Matt 21 Jesus-Foundation - Gabe

S) Jesus *said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 

'THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, 

THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; 

THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, 

AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES'? Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust." (Matthew 21:42-44 NASB)

O) Jesus quoted a scripture from Ps. 118 that was referring to "the coming King". Even though the Pharisees realized that Jesus' parable of the vineyards was about him, they still failed to realize that "the coming King" was right in front of them! This connects to "the blind leading the blind" word that Jesus spoke of several chapters prior to this time.

A cornerstone is "the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure." (Wikipedia)

Jesus is the cornerstone or foundation of the new covenant and His kingdom.

A) Even as Jesus is the cornerstone, we too who are made new in Christ are living stones being shaped into His image like the other stones in masonry being structured around the first stone. Jesus is building his kingdom one stone at a time and Peter knew this as he wrote about it later on in 1 Peter 2:4-7.

We should not reject Christ as the Pharisees did even in our daily lives with the choices that we make. Jesus is still building his kingdom and if we choose to reject his promptings, we too will be considered as worthless as dust.

P) Lord, thank you for revealing the seriousness of kingdom building through this word.  Help me be a support to your kingdom by following you daily and doing what you desire.  Amen.