The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O LORD, save us; (HOSANNA!)
O LORD, grant us success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you. Psalms118:22-26
This psalm appears in numerous ways in the NT.
- Jesus speaks of Himself as the "stone the builders rejected."
- Peter also writes of the rejected capstone in his letter.
- The crowds on Palm Sunday quoted from this Psalm
- Commentators are certain that Jesus and the disciples would've sung this as a passover hymn at the Last Supper.
Jesus was not the Messiah that the Jews were expecting.
They wanted a political and military Messiah who would restore the Kingdom to Israel, but He did not speak of war, but love and forgiveness. He rode a donkey of peace rather than a stallion of war.
The Pharisees could only see that He healed on the Sabbath rather than seeing that He healed. They couldn't understand how a Samaritan could be good when they wanted to keep God's good news for Jews only. He connected to the poor and the needy instead of the rich and the powerful. He confronted the powerful religious figures of the day instead of affirming them. He spoke of peace, love, and the forgiveness of enemies.
He was an unexpected Messiah. And so they rejected Him. The same crowd that shouted "Hosanna" on Palm Sunday shouted "Crucify" on Good Friday.
But the unexpected Messiah did an unexpected thing. He carried our sin on the cross and overcame death's sting. He obtained forgiveness and new life for us and He established a kingdom that will endure forever and ever.
Peter points out that the rejected stone becomes cornerstone and capstone. The cornerstone defines the orientation of the building and the capstone is the building's glory.
How do you see Jesus?
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
