Jesus Rejected
Jeffery Anselmi / General
Core 52 / Jesus Was a Rejected Cornerstone / Psalm 118:22
Jesus was rejected by man and exalted by God.
INTRODUCTION
- Today, in our thirteenth week of Core 52, I would like us to consider what we are building our lives around and what is holding them together.
- The nation of Israel believed it was building its lives on God's foundation and that God was holding it together; however, its religious leaders were leading the people astray.
- The nation would build itself on the foundation of religion instead of a relationship with God.
- When Jesus arrived on the scene, the religious leaders, who were "protecting their turf," led the people to reject the one they were waiting for.
- This morning, we will look at an instance where Jesus nails the religious leaders to the wall with this passage to illustrate how this verse was playing out right before their eyes.
- Psalm 118:22 is a passage that speaks to that rejection.
- Psalm 118 is a hymn of thanksgiving to God for giving victory in battle.
- That Ps 118 is Messianic, which is attested by the citation of the verse seven times in the New Testament.
- Psalm 118 was also a processional song.
- The Israelites sang processional songs as they traveled in a processional on their way to worship.
- This song, in particular, was sung as they went to the temple to celebrate the Passover and remember how God delivered their people from captivity in Egypt.
- They worshipped to prepare for worship.
- As we examine our passage together, I hope our time together leads us all to consider the stone the builders rejected as the stone upon which we build our lives.
Psalm 118:22 (NET 2nd ed.)
- 22 The stone which the builders discarded has become the Cornerstone.
SERMON
I. The stone people rejected; God exalted.
- In ancient times, when a builder was to construct a structure, great care was taken in selecting the stones that would be used.
- Each stone was examined for its strength, integrity, and suitability.
- During this selection process, some stones were rejected and cast aside, deemed unfit for use.
- The Psalmist draws the metaphor for the verse we are contemplating today from this practice.
- When you look at the history of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, it is rife with rejection.
- The Jewish people were God's chosen people, but the world rejected them.
- This passage goes much deeper than the nation of Israel.
- Beyond this immediate historical reference, the Psalmist, inspired by the Holy Spirit, speaks prophetically of the coming Messiah.
- This 'stone' that was to be rejected is Jesus Christ.
John 1:11 (NET 2nd ed.)
11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him.
- The religious builders of the day, the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, failed to recognize Him as God's chosen and anointed One, rejecting Him as the Cornerstone of faith and salvation.
- The simple sentence we see in Psalm 118:22 created quite a splash when Jesus quoted it during his final debate in the temple in Matthew 21:33-46 when He told the Parable of Tenants.
- Peter quoted it in his first defense before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:11) and later used it in his first letter (1 Peter 2:7).
- Paul referenced it in Ephesians 2:20, describing the foundation of the Church.
- That's quite a superstructure built on this cornerstone passage.
- In Matthew 21:33-46 and Mark 12:1-12 In the Parable of the Tenants, Jesus tells the story of a person who planted a vineyard.
- Follow along with me.
Matthew 21:33–46 (NET 2nd ed.)
33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey.
34 When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop.
35 But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way.
37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’
39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 They said to him, “He will utterly destroy those evil men! Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.
46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds because the crowds regarded him as a prophet.
- The religious leaders were very familiar with Psalm 118:22.
- Mark Moore writes in the Core 52 book.
Though most parables are pretty cryptic, this one was clear as crystal.
God is the owner.
The servants are the prophets of old.
The assassinated son is Jesus himself.
This story publicly exposed the Sanhedrin’s plot to murder Jesus.
He allowed their own words to reveal their hidden intent.
That’s the parable. Jesus concluded it with a quote that converts the story from fiction to biography with verse 42 quoting Psalm 118:22!
This single sentence, plucked from the prophetic psalm, describes the plan of God.
Jesus’s execution by the leaders of Israel would result in the nation’s salvation.
The divine irony is thick.
- Ouch!
- God's ways are not man's ways.
- The stone the builders cast off was despised and rejected, but God lifted it and exalted it.
- This rejected stone became the Cornerstone – not just any stone, but the principal stone, critical for the construction and stability of the entire edifice.
- In God's masterful plan, Jesus was to be the Cornerstone of a new spiritual building, the Church.
- Today's message aligns with the other twelve verses covered in Core 52, especially last week's message during Easter.
- People reject and have rejected Jesus, so when you reject Jesus, there are implications in this life and the next.
- Let's look at verse 22 again.
Psalm 118:22 (NET 2nd ed.)
22 The stone which the builders discarded has become the cornerstone.
II. Don't reject Jesus as your Cornerstone.
- The word "cornerstone" can also be translated as "capstone," so we will examine what each word means and how those words impact us.
- We will start with the translation, "cornerstone."
- The Cornerstone was of utmost importance in ancient construction.
- It was the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, which is important since all other stones would be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.
- The Cornerstone was chosen carefully since the rest of the building was dependent on this stone being square.
- Wikipedia says the following when defining a cornerstone:
- "The Cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure". –Wikipedia
- In relation to architecture, a cornerstone is traditionally the first stone laid for a structure, with all other stones laid in reference.
- A cornerstone marks the geographical location by orienting a building in a specific direction. Cornerstones have been around for millennia, in some shape or form."
- "Historically, the Cornerstone was the most important part of any building.
- The total weight of an edifice rested on this particular stone, which, if removed, would collapse the whole structure.
- The Cornerstone was also the key to keeping the walls straight.
- The builders would take sightings along the edges of this part of the building.
- If the CornerstoneCornerstone was set properly, the stonemasons could be assured that all the other corners of the building would be at the appropriate angles as well.
- Thus, the CornerstoneCornerstone became a symbol for that which held life together." –Back to the Bible.
- If your Cornerstone were off, none of the building would be square; in other words, your angles would be off, and your wall would not have 90-degree corners.
- Jesus should be the foundational stone of our faith, the bedrock upon which our beliefs, values, and actions are built.
- Without Him as our Cornerstone, our spiritual structure risks crumbling under life's pressures and challenges.
- Just as the builders in the psalm rejected the stone that would become the Cornerstone, we, too, can fall into the trap of rejecting Jesus in our lives.
- This rejection can take many forms – from outright denial of His divinity to neglecting His teachings and commands.
- When we reject Jesus as our Cornerstone, we deprive ourselves of the solid foundation and sure footing that only He can provide.
- When one rejects Jesus as their Cornerstone, one's life will not be in alignment, everything will be off-center, and things will not fit correctly or be consistent.
- Jesus Himself emphasized the importance of building our lives on a firm foundation when He shared the parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27).
- The wise builder, who built his house on the rock, represents those who hear Jesus' words and put them into practice.
- In contrast, the foolish builder, who built his house on sand, represents those who hear Jesus' words but do not act on them.
- We live in a crazy world, and while there are many things people try to build their lives on, none of those stones are solid and reliable.
- Accepting Jesus as our cornerstone means aligning our lives with His teachings, values, and example.
- It means making Him the focal point of our existence, the reference by which we measure everything.
- When we build our lives on Christ, we find stability amid life's storms, assurance in times of doubt, and hope in moments of despair.
- Let's turn to our passage a final time.
Psalm 118:22 (NET 2nd ed.)
22 The stone which the builders discarded has become the cornerstone.
III. Don't reject Jesus as your capstone.
- The word we translate as "cornerstone" can also be translated as "capstone" (or keystone).
- In ancient architecture, the capstone was the final stone placed at the top of a structure, symbolizing completion, unity, and strength.
- In the spiritual sense, Jesus Christ is our Cornerstone and our Capstone – the One who brings wholeness, harmony, and fulfillment to our lives and faith.
- The capstone holds everything into place.
- SHOW CAPSTONE IMAGE
- The concept of Jesus as the Capstone finds its roots in Old Testament prophecies, such as Isaiah 28:16, where the Lord declares, "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation."
- Jesus fulfills these prophecies as the Capstone, unifying all believers into one spiritual house built upon Him as the foundation.
- As we journey in faith, it is essential that we do not overlook the role of Jesus as our Capstone.
- Just as a building is incomplete without its capstone, our faith remains unfinished without fully acknowledging Christ's lordship and sovereignty in our lives.
- He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the One who perfects our faith and brings it to its ultimate fruition.
- Jesus, as our capstone, holds our lives together and gives our lives strength.
- What is holding you together today?
- What is your capstone?
CONCLUSION
1 Peter 2:5 (NET 2nd ed.)
5 you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
- As we come together, we are building God's Church, and together, we can impact the world for Jesus.
- We all need a cornerstone to support the weight of our lives and a capstone to hold it all together.
- What are your Cornerstone and capstone?
- What are you building your life upon?
- Will it hold up to the pressures of this life, and more importantly, will it give you any ground in the next life?
