Completed and Held Together
Jesus looked directly at them and asked “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone?” Luke 20:17
Imagine a builders’ site in Jesus’ day. It’s full of stone. The workers are sorting out the marble and granite into different shapes and sizes so they can haul them up to their places on the wall. But one stone doesn’t seem to fit anywhere so it’s put to one side. But when they’ve almost finished they find they need a last piece to round off the very top corner. Nothing seems to fit. Then they remember the piece of stone earlier put to one side. It’s perfect. The building’s finished with that last piece.
This illustrates one of two meanings the word translated capstone could have. The context would normally decide which meaning was right. The difficulty here is that both meanings fit.
The ‘cornerstone’ could be a large stone set at a corner in the foundation. It determined the position of the two walls and so the ultimate shape of the building.
But the term was also used for the stone at the top of a wall binding the whole structure together. Our opening illustration has this meaning in mind.
The Jews were the builders but they cast aside the most important stone of all. They built without God’s capstone.
But because He’s the ultimate builder, God Himself would complete the building by placing His eternal Son into the wall as the final stone that not only completes the building but holds it together.
Jesus is building a new temple using human stones (1 Peter 2:5). God had rejected the old temple. In another generation it would be destroyed, never to be rebuilt. But ironically, the builders and custodians of the old temple are the fiercest critics of the builder of the new.
We ‘are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit’ (Ephesians 2:22).
Church buildings might be impressive but God’s temple is far more so. Never lose sight of the spiritual temple God is building using every believer in Christ.
And never lose sight of the wonderful Lord Jesus, our wonderful cornerstone and capstone who completes God’s masterpiece.
To listen to this message, download in MP3 here