«　WEEK 5　DAY 2　»

　　Matt. 21:42 Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the Scriptures, "The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner. This was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes"?

　　Eph. 2:20 Being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone.

　　As the all-inclusive stone Christ is the centrality of God's move for the building up of His eternal habitation (Matt. 21:42, 44; Zech. 3:9; cf. Rev. 5:5-6; Acts 4:10-12; Isa. 28:16; Eph. 2:19-22; 1 Pet. 2:4-8; Dan. 2:34-35; Zech. 4:7; Rev. 21:11, cf. 4:3). Everything Christ is, everything He has done, and everything He is doing is due to the fact that He is the cornerstone. It is by His being the cornerstone that He could die for us, that we could be crucified with Him, made alive with Him, resurrected with Him, and seated with Him in the heavenlies, and that He could save us, transform us into precious stones, and build us together to be God's habitation, God's unique temple in the universe. (Psa. 118:24, footnote 1)

　　According to Psalm 118:22-26, thanksgiving of God's elect for God's bountiful goodness and everlasting lovingkindness leads to Christ as the cornerstone for God's building.

　　Concerning Christ as the cornerstone, Acts 4:10-12 says, "Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified and whom God has raised from the dead,...this is the stone which was considered as nothing by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no other, for neither is there another name under heaven given among men in which we must be saved." The word in verse 12 about there not being another name in which we must be saved is often quoted by evangelists, but who ever points out that the Savior is the cornerstone? If Christ had not been made the cornerstone, He could not be the Savior.

　　In Ephesians 2:19-22 we have Paul's word regarding Christ as the cornerstone. "So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone; in whom all the building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit."...As the cornerstone Christ is everything; He is all-inclusive. Do you know what we are doing in all our meetings? We are building up God's building by Christ as the cornerstone.

　　This revelation concerning Christ as the cornerstone is unveiled in the praises of the psalmist. Often, while the psalmists were expressing their complex sentiments, something suddenly came forth as a revelation concerning Christ. This is the way the revelations of Christ are presented to us in the Psalms.

　　Have you ever thanked the Lord for being the cornerstone or praised Him for His being the cornerstone? I doubt that many among us have done this. We need to pray, saying, "Lord Jesus, I thank You that You are the cornerstone as my Savior and as my salvation. I praise You that You are the cornerstone for God's building. Without You we do not have any element or factor to be built up as God's temple."

　　I am concerned that even after you have heard that Christ is the cornerstone, you may have no interest in thanking and praising Him for this. Instead, you may prefer to pray in an old way regarding the Lord's mercy and lovingkindness. I would encourage you to pray like this: "Lord, I thank You for unveiling to me that You are the cornerstone to be my salvation and to be the element and factor for me to be transformed and built up into Your habitation." (Life-study of the Psalms, pp. 444-447)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of the Psalms, msg. 39