Jesus Our Cornerstone

Before we go on to look at further aspects of the character of God and His promises, let us first look at why we are doing these studies.

With every name that we look at, every promise that we can lay hold of, we trust God to lay a greater and deeper foundation in our lives, to prepare us more for His coming Kingdom, to understand His worthiness in our lives.

We pray that he will use this to produce greater fruit in our lives as we get to know Him more and understand the fullness of all that he has for us.

Just as Abraham, we are looking forward to a city whose builder and maker is God.

Hebrews 11.10

He himself is the Cornerstone and He will complete the work begun in us, for we are His Masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2.10

God is multi-layered in his character and He is a multi-layered builder, starting with putting in the footings of our faith.

Ephesians 3.17-18

He wants our lives to be rooted, established and grounded on a firm foundation.

He is intentional and patient as He goes about His work, adding layer by layer to our lives, establishing each layer as He works.

He is a Master builder, wanting to put in deep footings into our lives, so that we build on strong foundations.

There are many places where God says to “put on”, we should take especial note of these as we build, adding faith, hope, love, peace, patience and self-control etc.

He tells us to “put on” the new nature, adding these qualities to our lives.

Colossians 3.12-15

¹² Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; ¹³ bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 

¹⁴ But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

 ¹⁵ And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 

He is our “building supplies store”, where we can get all the materials we need for a strong and godly life, His promises are at our disposal to produce fruit in our lives, but this is not “DIY” where we have to do everything ourselves, this is an invitation to work with Him, the Master builder.

The heavenly “new Jerusalem” has a multi-layered wall, with 12 foundations, all made of precious stones, founded on the Apostles and tribes of Israel.

Revelation 21.14

¹⁴ Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the ^[j]names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. 

It is studded with precious stones, fully furnished, adorned as a bride, ready for her husband.

Revelation 21.18 – 20

The construction of its wall was of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 

¹⁹ The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with all kinds of precious stones:

the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

This is a picture of us, His church. It represents the time and care taken to put it all in place, to make ourselves ready, coming from time spent with Him.

We should be careful to build with gold, silver and precious stones, on the foundation he has given us, Jesus Christ, not wood, hay and straw, on a foundation of rock and not sand.

1 Corinthians 3.11-14

For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 

¹² Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.

¹⁴ If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 

Let us allow God to lay down the foundations in our lives, working together with Him, exploring all the facets of His character together as expert builders, so that our work will stand the test of time and our lives will be built on a strong foundation, able to withstand any storm, so that our house, being built on Him, will stand.

Let us come to His storehouse to receive the materials we need to build and let the Good Shepherd, the Master Builder guide us in our building as we explore His character, as we journey to the city whose builder and maker is God.

He is a chosen and precious cornerstone:

1 Peter 2.6-7

That is why Scripture says,

“I am laying a chosen and precious cornerstone in Zion,
    and the person who believes in him
        will never be ashamed.”

Ephesians 2.20

You are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Christ Yeshua himself is the chief cornerstone.

Mark 12.10

 Have you never read the Scripture passage:

‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone.
¹¹ The Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

(Psalm 118.22)