The first thing we notice in these seven verses is the number of references to stones. Living stones. Precious stones. Corner stones. Stones that are chosen by God but rejected by men. A stone that causes people to stumble and fall. Now, think about that for a moment. Why would that be? Why would Peter have a special interest in the qualities of different types of stones? Well, what was Peter’s name before he met Jesus? It was Simon. But Jesus gave him a new name, “Peter”. That’s petros in Greek, which means stone, or “rock”. Let’s look at that passage in John’s gospel, chapter one, verses 40-42:
“40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).” – John 1:40-42
“Cephas” is an Aramaic word which means stone, and so as John explains, when translated from Aramaic into Greek, it becomes petros, or in English, Peter. So from the time he met Jesus, his name was Simon Peter, or Simon the Rock.
All right. The name which Jesus gave Simon was intended to indicate something about his character. And in fact, names in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, often have special significance. I’ll give you a couple of examples. In the creation story, Genesis 3:20, we read this:
“Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.”
The word “Eve” likely meant “living”, and so that’s what Adam called her.
Later in Genesis we read of an encounter that the patriarch Jacob had with God, in which he literally wrestled with God. Yes. Look it up, it’s in the Bible. Strange but true. Would you want to try that? I would not. I think I’d prefer to wrestle with Dwayne Johnson. But Jacob did. And God gave him a new name as a result. As well as a limp, by the way.
“27 The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. 28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” – Genesis 32:27-28
In this case, the word “Israel” likely meant “he struggles with God”. That was the significance of Jacob’s new name; he was now Israel the God-wrestler.
One more example. In the account of Jesus’ birth, we read that an angel appeared to Joseph and instructed him, concerning his wife Mary, that “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”(John 1:21). “Jesus” is the Greek form of the Hebrew name “Joshua”, which means, “the Lord saves”.
And so when Jesus gave Simon a new name, it wasn’t random, it had significance. But the ironic thing about this name, Peter, is that Simon, at this time and for a long time afterward, was decidedly un-rocklike. What are the qualities we would associate with someone called, “the Rock”? Stability, perhaps. We would expect such a person to be solid and dependable. Firm, strong, reliable. But Peter was not any of those things. He was not stable. He was not solid or dependable. He was not reliable. On the contrary, he was a man of extremes; rash, impulsive, changeable. And that’s a puzzle. Why would Jesus assign this name to a man whose character did not reflect the qualities which the name implied? Did he make a mistake?
I’m going to give you several examples of this from Peter’s life, because it’s important that we be fully convinced on this point.
A well-known and tragic example of Peter’s unsteady nature is his denial of Jesus. In Mark’s account of the Last Supper, we read this exchange (Mark 14:27-31)
“27 “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. 28 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
29 Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”
30 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”
31 But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.”
At this point, there is no question in Peter’s mind concerning his devotion to Christ. He is certain. He is absolutely committed, even unto death. “Even if all fall away” — even if everyone else sitting around this table abandons you— “I will not”. I wonder how the others reacted to that declaration, by the way. And then, more emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you”. Under no circumstances, Jesus, will my commitment falter. It is absolute.
But as the narrative continues, we see that Peter’s resolve to stand by Jesus is weaker than he realizes (Mark 14:32-37):
32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour?
Will Peter die with Jesus? He can’t even stay awake for one hour to keep watch! This doesn’t bode well.
What then, will Peter do when Jesus is arrested? Going on, we read this: (Mark 14:43-50)
“43 Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.
44 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” 45 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 46 The men seized Jesus and arrested him. 47 Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.
48 “Am I leading a rebellion,” said Jesus, “that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.” 50 Then everyone deserted him and fled.”
The gospel of John tells us that Peter was the disciple who drew his sword and attacked the high priest’s servant. That was a gutsy move. John’s gospel also tells us that this mob included a detachment of soldiers. And so, surrounded by a heavily armed mob, among whom is a significant number of highly trained soldiers, and even though the disciples are completely outnumbered, he decides to go on the attack. For a moment, it seems as though his vow to die with Jesus would be fulfilled. But then, almost immediately, we read that “everyone”, including Peter, deserted Jesus and fled. His courage lasted all of three verses.
And then finally, Peter’s shameful denial of Jesus (Mark 14:66-72):
“66 While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him.
“You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.
68 But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway.
69 When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.” 70 Again he denied it.
After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 71 He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”
72 Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.”
“I don’t know this man you’re talking about”. Let me ask you: is this someone to whom you would give the name “the rock”? No. But Jesus did. Jesus did. And this is key: Jesus gave Simon the name “Peter”, “the rock”, not because of what he already was, not because of what he had done, but because of what Jesus intended to make him. Solid. Reliable. Firm. Courageous. Simon was none of those things, as we can see so clearly here. In fact, he was very much the opposite. But Jesus intended to make him those things, and gave him the name Peter as a sign of that intention, as a sign of how he saw him.
Here’s the rest of the story. After Jesus’ resurrection; after Peter received the Holy Spirit, he was a different person. He was transformed. He fully lived up to the name Christ had given him. On several occasions he risked his life by openly defying the religious leaders and the Roman government. He did not back down. He did not run away. He did not fail to acknowledge Jesus as Lord. Even when they threw him into jail, he courageously continued speaking out for Christ. Nothing the authorities did to him deterred him in the least from testifying to the resurrection, and calling on people to repent and place their faith in Christ. He was a rock, just as Jesus said he would be.
Let’s look at one example of this transformation, from the early days of the church (Acts 4:1-20):
1The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.
5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
The men whom Peter is standing up to had the power to throw him in jail. They had the power to put him to death, as they had done with Jesus only a few days earlier. But not only does Peter refuse to comply with their order to stop speaking about Jesus, he accuses them of opposing God and killing his Messiah. The Peter who dropped his sword and fled when Jesus was arrested is no more. He has been changed.
All right. We went through that rather lengthy overview of Peter’s spiritual journey to make a point. When Jesus looked at Simon, he didn’t just see what he was, an unstable, unreliable man. Instead, Jesus saw what he intended to make him, a man who had the courage to defy the religious leaders and Roman authorities, a man who testified to Christ even at the risk of his own life. He saw, not just Simon, but Simon Peter, “the rock”.
And the application is this: Jesus does not see us only as we are. He sees us as we can be, and more than that, what we will be, because he has committed to changing us. Changing us to be like himself. Changing our character to be like his. Progressively, throughout our lives. And then completely and finally, when he returns. And he wants us—listen to me—he wants you to see yourself in the same way. Not just as you are, now, in yourself. Not just what you have been. But what you can be, what you will be, what you are becoming, in him.
We read these verses last week; let’s review:
18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” – 2 Corinthians 3:18
“2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” – 1 John 3:2
What you are now may not be all that impressive, from a spiritual point of view. Perhaps you’ve made some mistakes, even some serious ones. You’ve squandered opportunities. You’ve done, and said, things you regret. And maybe you realize that, even if you’ve been a Christian for a number of years, there are aspects of your character that you aren’t proud of. These may be things in your life, in your mind and heart, that only you know about, or that only your family knows about. But they’re a part of you, a part that you would rather not think about.
God sees all of this, of course. He’s not blind to any of it. The Scriptures tell us this about Jesus (John 2:23-25):
“23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.”
“He knew what was in each person”. He knows what is in you. And in me. And in each of us.
And in Acts, we read that when the eleven apostles who remained after Jesus’ resurrection needed to elect a replacement for Judas, they prayed in this way (Acts 1:23-25):
23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.”
“Lord, you know everyone’s heart”. God knows your heart, all of it. The good, the bad, and the ugly. He knows your history; the things you’re proud of and the things you still feel shame over. He knows exactly what you are. He has no illusions. But here’s what matters: that’s not all he sees. He also sees what you can be, what you will be, what he intends to make you. Jesus was under no illusions about Simon’s character when he gave him the name, “Peter”, “the Rock”. He knew that Peter wasn’t stable. He knew that Peter would deny him; in fact, he predicted it. But what he saw in Peter was what he would become, as he was transformed by Christ. And when God looks at you, he sees not only what you are and have been, but what you can and will be, as he works in your life to transform you, to change you spiritually into his own image.
I’d like to do a little experiment. I’ll warn you, this may be challenging. But stick with me. I want you, in your own mind, to think of that quality in yourself that you are the least proud of. I’ll list a few possibilities, just to prime the pump. Laziness. Dishonesty. Cowardice. Impurity. Anger. Lack of self-control. You know your heart; you know your history. What is it about yourself that you are the least proud of? Don’t worry; I won’t ask you to write it down or share it with anyone else. Now, what is the positive opposite of that characteristic? Think of a word. For example, the opposite of lazy would be hard-working, or steadfast. The opposite of dishonest would be honest. For cowardice, it would be courage. And so on. Take a moment to do that [ ]. Got it?
OK. Now look down, and imagine that word, that positive word, tattooed on your hand, in ink that only you can see. Visualize it. Like this. I’ll use my own name so that no one thinks I’m picking on them. “[ ], Steadfast One”. Or, “[ ], Patient One”. Or, “[ ], Honest One”. Remember that name. Because that’s what God sees when he looks at you. Not just what you are, or were. But what you can be, and will be as you are transformed into the likeness of Christ. Just like God looked at a man who was unstable, inconstant, unreliable, and changeable, and named him “Peter, the Rock”. Because that was what he was going to make him, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen?
You may have noticed that we haven’t yet cited our passage for today, and we’re going to do that now. But I wanted to develop this point first because it underlies what we’re going to read in 1 Peter 2:4-10. Let’s read that again now:
“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.”
First, to tie this in to what we’ve been saying, look at verses 4-5:
“4As 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.”
And so we see that what Christ is, we are becoming as well. Christ is a living Stone, and we also are living stones. Let’s look at what this passage tells us about Christ, and by implication, what it says about us and what we are becoming.
First, he is a living Stone. Living, by virtue of his resurrection from the dead. And like him, we also have eternal life, and are therefore also living stones. Just as in the Old Testament, the temple, made of physical stones, was the dwelling place of God, now God is building us, his people, into a “spiritual house” in which he dwells. As the apostle Paul writes:
“16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” – 1 Corinthians 3:16
“19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:19-22
The key here is the community aspect. We are “fellow citizens”, we are members of God’s household. Yes, God the Holy Spirit lives in the heart of each individual believer. But he also lives in the church as a whole. God dwells among us; he is building us, together, into a place for himself to live. So let me ask you, stone David, or stone Lisa, or stone Jonathan, or stone Rebekah, or stone Andrew, or stone [insert your name] — what are you doing to make this church a place where God would want to live? What are you doing to make this church a spiritual structure that God would want to reside in? What are you doing to make it more attractive, more holy, more alive and active, more peaceful, more loving, more joyful, more connected? Because you are helping to make it something. You are a stone, a living stone, in the spiritual building of this church. You are a part of this spiritual structure. And so, what are you doing to make it a place where God is pleased to live? What will you do to make this church a place where God is pleased to live?
Extending the metaphor, Peter says that we are also priests. Not only are we the temple, the dwelling place of God, but we are the priests ministering in the temple. In the Old Testament, only the priests could approach God to offer sacrifices, and only the high priest, once a year, could enter the most holy place, the place of God’s personal presence. But now, through Christ, each one of us has direct access to God. Each one of us has the same privilege of approaching God that formerly only the priests were given. As Paul writes:
“12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” – Ephesians 3:12
“19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” – Hebrews 10:19-22
Again, in the Old Testament, access to God was limited to a privileged few who were members of the priesthood, but now you are a priest, with greater access than any of them ever had. You have full and direct access to God through Christ, and as a priest, you also have the privilege and responsibility of interceding with God on behalf of others through prayer. What in incredible privilege!
But. What of those who reject Christ? For them, the story is different. For them, he is not a precious stone, nor is he the cornerstone of any spiritual building that they are a part of. Instead, he is an entirely different type of stone: a stone in their path, over which they stumble and fall, to their eternal ruin. As we read in 1 Peter 2:7-8:
“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.”
This is a reference to Isaiah 8:13-14:
13 The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread. 14 He will be a holy place; for both Israel and Judah he will be a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare.
Two notes on this passage. First, it is a clear reference to the deity of Christ. In Isaiah, the “stone that causes people to stumble” and the “rock that makes them fall” is the Lord Almighty, as we see in verse 13; while in 1 Peter that stone is Jesus Christ. So Peter is equating Jesus with God, the Lord Almighty.
But what this also tells us is that there is no neutral position with regard to Christ, no middle ground. He is not a stone by the side of the road that we can ignore or disregard. He is not even a stone in the middle of our path that we might have to walk around. Either he will be to you a precious stone, the cornerstone that your life is built on, or he will be the stone that you trip over and fall. Those are the only two options: receiving the message of the gospel in faith and obedience, or rejecting and disobeying that message, with terrible and eternal consequences. As Peter stated so clearly in the passage from Acts that we read earlier,
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” – Acts 4:12
And indeed, that simple, unequivocal declaration, that only through faith in Christ can we be saved, is a very great cause of offense, and stumbling, and falling. If we were to testify that Jesus was a great man, or a great teacher, or even a prophet, we would cause little offense. If we claimed divinity for Christ, but not uniqueness, few would stumble. If we claimed that faith in Christ was one way of salvation among many, our message would be willingly tolerated. But instead, we claim that Jesus Christ alone is Lord, and that salvation comes only through him. And that is the offense of the gospel, which causes many to stumble and fall.
In closing, let me ask you this morning: what kind of stone is Jesus to you? Is he a precious stone, a living stone, the cornerstone and foundation of your life? If so, then rejoice and give thanks.
But if not, if Jesus is to you a different kind of stone, a stumbling block, a stone that you have so far rejected as the cornerstone of your life, then I urge you to repent. Turn away from all the other things you have been building your life upon, things that will not prove to be a firm foundation, things that will ultimately crumble and decay, and instead build your life upon Christ. Those who place their trust in him as their rock will never be ashamed before God, because he has taken away all of their guilt. He nailed it to the cross; he destroyed it when he destroyed death. Won’t you trust in him today?
Amen.
