And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, “Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.’ Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
Acts 4:5-12
builders
The Rejected Cornerstone
“‘Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: and when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, ‘They will reverence my son.’ But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.’ And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
They say unto Him, ‘He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.’
Jesus saith unto them, ‘Did ye never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?’ Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.’
And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard His parables, they perceived that He spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitude, because they took Him for a prophet.” Matthew 21:33-46 (KJB)
Jesus is that Cornerstone rejected by His own people. It has been said that in the building with large stones that the cornerstone’s shape and size determines the shape and size of the building.
The religious establishment of Jesus’s day was Judaism but they rejected the Cornerstone, therefore it passed to the Gentiles, the Church; which is the Body of Christ; and He is still building that building.
Yes! Jesus Christ is that Cornerstone on which if you fall you will be broken; but if He falls on you will be ground to powder.
Believe Him.
No Matter What; Stand
“But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: and cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before Thee: for they have provoked Thee to anger before the builders. So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.” Nehemiah 4:1-6 (KJV)
The enemy will always try and thwart the will, way and word of the LORD. It was by God’s direction that God called Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. It was those who did not believe God, hated Him, and His people who tried to stop it.
Even so it is today. While the people of God stand upon the word of the LORD, and declare righteousness, justice, and peace through knowing Christ Jesus and His love through His word and the Spirit; there are those who call us the evil ones.
Are we to buckle under and let them have their way; or are we to stand in the truth of God, His word, His way, His truth and His life? We are to stand with God. We are to pray for the enemies of God and His people.
If the evil people persist in their rebellion against God, their sins will not be blotted out, not forgiven; and their iniquity will not be covered.
Let be said of the followers of Christ that we never stopped building the wall of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Just as the wall of Jerusalem protected the city from her enemies; so too the gospel of Jesus Christ separates and protects the Believer from the liar, the deceiver, the unjust; from the wicked.
The Fire and Hammer 