CORNERSTONE

“Have you not even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone” (Mark 12:10 NKJV).

In this verse, the “stone” represents the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, we want to note: the reading about the Stone, the rejecting of the Stone, and the relevancy of the Stone.

Reading about the Stone: “Have you not even read this Scripture.” The Bible tells us about the stone which is the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who do not read the Scripture will be ignorant of who the Lord Jesus Christ is. In fact, the Lord Jesus Himself said, “search the Scriptures…these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). And the Apostle Paul’s desire was “That I may know Him” (Phil. 3:10). If we do not know the Lord Jesus, we will not build well in life and even worse for eternity.

Rejecting of the Stone – “The stone which the builders rejected.” Many folks are rejecting the most important “Stone” today. The leaders of our land, the leaders in education and even religion are by and large rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ. Even God’s chosen people, Israel, rejected the “Cornerstone” and tried to build without Him. The world’s nations are in the same boat. Building without the Lord Jesus is the reason our society is so corrupt and useless in bringing peace to man.

Relevancy of the Stone – “Has become the chief cornerstone.” The “cornerstone” is the most important stone in a building. The Lord Jesus Christ is the “Cornerstone” of life. He is the “Cornerstone” of salvation. Reject Him and we will spend an eternity in the fires of hell without hope. Build your salvation on the Lord Jesus Christ if you want your eternal home to be heaven.

(Adapted from Butler’s Sermon Starters Vol. 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Take your stand on the Rock of Ages. Let death, let the judgment come: the victory is Christ’s and yours through Him!”

Dwight Lyman (D.L.) Moody (1837 – 1899)

English Bible Teacher and Author

Word Study

Existed

In Phil. 2:6 we read, “Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped!" (NASB).

Existed is the Greek word hupárchō (ὑπάρχω = hoop-ar'-kho). It is made up of two words: “hupó” which means under, and “archē” which means beginning. Literally, it means to begin under and then to exist, be present or be at hand. Thus, it denotes the continuance of a previous state or existence. It stresses the essence of a person’s nature, that which is absolutely unalterable, inalienable, and unchangeable. Here in this verse, the phrase “who, although He existed (hupárchō) in the form of God,” carries with it the two facts of the Godhood of the Lord Jesus Christ: His preexistent Deity, previous to His birth, and His continued Deity afterwards. This means that the Lord Jesus Christ eternally and immutably existed, and will forever continue to exist, in the form of God.

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, fear thou not: and to Zion, let not thine hands be slack” (Zeph. 3:16 KJV).

Did You Know…

According to Judges 4:4-6, Deborah would sit under a tree called “the Palm tree of Deborah” in Ephraim while she held court.

Bible Quiz

Why did God choose the Israelite nation to be His people?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: Which two employees did The Pharaoh throw into jail with Joseph? The butler and baker (Gen. 40:1).

Names For the Lord Jesus in the Bible

“NAZARENE”

"And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene!” (Matt. 2:23 NKJV).

1. Meaning – NAZARENE speaks of the Lord Jesus as fulfilling Old Testament prophecies that He would be called “a Nazarene.”

2. Insights – That Joseph and Mary came and lived in Nazareth makes sense since this is where the angel Gabriel was sent to announce to Mary that she would be the mother of the Lord Jesus (cf. Luke 1:26-30; Luke 2:4). Nazareth did not enjoy a place of prominence until its association with the Lord Jesus. It was so obscure that Nathaniel once asked, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (cf. John 1:46). Yes, not just any “good thing” but the greatest Person in time and eternity, the God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ. Nazareth was a no name town, thought to be home of nobody, but when Joseph moved his family there after returning from Egypt, Nazareth became the home of the greatest “Somebody” in the history of the world!

Did You Know – Christian History

John Ruysbroeck was born January 1, 1293, in Ruisbroek, Belgium. He was an Augustinian priest, and an important medieval mystic of the Netherlands.

Ruysbroeck was raised by a devout mother who trained him in a life of holiness. He was only eleven when he left home to be with an uncle who desires to live the kind of simple life that he imagined the early Christians lived. Ruysbroeck was infected with the same ideal, and like his uncle he desired a deeper spirituality. In due time Ruysbroeck was given a church position and his mother moved to Brussels to be near him.

Until he was fifty, Ruysbroeck lived in Brussels. Then he joined his uncle and a like-minded man in a hermitage (a secluded residence) at Groenendael. So many men followed them that they had to organize themselves into a regular church body. Ruysbroeck began to write in order to battle the teachings of false mystics. True Christian mysticism is thought of as the practice of the experiential knowledge of God. Ruysbroeck wandered the woods with a note pad, thinking about God. When any understanding came to him, he wrote it down. He wrote in his native language, rather than in Latin, and his writings had a great impact because they were translated into the major languages of Western Europe.

Mysticism did not make Ruysbroeck impractical. On the contrary, he was so good at helping others see how they ought to act in given situations that many crowded him for advice. His writings were eagerly copied and passed on to others. Gerard Groot, one of the great Christians of the age, became his close friend. Through Groot, Ruysbroeck also influenced Thomas á Kempis, author of The Imitation of Christ. Tauler, who would become one of the most famous German mystics, visited the hermitage and was deeply influenced by Ruysbroeck.

In total, Ruysbroeck wrote twelve books, seven epistles, two hymns and a prayer. All were written in Middle Dutch. Weakened by old age, Ruysbroeck spent the last few years of his long life of service confined to his cell. He died at Groenendael on December 2, 1381, at the age of 88.

A Little Humor

A teacher was giving a lesson on the Old Testament and asked one of her students, “Tommy, who knocked down the walls of Jericho?” Tommy answered, “Well, it wasn’t me.” Worried about this lack of Bible knowledge, the teacher called Tommy’s mother. His mother said, “Look, my son’s a good kid. If he says he didn’t knock the wall down, he didn’t knock the wall down.” More worried, the teacher called Tommy’s father. He listened to her story and said, “Well, look, I don’t want any trouble. Just tell me how much this wall costs, and I’ll take care of it.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“We may travel the sea of life without Christ; but what about the landing?”