In the early days of the 1st
century church Peter and John were apprehended by the Sadducees and temple
authorities for “preaching in Jesus the resurrection from the dead” in Acts 4:2
As we know from the scriptures that the
Sadducees did not believe in the doctrine of resurrection in any form as that distinguished
them from the Pharisees. So for the disciples to declare Jesus’ resurrection
from the dead and gaining followers was a main threat to them. The Sadducees became
desperate to put a stop to the preaching of Jesus! They understood that the
preaching of Jesus’ resurrection meant had great implication to the relevance
of the Jewish leadership.
28 saying, “We gave you strict orders not to
teach in this name. Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you
intend to bring this man’s blood on us! (Acts 5:28)
In their defense Peter and John affirms,
right in the face of the Sadducees, that God had raised Christ from the dead.
He then said, “This is the stone which
was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.”
This employment of the Stone motiv is
something that scriptures from of old have spoken in prophetic terms about the
Messianic age. Not only were they declaring their faith in Jesus but they also
declared the replacement of an age and a transfer of kingdom ownership which
was long foretold. In other words, they were saying “God has left your house
desolate because He has built another.”
Peter in Acts 4:11, quotes from Psalms
118
Open
to me the gates of righteousness;
I
will go through them,
And I will praise the Lord.
20 This is
the gate of the Lord,
Through
which the righteous shall enter.
21 I will praise You,
For
You have answered me,
And
have become my salvation.
22 The stone which the builders rejected
Has
become the chief cornerstone.
23 This
was the Lord’s
doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the Lord has made;
We
will rejoice and be glad in it.
The “Stone” theme in scripture is very
significant, and especially in the way Peter calls it to mind. Declaring Jesus
as the chief cornerstone stone was to declare his life and ministry as the
ordination of the LORD. This was the gate of righteousness that can men could
enter into God’s kingdom.
Psalm 118 is commonly known as a Song
of Ascent, which is sung on each of the three major festival occasions as the
travelers approached the city. The reference as to the identity of the stone
has been a subject of heated debate in Israel. Many reference it to Abraham, some
David, while others to Israel as a people, or, to the Messiah. For Peter, it
was a clear revelation. Jesus was the rejected cornerstone, rejected by the
leaders. For the astute listener of Peter’s speech, to hear him say that Jesus
had become the chief cornerstone, after being rejected, meant one thing; that
Stone was going to now crush them. That is why he said “and you
intend to bring this man’s blood on us!”
Peter’s reference is also drawn from the
original prophecies of the Stone, and how those prophecies are used in the New
Testament.
Isaiah the prophet spoke of the coming
Suffering Servant as the Stone of stumbling and rock of offence. Many would be
offended by Him and fall away only to be destroyed.
14 He will be as a
sanctuary,
But a stone of stumbling and a
rock of offense
To both the houses of Israel,
As a trap and a snare to the
inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15 And many among them shall stumble;
They shall fall and be broken,
Be snared and taken.” (Isaiah 8)
This scripture was cited by Simeon in
Luke 2:32f when he carried the infant Jesus at his dedication. Simeon knew by
inspiration that Jesus was set for the rising and falling of many in Israel. The
underlying tone of judgment for those who reject was present.
Prophet Isaiah again, foresees the
laying of the cornerstone, and states that those who accepted (approved) of it
would not be ashamed. On the other hand, those who rejected the Stone would be
the recipients of the work of judgment against them.
16 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation,
A
tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
Whoever
believes will not act hastily.
17 Also I
will make justice the measuring line,
And
righteousness the plummet;
The
hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
And
the waters will overflow the hiding place.
18 Your covenant with death will be annulled,
And
your agreement with Sheol will not stand;
When
the overflowing scourge passes through,
Then
you will be trampled down by it.
19 As
often as it goes out it will take you;
For
morning by morning it will pass over,
And
by day and by night;
It
will be a terror just to understand the report.”
20 For the bed is too short to stretch out on,
And
the covering so narrow that one cannot wrap himself in it.
21 For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim,
He
will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon—
That
He may do His work, His awesome work,
And
bring to pass His act, His unusual act.
22 Now
therefore, do not be mockers,
Lest
your bonds be made strong;
For
I have heard from the Lord God of hosts,
A
destruction determined even upon the whole earth.
(Isaiah 28)
This determined destruction was fulfilled in the
destruction of the city and temple in AD70.
The NET Bible puts it this way;
22 So now, do not mock,
or your chains will become
heavier!
For I have heard a message about
decreed destruction,
from the sovereign master, the
LORD who commands armies, against the entire land.
In
Daniel 2:44 we Daniel foresaw the time when a stone cut out without hands would
grow into a mighty kingdom, crushing all who opposed it. Jesus referenced this
prophecy when he told them the Parable of the wicked vinedressers in Matthew
21. This is how he explains to them;
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become
the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s
doing,
And it is
marvelous in our eyes’?[j]
43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be
taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. 44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on
whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”
45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His
parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.
Paul also saw this
being fulfilled in his time and wrote in Romans 9
30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue
righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to
the law of righteousness.[n] 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law.[o] For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. 33 As it is written:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock
of offense,
And whoever
believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
The
Stone theme in Bible prophecy is a motif of judgment. Those who rejected the
stone would be crushed; the rejected foundation stone would crush those who
rejected it. The scoffers would be destroyed in the Day of the Lord. The day of
the Lord being the judgment of that Old covenant age in AD70.
For
us believers it represents the kingdom where we are currently living. This kingdom
cannot be shaken because it founded on Jesus and His finished work. The Old
testaments sought after this but it is now fulfilled in Christ and in us. This unshakeable
kingdom will continue to expand and impact our world till the glory of the Lord
is seen all over the earth. Halleluyah.
