The Living Cornerstone
Scripture Reading
Acts 4:8-12 (NIV) "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is “the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’" Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.""
Illustration
Let me ask you this, "Do you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead?" I mean physically raised from the dead. This is what the Resurrection of Christ is all about. And it is the most significant event concerning your Salvation. If you believe that Jesus was physically resurrected, that is raised from the dead, then Easter is the most joyful day of the year for you. But not everyone who calls themselves "Christians" are rejoicing along with you and me. And surely non-believers do not share our joy. There are people who don’t care. There are people who don’t believe. And there are people who don’t know what to believe. Some people fight tooth and nail against God, and they laugh at Jesus rising from the dead. But this can be expected for the Apostle Peter tells us: "Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires" (2 Peter 3:3 NIV).
The Resurrection of Christ is so important that "...if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17 NIV). That is why the Resurrection of Christ is the most attacked element of Christianity; for if Satan can get you to disbelieve in the Resurrection, then he can distort everything that you understand of God's Word, and when Satan does that, he will have succeeded in destroying your faith.
Do not be misled. Do not entertain such thought. Do not corrupt what you know to be true with something new. And for those of you who are in danger of falling away, I pray that you will "Come back to your senses;" for "Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:20 NIV). The Resurrection of Christ gives us hope of everlasting life because it proves that Jesus is the Son of God, and that God the Father was satisfied with the sacrifice of His Son for the payment of the sins of the world.
Arrested for Believing
Let us get an idea of the events that brought Peter and John before the Sanhedrin. Turn back to Acts Chapter 3 and in verses 1 through 10, there we can read how Peter and John were going to the Temple to pray and they came across a man who was crippled from birth and he was begging for money in front of the Temple gate. Peter and John looked directly at the man, but the man would not fix his eyes on them. Then Peter said "look at us" and when the man's eyes met theirs Peter said “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk" (Acts 3:6 NIV).
The man jumped to his feet and began walking and praising God. Then the three of them went into the Temple, and all the time the man was jumping and praising God. All the people who saw this were amazed. Then Peter who was filled with the Holy Spirit began to preach to them the Resurrected Christ (you can find this in Acts 3:11-26). Peter challenged them to repent of their sins and turn to Christ for salvation.
That is why Peter and John were arrested and held overnight, because they were preaching that Christ Jesus is alive. The Sanhedrin were upset. "They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead" (Acts 4:2 NIV). Therefore, they had to punish Peter and John for teaching what they refused to believe.
A Grand Audience
After spending the night in the Temple jail, Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin. Now this is not a small body of men, like a school council, or a local church council. The Sanhedrin consisted of 70 men who were given the authority by the Emperor of Rome to enforce Jewish law. The Sanhedrin had the power to punish you by beating you to a point near death. They could keep you in jail for life. And they could hand you over to the Romans to be put to death. To be judged by the Sanhedrin was a pretty serious and nervous position to be in.
So, when the Sanhedrin asked Peter and John this loaded question “By what power or what name did you do this" (Acts 4:7 NIV)? They probably had a feeling that they were about to be set up, and everyone in the Sanhedrin was against them. Think about it Peter and John are in serious danger. How would you answer? What would you say if your life dependent on your answer? How would you answer this question, "Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive?" You could deny Christ. You could say nothing and hope for the best. Or you could preach about the risen Christ. And this is exactly what Peter did.
And these words of Jesus might have given Peter the courage to speak. Jesus said to the apostles "On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time, you will be given what to say" (Matthew 10:18-19 NIV). And likewise, you ought not to be worried about how to give your testimony or how to witness or how to teach or how to preach. At that time, you will be given the words to say.
The Rejected Cornerstone
Peter is thinking "you all thing you got me cornered, but it is I who has the upper hand, for The Lord Jesus Christ is on my side." And being filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter answers "then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone"" (Acts 4:10-11 NIV).
Without hesitation, without apologies, and without compromise, Peter says:
1. You crucified Jesus
2. God raised Jesus from the dead
3. The power of the resin Christ healed this crippled man
4. You rejected the Cornerstone of Salvation
What Peter just told them in verse 11 should have sounded very familiar to these Jewish leaders for it is a quotation from Psalm 118:22 (NIV) which states "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."
The Sanhedrin more than any group of men should have known better. After all did they not examine Jesus closely and questioned Him in detail? But here is the thing, they examined Jesus but they had already ruled against Him. They asked Jesus questions but they did not want answers for they had already condemned Him. It is not that they didn’t recognize Jesus for who He was. It was that, they refused to see Jesus for who He was. They reject Jesus. They have rejected God’s Cornerstone of Salvation. And to this day, many are rejecting God's Cornerstone of Salvation. Let’s be clear about this. It is not enough to say that Jesus was a profit, or a teacher, or a religious leader. To stop short of confessing that Jesus is the Son of God is to reject God's Cornerstone of Salvation.
The Living Cornerstone
Jesus Christ is the Cornerstone who was rejected by men and sentence to death, but God was pleased with His sacrifice and raised Him from the dead. Jesus is not dead, He is alive. He is the living stone (1 Peter 2:4). Living from eternity to eternity. He is resin and alive for evermore. He is chosen by God to be the foundation of salvation and faith. Those who build their faith upon Him, have a solid confidence and a secured hope for eternal life. For we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus because God the Father was pleased with Christ's sacrifice. And He is alive.
And therefore, there is power in the name of Jesus, because He is the Son of God, and He is precious to God, and He is alive. That is how the name of Jesus healed the crippled man. Because God was pleased with the sacrifice of Christ, so God raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus is the Living Cornerstone of salvation. Billy Graham tells it like this: “A dead Jesus can’t save anyone, but a living Christ can change your life.”
Because Jesus lives, the devil has no stronghold over people through the fear of death. Jesus has concurred the grave. He has set us free from the fear of death. The devil can no longer enslave us in fear. For the Resurrection of Christ sets us free from death (Hebrews 2:14-15). On Friday, the devil thought he won the fight, but on Sunday Jesus won the battle.
The Resurrection of Christ is the firstfruit accepted by God. Jesus led the way. And when it comes time for the harvest "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved" (Romans 10:9-10 NIV).
That’s what it means to call Jesus the Living Stone. It gives us confidence that we are saved. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). It is in “Christ alone" that we are saved. Jesus is the only Savior God has chosen, and only through faith in Christ can you be saved.
Choosing the Living Cornerstone
The Resurrection of Christ demands a choice. There is no compromise when it comes to the resin Christ. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, He is like no other, He stands alone and no one can be compared to Him. Here is the Easter message in a nutshell: Jesus was rejected. Jesus rose from the dead. God made Jesus the Living Cornerstone of Salvation.
Now the time has come for you to choose one way or the other. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? I would like to give you an opportunity to come to Jesus. We began today's teaching by stating that not everyone shares our Easter joy. Would you like to have this joy? Would you like to build your faith on God’s Living Cornerstone of salvation? Would you like to accept Jesus Christ into your life? Would you like to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Or if you want to recommit your life to Jesus, then pray along with me.
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. And I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name. Amen."
The Bible says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Therefore, if you prayed this prayer with a sincere hearth, I like to welcome you to the family of God. And now my friend, the time to tell the Good News has come. He is risen! He is risen indeed! Jesus is surely alive. Rejoice and be glad for Christ is alive.
Acts 4:8-12 (NIV) "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is “the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’" Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.""
Illustration
Let me ask you this, "Do you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead?" I mean physically raised from the dead. This is what the Resurrection of Christ is all about. And it is the most significant event concerning your Salvation. If you believe that Jesus was physically resurrected, that is raised from the dead, then Easter is the most joyful day of the year for you. But not everyone who calls themselves "Christians" are rejoicing along with you and me. And surely non-believers do not share our joy. There are people who don’t care. There are people who don’t believe. And there are people who don’t know what to believe. Some people fight tooth and nail against God, and they laugh at Jesus rising from the dead. But this can be expected for the Apostle Peter tells us: "Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires" (2 Peter 3:3 NIV).
The Resurrection of Christ is so important that "...if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17 NIV). That is why the Resurrection of Christ is the most attacked element of Christianity; for if Satan can get you to disbelieve in the Resurrection, then he can distort everything that you understand of God's Word, and when Satan does that, he will have succeeded in destroying your faith.
Do not be misled. Do not entertain such thought. Do not corrupt what you know to be true with something new. And for those of you who are in danger of falling away, I pray that you will "Come back to your senses;" for "Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep" (1 Corinthians 15:20 NIV). The Resurrection of Christ gives us hope of everlasting life because it proves that Jesus is the Son of God, and that God the Father was satisfied with the sacrifice of His Son for the payment of the sins of the world.
Arrested for Believing
Let us get an idea of the events that brought Peter and John before the Sanhedrin. Turn back to Acts Chapter 3 and in verses 1 through 10, there we can read how Peter and John were going to the Temple to pray and they came across a man who was crippled from birth and he was begging for money in front of the Temple gate. Peter and John looked directly at the man, but the man would not fix his eyes on them. Then Peter said "look at us" and when the man's eyes met theirs Peter said “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk" (Acts 3:6 NIV).
The man jumped to his feet and began walking and praising God. Then the three of them went into the Temple, and all the time the man was jumping and praising God. All the people who saw this were amazed. Then Peter who was filled with the Holy Spirit began to preach to them the Resurrected Christ (you can find this in Acts 3:11-26). Peter challenged them to repent of their sins and turn to Christ for salvation.
That is why Peter and John were arrested and held overnight, because they were preaching that Christ Jesus is alive. The Sanhedrin were upset. "They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead" (Acts 4:2 NIV). Therefore, they had to punish Peter and John for teaching what they refused to believe.
A Grand Audience
After spending the night in the Temple jail, Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin. Now this is not a small body of men, like a school council, or a local church council. The Sanhedrin consisted of 70 men who were given the authority by the Emperor of Rome to enforce Jewish law. The Sanhedrin had the power to punish you by beating you to a point near death. They could keep you in jail for life. And they could hand you over to the Romans to be put to death. To be judged by the Sanhedrin was a pretty serious and nervous position to be in.
So, when the Sanhedrin asked Peter and John this loaded question “By what power or what name did you do this" (Acts 4:7 NIV)? They probably had a feeling that they were about to be set up, and everyone in the Sanhedrin was against them. Think about it Peter and John are in serious danger. How would you answer? What would you say if your life dependent on your answer? How would you answer this question, "Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive?" You could deny Christ. You could say nothing and hope for the best. Or you could preach about the risen Christ. And this is exactly what Peter did.
And these words of Jesus might have given Peter the courage to speak. Jesus said to the apostles "On My account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time, you will be given what to say" (Matthew 10:18-19 NIV). And likewise, you ought not to be worried about how to give your testimony or how to witness or how to teach or how to preach. At that time, you will be given the words to say.
The Rejected Cornerstone
Peter is thinking "you all thing you got me cornered, but it is I who has the upper hand, for The Lord Jesus Christ is on my side." And being filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter answers "then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone"" (Acts 4:10-11 NIV).
Without hesitation, without apologies, and without compromise, Peter says:
1. You crucified Jesus
2. God raised Jesus from the dead
3. The power of the resin Christ healed this crippled man
4. You rejected the Cornerstone of Salvation
What Peter just told them in verse 11 should have sounded very familiar to these Jewish leaders for it is a quotation from Psalm 118:22 (NIV) which states "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."
The Sanhedrin more than any group of men should have known better. After all did they not examine Jesus closely and questioned Him in detail? But here is the thing, they examined Jesus but they had already ruled against Him. They asked Jesus questions but they did not want answers for they had already condemned Him. It is not that they didn’t recognize Jesus for who He was. It was that, they refused to see Jesus for who He was. They reject Jesus. They have rejected God’s Cornerstone of Salvation. And to this day, many are rejecting God's Cornerstone of Salvation. Let’s be clear about this. It is not enough to say that Jesus was a profit, or a teacher, or a religious leader. To stop short of confessing that Jesus is the Son of God is to reject God's Cornerstone of Salvation.
The Living Cornerstone
Jesus Christ is the Cornerstone who was rejected by men and sentence to death, but God was pleased with His sacrifice and raised Him from the dead. Jesus is not dead, He is alive. He is the living stone (1 Peter 2:4). Living from eternity to eternity. He is resin and alive for evermore. He is chosen by God to be the foundation of salvation and faith. Those who build their faith upon Him, have a solid confidence and a secured hope for eternal life. For we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus because God the Father was pleased with Christ's sacrifice. And He is alive.
And therefore, there is power in the name of Jesus, because He is the Son of God, and He is precious to God, and He is alive. That is how the name of Jesus healed the crippled man. Because God was pleased with the sacrifice of Christ, so God raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus is the Living Cornerstone of salvation. Billy Graham tells it like this: “A dead Jesus can’t save anyone, but a living Christ can change your life.”
Because Jesus lives, the devil has no stronghold over people through the fear of death. Jesus has concurred the grave. He has set us free from the fear of death. The devil can no longer enslave us in fear. For the Resurrection of Christ sets us free from death (Hebrews 2:14-15). On Friday, the devil thought he won the fight, but on Sunday Jesus won the battle.
The Resurrection of Christ is the firstfruit accepted by God. Jesus led the way. And when it comes time for the harvest "If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved" (Romans 10:9-10 NIV).
That’s what it means to call Jesus the Living Stone. It gives us confidence that we are saved. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). It is in “Christ alone" that we are saved. Jesus is the only Savior God has chosen, and only through faith in Christ can you be saved.
Choosing the Living Cornerstone
The Resurrection of Christ demands a choice. There is no compromise when it comes to the resin Christ. Because Jesus was raised from the dead, He is like no other, He stands alone and no one can be compared to Him. Here is the Easter message in a nutshell: Jesus was rejected. Jesus rose from the dead. God made Jesus the Living Cornerstone of Salvation.
Now the time has come for you to choose one way or the other. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? I would like to give you an opportunity to come to Jesus. We began today's teaching by stating that not everyone shares our Easter joy. Would you like to have this joy? Would you like to build your faith on God’s Living Cornerstone of salvation? Would you like to accept Jesus Christ into your life? Would you like to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Or if you want to recommit your life to Jesus, then pray along with me.
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins. And I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name. Amen."
The Bible says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Therefore, if you prayed this prayer with a sincere hearth, I like to welcome you to the family of God. And now my friend, the time to tell the Good News has come. He is risen! He is risen indeed! Jesus is surely alive. Rejoice and be glad for Christ is alive.