewed on “The Download” podcast when he said, “I’m going to just make it simple. God runs the world. I am God. I run the world. Let me make that very clear, all right.” Now, we are not so delusional to think we run the world, but we are just delusional enough to believe that we control our own lives, that we are the captain of our own ship, and the maker of our own destiny. So, when Jesus comes along and says, “I’m the Cornerstone and you will either find life, true life and salvation in Me, or I will be a Rock that makes you stumble,” then we are confronted with an inescapable choice. Which will He be? What will you choose? Leonhard Goppelt wrote in his commentary on this verse,

Christ is laid across the path of humanity on its course into the future. In the encounter with him each person is changed: one for salvation, another for destruction…One cannot simply step over Jesus to go on about the daily routine and pass him by to build a future. (Goppelt, Leonhard. A Commentary on 1 Peter. 1993. pg. 144; 146)

Jesus was rejected by many in His day and He has been rejected as God’s Cornerstone by many in every generation and in every nation up until this day. That does not change the fact that He is God’s Cornerstone, the Foundation Stone that has brought us salvation, reconciliation with God and with one another, and meaning and purpose for all of life. Everything throughout the ages has changed and will continue to change, but our Unchangeable Cornerstone. For those who believe in Him, those who surrender their lives to Him, He is precious. One day in the future, and I hope it is not too far away, we will see Him in all of His glory. God gave John a glimpse of that day in Revelation 7:9-10 when he wrote,

9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (Revelation 7:9-10 NIV)

We are about out of time, but let me close with a study in contrast. Thomas Nagel is one of the premier philosophers living today. Thomas Nagel is an atheist, but he is an honest atheist. It’s not that he can’t find enough reasons to believe, but he admits that he simply does want to believe. He wrote,

I want atheism to be true and am made uneasy by the fact that some of the most intelligent and well-informed people I know are religious believers. It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God and, naturally, hope that I’m right in my belief. It’s that I hope there is no God! I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the universe to be like that.  (Nagel, Thomas. The Last Word. Oxford University Press: 1997)

I pray that one day Thomas Nagel will find Jesus as his Cornerstone, but to this day he has chosen to stumble over Jesus because he has rejected the message that salvation is found in no one else but Jesus, our Cornerstone. 

Al Fadi was born and raised in Saudi Arabia. His family was devout in their Muslim faith. He believed that Islam was the only true religion and that those who didn’t accept Allah as their God and Muhammad as his messenger were doomed to hell. Mr. Fadi said,

I had nothing but contempt for Christianity. I believed that Muslims were superior to all others, that all non-Muslims were infidels, and that Jesus was a prophet sent by Allah, not the divine Son of God. As far as I was concerned, he had never been crucified, never died on a cross, and never been resurrected. I believed he had ascended into heaven, but only to be saved from his persecutors before coming back at the end of times to restore Islam as the true religion of Allah. All in all, I grew up harboring intense hatred for Christians, Jews, and all who refused Islam. (Christianity Today. I Wanted to Die for Allah. Now I Live for Jesus. January 3, 2023)

Al Fadi came to America to go to college. Right after he arrived he asked for help in learning the English language. He called the International Friendship Program not knowing they were a Christian organization. About two weeks later a young couple contacted him and introduced themselves. Over the next seven months they helped Al in so many ways. Thanksgiving came and they invited Al to their home to share Thanksgiving. When the food was served they asked if it would be ok to pray? Al said, “I admit that my heart sank at this moment. I had never realized that Christians are actually filled with love and not hate, as my Muslim upbringing had led me to believe.” Al walked out of their house that day wondering if everything he had been taught about Jesus and His followers was true. 

He began to investigate Jesus. He also graduated from college and took a job at an engineering firm. There he met another Christian and the man invited Al to church. In 2001, Al visited a church for the first time. Over the next six months he listened to the sermons being taught from the Gospel of John. Al writes,

In November 2001, without a shadow of a doubt, I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. But it wasn’t easy at first. Within a matter of months, I lost my marriage due to unfaithfulness from my spouse, and I also lost my job. It felt like Satan was actively trying to destroy my faith. But these months taught me invaluable lessons about having a personal relationship with Jesus and learning to depend on him through all circumstances. (Christianity Today. I Wanted to Die for Allah. Now I Live for Jesus. January 3, 2023)

Al Fadi learned that Jesus is the Cornerstone to freedom and salvation. How about you? Will you receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Cornerstone of your life or will you continue to stumble and try to make your way through life on your own? Won’t you turn to Jesus? 

Mike Hays

Britton Christian Church

May 5, 2024