1 Peter 2:4-5

You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honour. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple.

In the Old Testament, huge attention is given to the building of the temple. King David took the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and longed to give it a proper home. He went to enormous lengths to prepare for the building of the temple, but this only happened during the reign of his son, Solomon. The temple was the place where God lived among his people and at the heart of it was the Holy of Holies, which was so special that it could only be entered once a year and only by the high priest. All of God’s people looked to the temple as being at the heart of their worship, and it was the focus of the elaborate sacrificial system.

In the New Testament we learn that Jesus was in the process of building a new temple and this would be completely different from the impressive structure that we meet in the Old Testament. This temple is built not out of huge blocks of stone, but out of people who love God and it finds its meaning and shape entirely through Jesus, who is described as its cornerstone. The cornerstone is the stone which determines the building line for the walls, and everything depends upon it. If the cornerstone is out of line, then the building will be completely unstable. But if it is in exactly the right position then everything else will fall perfectly into place. Jesus is our cornerstone and, as we take the lead from him, we will fit beautifully into his living temple.

There are some people who like to think of their Christian faith as a private matter. They love Jesus and seek to serve him, but don’t join up with other Christians. Sometimes it is because of a bad experience in the past, or because of their natural shyness. But the New Testament has no concept of a solitary Christian. If you follow Jesus then you belong to God’s family and, day by day, Jesus is wanting to help you to find your place within his living temple.

Question

What does it mean to you to know that you are a living stone in God’s temple?

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, I worship you because you are the chief cornerstone of God’s temple. Help me to align my life to your will today. Amen