The Rejected Stone is the greatest Rock of all

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Matthew 21:42, NIV

Memorial stones. Joshua commanded one man from each of twelve tribes to haul a large stone from the bottom of the Jordan River to erect a memorial to the Lord’s mighty power (see Joshua 3). As the Israelites gazed upon that stone pile, they would remember throughout their generations the great river-parting deed of  God.

Wednesday and Thursday this week, we took a look at two types of memorial stones:

The Word. You, too, are called to gaze upon memorial stones in your life. The Bible is packed with living stones of life and power—as you meditate upon the words within it, “They are life to those who find them and health to all their body” (see Proverbs 4:22). See Using Scripture as memorial stones.

Your own testimonies. As you recall the wonderful interventions of the Lord in your own life, you are submitting to God and resisting the devil. This extremely effective method of overcoming the enemy is revealed in Revelation 12:11. “And they overcame him [the devil] because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death”. See Personal victories as memorial stones.

But the most important Memorial Stone of all existed before time began:

The Rock: The Stone which the builders rejected. The Rock has been lauded since the time of Moses. He sang of this Rock, “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4). The Rock came to earth as a Stone in the fullness of time, and He was rejected. Nonetheless, this Stone became the chief cornerstone of the New Covenant between God and man. The Stone was lifted high on a cross; He foretold of this event as He explained to His followers, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). The serpent to which he referred was an image of bronze lifted high on a pole; whoever looked on that metal serpent—although bitten by one of the very real venomous snakes invading their camp—would be healed immediately (see Numbers 21:9). And you, as you gaze on the Rock—that Stone which the builders rejected—you, too, receive abundantly of His Life.

The Stone Himself, before His death, commanded His disciples to memorialize His mighty life and His death-defeating sacrifice. He said to them as they shared the Passover feast, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me” (see Luke 22:19). With that, He instituted a new memorial stone—to remember Him throughout the centuries to come—believers of all generations partaking of the bread and the cup.

Jesus—the Stone which the builders rejected—is the Chief Cornerstone and the Chief Memorial Stone. Gaze on Him. Meditate on His mighty Life, His sacrificial death, His victorious resurrection. Let Him cleanse your life with His redeeming blood and fill your heart with His unwavering peace. In this way, your life—however tough, bleak, or uninspiring it may be—will be transformed by His life, His grace, and His abiding presence.

Dorothy

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.  Matthew 11:28-30

© 2015 Dorothy Frick