Project Description

2015/03

Jesus Christ – Chief Cornerstone

When describing His church, one metaphor the Lord uses is that of a building. An example of this is found in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians when he speaks of “all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:21). This building, the church, is comprised of many ‘stones’ redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1Peter1:19). Every one of them is hewn out of the dark quarry of sinful humanity being “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), “alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them” (Ephesians 4:18) and “without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12).

In coming unto the “living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house” (1Peter 2:4,5). “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:19,20).

In the foundation then of the church, made up of the inspired teaching of the apostles and prophets, it is Jesus Christ who is the chief corner stone. The chief corner stone supports the whole structure. This stone is to the building, what the keystone is to the arch. It gives unity, strength and stability. All the promises meet in Him – they are “in Him, yea and amen” (2 Corinthians 1:20). All the precepts rest on His authority and all the saints are united to Him. All our petitions are offered in and through His name. All true believers are one ‘in Christ Jesus’ and to maintain the unity of the Spirit need to keep their eyes on Him, otherwise discord and disorder result. Whatever doctrines or practices do not correspond with the corner stone, let us cease from them!

Not only is He the chief corner stone, He is also a precious corner stone (Isaiah 28:16). He is precious in every office He holds, in every promise He makes, in every work He performs. His preciousness is exceedingly great to all who sense their nothingness and helplessness in the deep trials of life, when the wounds of opposition, pain and  bereavement prompt them to cry out “lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:2).

As the tried stone, He is the sure foundation. Never was a foundation tried as this – tried when He bore all His people’s sins and was not found wanting, tried when the law demanded a perfect obedience to its precepts and was fully kept, and tried when the church can rest on this foundation and the gates of Hell cannot prevail against her. Christ is the stone without which there can be no church for He is “all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11).

Rev Leslie Curran.