Building Our Lives On The Cornerstone
In the New Testament, we find a beautiful image of Jesus not just as our Saviour, but as our Cornerstone. This picture comes straight from the heart of Scripture. In Matthew 21:42, Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22-23 and says:
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
Jesus in quoting this made it crystal clear that what happened to Israel, so often in the O.T. times rejected, yet vindicated by God – was about to happen to Him.
Jesus Himself the stone, the true Isreal. He was the righteous one. Once He had suffered for their sins, He and all His people would not die but live.
Once He had risen, He would claim authority over all nations. Why because ‘His love endures forever’ v.1 and 29
Jesus was saying, “I am that stone.” The very one others overlooked rejected, cast aside has become the most important part of the whole building.
Peter picks up this truth in Acts 4:11, declaring with boldness, “This Jesus is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.”
• And then Paul brings it home beautifully in Ephesians 2:19–22, reminding us, So then you are no longer strangers and aliens but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
What a picture of grace. Each of us once outsiders are now living stones in God’s house, with Jesus Himself holding everything together. What a promise that we are being built together into a living temple where God’s spirit dwells.
The Meaning of the Cornerstone
The cornerstone was the first and most important stone laid when building a structure. Every other stone had to line up with it. If the cornerstone was off, the whole building would be crooked. In the same way, Jesus is the one we align our lives with. He sets the standard for truth, love, and righteousness.
• He’s the one who gives direction, strength and order to every part of our lives. Without Him we drift, without Him we crumble but with Him everything holds together and makes sense of our lives. If our lives are built on anything else success, comfort, reputation it won’t last. But when we build on Jesus, our foundation is solid and secure.
The cornerstone also reminds us of God’s faithfulness. Though the world rejected Jesus, God raised Him up in glory. And here’s the beauty of the Gospel. What others saw as useless, what the world dismissed God made essential and exalted. The cross that looked like defeat became the cornerstone of victory. That’s good news for us too because God can take what feels rejected or broken the broken pieces of our own lives and build something glorious on Jesus.
Building Your Life on the Cornerstone
So how do we actually build our lives on Jesus? Let’s get practical.
1. Stay in His Word
Buildings need blueprints or architectural drawings and our Bible is the blueprint for life. • When we engage with and feed on the word, the cornerstone sets the direction because we allow it to align our hearts with the cornerstone.
We learn who Jesus is and how to live through His Word. Let Scripture be your level and plumb line, measuring our thoughts, actions and values against His truth.
And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass by them; Amos 7:8
2. Follow His Example Daily.
Building on Christ means living like Christ. It isn’t just about belief; it’s about obedience. Live like Jesus did forgiving those who have wronged you, showing compassion, serving those in need, loving those who seem to make it hard to love them.
Every act of love and compassion adds another ‘stone’ to the house God is building in you.
3. Rely on His strength.
No building stands by it’s own efforts, it stands because the cornerstone is set right in every way.
When life shakes you, remember that your stability doesn’t come from circumstances but from the Cornerstone Himself. Don’t try to carry life’s load by yourself pray, rest, trust. Lean into His strength. Let Him carry the weight you were never meant to bear.
4. Build Together In Community.
You’re not a lone stone, you’re part of God’s spiritual house, part of a living structure. God never ever intended us to build alone. He never intended us to try and build church, He said He would build His church upon the revelation of Holy Spirit evidenced in peter.
Stay connected to your church family. We grow stronger when we are encouraging one another, connected to each other, bear one another’s burdens, and grow together in love.
A Firm Foundation
The truth is simple but life-changing: everything built on Christ will stand. Everything built apart from Him will eventually fall. So today, ask yourself — what’s at the foundation of your life? Your identity, Your Possessions, Your career? Your relationships? Your reputation? Your hope? – All those things shift and crumble with time.
If Jesus isn’t the cornerstone, the structure won’t hold. But when He is, we can find peace in chaos, hope in despair and strength in weakness.
Let’s build our lives, our families and His church on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone chosen by God, precious in His sight, and marvellous in ours.
There’s an old hymn that declares:
My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ the solid rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand.” All other Ground is sinking sand.
• That’s the testimony of every believer who’s made Jesus their foundation.
• He’s not just a part of the building — He is the building’s life and strength.