Jesus, Our Cornerstone 

The Bible, from the Old Testament to the New, keeps pointing us to this truth: Jesus is the stone God Himself has set in place, a tested, precious, chosen cornerstone.  

That cornerstone had to be perfect, because the entire building lined up with it. If the cornerstone was crooked, the whole house would be crooked. If the cornerstone was weak, the whole house could fall. 

Our lives are a building. And if you try to build without the right cornerstone, sooner or later, the cracks will show.  

But when our life is built on Jesus Christ, the Chief Cornerstone, we are unshakable! 

1. The Rejected Stone Becomes the Cornerstone 

Four times in the Bible this truth is repeated. Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22 in Matthew 21:42, and again it’s echoed in Mark 12:10 and Luke 20:17 :  “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” 

People looked at Jesus and said, ‘He’s just a carpenter’s son. He’s not the Messiah. He’s not good enough.’ They rejected Him, crucified Him, nailed Him to a cross. But God raised Him up and set Him as the foundation of our salvation. 

Peter & John speaking to the religious council in Jerusalem Acts 4:11 makes it crystal clear: ‘This Jesus is the stone rejected by you the builders, which has become the cornerstone.’ 

Here's the encouragement: what people reject, God can exalt.  

Maybe we’ve been overlooked, pushed aside, we’ve been told we’re not enough. But if God could take the rejected Jesus and make Him the Cornerstone, He can certainly take our rejection, give it purpose and turn it into a testimony. 

2. The Cornerstone Is God’s Choice, Not Man’s 

Isaiah 28:16 God declares: “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’ And 1 Peter 2:6 echoes that same word: whoever trusts in Him will never be put to shame. 

The cornerstone wasn’t man’s idea, it was God’s. Jesus is not a backup plan, He’s not a last-minute fix—He’s the chosen, precious, tested Cornerstone. 

Ephesians 2:20 tells us that the household of God is ‘built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone.’ 

What this means for us is, our very lives—they only stand because of Jesus! 

3. The Cornerstone of Strength and Victory 

Zechariah 10:4 says: From Him shall come the cornerstone, from Him the tent peg, from Him the battle bow, from Him every ruler—all of them together. 

This means Jesus isn’t just a foundation to rest on—He’s the One who gives us authority, power and victory. He is both our security and our strength. When the enemy comes at you like a flood, the Cornerstone stands firm and because we are built on Him, we overcome. 

4. No Other Stone Can Replace Him 

Job 38:6 reminds us that only God laid the earth’s foundations. Jeremiah 51:26 warned that Babylon’s stones would never become a cornerstone, they were doomed from the get go. And Isaiah 19:13 shows us human wisdom can’t build anything that lasts. Egypt’s leaders were deceived, their plans crumbled. 

There are some things that we cannot build and only God Himself can establish.  

No government, no philosophy, no self-help plan can take the place of Jesus Christ. Build our life on money, it will fade. Build on popularity, it will fail. Build on our own strength, it will break. 

When people build on anything other than Jesus, even churches it all falls apart.  

But build on Jesus and it stands forever. 

5. Cornerstone or Stumbling Stone – The Choice Is Ours 

1 Peter 2:7-8 says: ‘To you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. And A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.’ 

To the believer, Jesus is life, hope, joy, peace and our salvation. But to the unbeliever, He becomes a stumbling stone. 

So here’s the question for us today: Here’s the truth: every person must decide what to do with the Cornerstone. Will you build your life on Him or stumble over Him? 

• There’s an old hymn that says, ‘On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.’ 

If you’ve ever seen a house built on sand, you know what happens when the storm comes—it shifts, it cracks, it falls. But when the foundation is solid rock, that house isn’t going anywhere. 

Jesus is that Rock. The storms of life will blow, the winds of trouble will howl, but if your life is built on Jesus Christ, you will not fall. 

• Maybe today you realise you’ve been building on shaky ground—your own strength, money, relationships, or human wisdom. Friend, it’s time to shift.   • It’s time to lay down the shaky stones and say: ‘Jesus, You are my Cornerstone. Be the foundation of my life, my family, my future. 

• The stone the builders rejected is now the foundation of our salvation. He is precious, He is tested, He is true and He is yours today- Glory to God!