CHRIST THE CORNERSTONE

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The Bible calls Jesus our cornerstone. Yet because we know little about ancient architecture, we may not fully grasp the weight of this title. To understand it better, let’s look back at how people in biblical times viewed the cornerstone—and how it points us to Christ.

What is a cornerstone?

The cornerstone was the largest and strongest stone, carefully shaped into a rectangular block and laid first at the corner before the walls were built. Every other stone or brick was aligned to it. In short, the cornerstone was the foundation stone at the intersection of two walls.

The stability of the whole building depended on this one stone. Its size determined the proportions of the structure, and its placement guided the builders as they laid the rest. That’s why the cornerstone had to be chosen, cut, and positioned with great care—it became the guide for the entire construction.

Because of its importance, some pagan cultures in the ancient Near East even offered human sacrifices when setting a cornerstone, associating it with bloody rituals. This is not unlike the Filipino custom called padugo, where animal blood—usually from chickens—is spilled at the start or end of construction.

What does it mean that Jesus is our cornerstone?

He is our promised Savior.
Psalm 118 speaks of God’s salvation, and verse 22 mentions the stone the builders rejected that became the cornerstone. Jesus applied this very passage to Himself (Matt. 21:42; Mk. 12:10; Lk. 20:17). By doing so, He declared that He is the fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation (see also Isa. 28:16).

He is our rejected Messiah.
The prophecy foretold that the cornerstone would be rejected. In the same way, Jesus was rejected by His people and crucified. Peter confronted the religious leaders with this truth (Acts 4:11). The image of the cornerstone is inseparable from Christ’s sacrificial death (Eph. 2:13, 16, 20). Though dismissed by men, He remains chosen and precious in God’s sight (1 Pet. 2:4).

He is our standard of faith.
Just as the cornerstone determined the shape and alignment of a building, Christ is the measure of our faith. We are built on Him (Eph. 2:19–22; 1 Pet. 2:4–7). Everything we are and everything we believe depends on who He is.

He is our leader.
In the Old Testament, the word for “cornerstone” was also used to describe leaders (Judg. 20:2; 1 Sam. 14:38; Isa. 19:13). Calling Christ our cornerstone emphasizes His authority as the one who leads and governs His people.

He is the one who unites us.
Believers are compared to living stones, joined together into one spiritual house with Christ as the foundation stone (Eph. 2:19–22; 1 Pet. 2:4–7). He is the one who binds us together, despite our differences (Eph. 2:19).“As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4–5). Stay Curious. 

Sources and Studies:

Walton, J.H, and, Keener C., (2016). “See footnotes for Ps 118:22” . π˜•π˜π˜ 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘡𝘢𝘳𝘒𝘭 𝘚𝘡𝘢π˜₯𝘺 π˜‰π˜ͺ𝘣𝘭𝘦. (p. 997). Zondervan
Douglas, J.D & Tenney M. (Eds). (1986). “Cornerstone”. π˜•π˜¦π˜Έ 𝘐𝘯𝘡𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘒𝘡π˜ͺ𝘰𝘯𝘒𝘭 π˜‰π˜ͺ𝘣𝘭𝘦 π˜‹π˜ͺ𝘀𝘡π˜ͺ𝘰𝘯𝘒𝘳𝘺. (p. 236). Zondervan
McKenzie, J.L. (1965). “Cornerstone” π˜‹π˜ͺ𝘀𝘡π˜ͺ𝘰𝘯𝘒𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘡𝘩𝘦 π˜‰π˜ͺ𝘣𝘭𝘦. (p. 152). Macmillan Publishing

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