Pondering today’s reading, musician Michael Card wrote the song “Living Stones”: “See, in Zion He is known As a chosen precious cornerstone And the ones who come to trust in Him Will never know the shame That He bore on that cross when it seems That all was lost. He is the Stone that makes men stumble The Rock that makes them fall. Living stones, living stones We are holy, living stones Built upon the firm foundation that is Jesus.” What does it mean for Christ to be a Living Stone (v. 4) or a “chosen and precious cornerstone” (v. 6)? In today’s reading, Peter quoted several Old Testament references to show that Jesus was chosen by God but rejected by humans. Christ was the key to God’s plan of redemption. Those who do not believe in Him will trip over Him—their lack of faith will be their stumbling block (vv. 7–8). Those who do believe in Him, on the other hand, will receive God’s mercy (vv. 5, 9–10). Peter quoted from a Messianic psalm: “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (v. 7; Ps. 118:22). He had previously quoted this same verse before the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:11). Jesus Himself had also quoted this verse as part of the parable of the tenants, indicating that the Jewish leaders had rejected God’s Chosen One. He further said people who failed to accept Him would be “broken to pieces” and “crushed” (Luke 20:17–19). As God’s “precious cornerstone for a sure foundation” (Isa. 28:16), Jesus succeeded despite opposition in His mission of salvation. We, too, are “living stones” who “are being built into a spiritual house” or God’s family (v. 5; Eph. 2:19–22).

The Sugarfire Smoke House in St. Louis claimed first prize at the Sandwich World Championship. Chef David Molina won the award for his “Cuban Reuben,” which included smoked ham, pulled pork, pastrami, mustard, swiss cheese, and pickles, all placed between two sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches, which in turn were made with provolone cheese, white American cheese, and horseradish mustard. Are we making you hungry? The crowds were ravenously hungry when Jesus miraculously fed them loaves and fish (vv. 1–13). But when they came looking for more of the same, He rebuked them for wrong motives (v. 26). They should be looking for “food that endures to eternal life” (v. 27). One spoils while the other gives lasting spiritual nourishment. The crowd asked, in essence, how can we earn such food (v. 28)? The only “work” to do, Jesus responded, is to believe in me (v. 29). Their next question was, why should we believe in you? Apparently, the feeding of the 5,000 wasn’t enough?! They wanted something equal to God’s provision of manna in the wilderness (vv. 30–31). Surprisingly (to the people), Jesus asserted that God had already provided a better bread (vv. 32–33). “Give it to us,” they predictably answered. Jesus met their deeper hunger by revealing Himself to be the Bread of Life (vv. 35–40). He is the Messiah and source of life, not in a temporal sense but for eternity. All who believe in Him will be accepted and one day resurrected. This is possible because Jesus perfectly obeyed the will of the Father and His plan of redemption. Best of all, He promised that no one who trusted Him for salvation would be lost (v. 39), a promise or doctrine we often call “assurance of salvation” or “perseverance of the saints.”

Philosopher J. P. Moreland described how Disneyland in California has an entire work crew assigned to do nothing but light bulbs. They keep a record of the park’s thousands of light bulbs, and replace them when they reach 80 percent life expectancy. Are they successful? Never once has he seen a burned-out light there! Light of the World is one of the most well-known names for Christ. It’s an image associated with knowledge, truth, righteousness, hope, and life. As Isaiah prophesied, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isa. 9:2; see also John 1:4). Today begins our study’s third section: looking at Christ’s attributes in relationship with His people. When Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (v. 12), the Pharisees immediately challenged Him (vv. 13–18). By saying His testimony wasn’t valid, they were essentially accusing Him of lying and pride. Jesus responded that He and the Father together made two witnesses and that the Pharisees were ignorant of His divine identity and origins. Offended, the Pharisees made a second challenge (v. 19): “Where is your father?” Ironically, they proved their own ignorance, but it might also have been intended as an insult about the circumstances of His birth. If so, Jesus disregarded the insult, instead asserting that to know Him was to know the Father. For the religious leaders of Israel not to understand this was quite an indictment (John 3:19)! As followers of Christ, we are to be “the light of the world” ourselves (Matt. 5:14) by reflecting His light. How? We are to “walk in the light” and live holy lives (1 John 1:5–7).

The expression “skin in the game,” often encountered in the world of business and finance, is used when people have a personal stake in reaching a goal. They see their work as much more than “just a job.” They’re risking their own resources or reputation. Their commitment might be emotional, financial, or even physical. As the Mediator between God and humanity, Jesus most certainly had “skin in the game” because He was and is fully God and fully man. But why was such a mediator needed? Because sin made us enemies of God. We were at war, with no hope of winning, and no offering a sacrifice represented the people before the Lord. But when Jesus came, He became both the priest and the sacrifice. Christ is the superior Mediator of a superior covenant (Heb. 8:6). He did what He did in the heavenly tabernacle (God’s presence), not its earthly shadow (9:11). His atonement is once-for-all, not repeated. His blood is effectual for forgiveness, unlike the blood of animal sacrifices (v. 12). Those sacrifices made people outwardly clean, but Christ makes us inwardly clean and holy, free to serve God (vv. 13–14). Jesus not only mediates the new covenant but also guarantees it (v. 15). How does this work? Like a will. Just as a will takes effect only when the one who made it dies, so our inheritance of eternal life took effect because of Jesus’ death (vv. 16–17). While the blood of animal sacrifices only symbolized purification, Jesus’ blood actually accomplished our forgiveness and redemption (vv. 18–22). And while formerly we were set apart for death, now through Christ’s mediation we’re set apart for life. We were God’s enemies but now can be His friends!

R. A. Torrey, the second president of Moody Bible Institute, explained why Jesus’ sacrifice meets the need of every person: “The gospel, with a crucified Christ at its center, meets the needs of all conditions and classes of men as well as of all races. It meets the need of the millionaire and the need of the pauper; it meets the need of great men of science . . . and the need of the man or woman who cannot read nor write; it meets the need of the king on the throne and the need of the laborer in the ditch.” The gospel is good news for everyone! In his first epistle, Paul made clear that the good news of redemption in Christ is for both Jews and Gentiles (vv. 7–9). As God told Abraham, “All nations will be blessed through you” (see Gen. 12:3), a promise here called the “gospel in advance.” God’s plan had always been larger than one nation. The fact is that all who trust in Christ are considered spiritual “children of Abraham.” Furthermore, redemption is about faith, not works or the Law (vv. 10–12). Since lawbreakers are cursed, and since keeping the Law is impossible, those who rely on it are automatically cursed. Those who rely on faith in Christ, by contrast, stand justified before God. This is not a new truth, since faith was also the basis for Abraham’s justification (v. 6). Anyone who tries to earn salvation will fail. In short, the gospel is not about what we do but about what Christ did (vv. 13–14; Eph. 1:7). He came under the Law’s curse. He paid the death penalty we owed for sin. Only through faith in Him can we receive the rich blessings of salvation, especially the Holy Spirit.

“Outside of the cross of Jesus Christ, there is no hope in this world,” says Ravi Zacharias, Christian apologist and author. “That cross and resurrection at the core of the Gospel is the only hope for humanity. Wherever you go, ask God for wisdom on how to get that Gospel in, even in the toughest situations of life.” The resurrection changed everything! Today we celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ is our Risen Lord. This is not a metaphor or a symbolic picture, but the literal historical truth. The Resurrection was both a spiritual and a physical event. When Jesus appeared to His disciples, He worked hard to convince them that He was not a ghost (v. 37). Though His glorified body was qualitatively different, He could still show them the scars in His hands and feet (vv. 36-40). He even ate broiled fish (vv. 42–43). Despite Jesus having told them before the fact (vv. 6–7), His followers had no expectation that He would rise from the dead. The women who discovered the empty tomb had come to anoint His corpse with spices and pay their final respects (v. 1). When they brought the angels’ news to the disciples, it “seemed to them like nonsense” (v. 11). In Luke’s account, only Peter bothered to go and check, and even when he found the tomb empty, “he went away, wondering to himself what had happened” (v. 12). The two disciples on the Emmaus road didn’t know what to make of the women’s story either (vv. 19–24). That’s why Christ’s post-Resurrection appearances were taught His followers—that what had happened had been exactly what Scripture prophesied (vv. 25–27, 44–48). He opened their minds so they could realize the incredible significance of the Truth standing before them: redemption and forgiveness of sin!

In his sermon, “The Man of Sorrows,” nineteenth-century preacher Charles Spurgeon expressed faith-filled amazement that Jesus was fully God and fully man: “He who was ‘despised and rejected of men’ was beloved and adored by angels. And He, from whom men hid their faces in contempt, was worshipped by cherubim and seraphim. Man of the substance of Your mother, You art also essential Deity! We worship you this day in spirit and in truth!” The Messianic prophecy in today’s reading depicts Jesus as a Suffering Servant. This title was certainly not expected by the Jews of Jesus’ day. They expected a king who would release them from Rome’s rule and sit on the throne of David . . . certainly not a servant! They desired victory, not suffering. Yet that is exactly how Isaiah’s fourth servant song presented Jesus, as “a man of suffering, and familiar with pain” (v. 3). Christ’s suffering was for our atonement. We deserved what He endured in our place. “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (v. 5). Though He “was assigned a grave with the wicked” (v. 9), He had committed no sin. He suffered and died for our sake—though death would not be His end (v. 11)—and He did so willingly, choosing freely to suffer the punishment we deserved (vv. 4, 12). He did not protest or fight back (v. 7), as we see in the Gospel accounts of His unjust trials. His was silent by choice, not due to powerlessness. This costly redemption was ordained by God the Father (Acts 2:23). “The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). “It was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer . . . the Lord makes his life an offering for sin” (v. 10).

For our wedding day, Julia and I chose the music carefully. We wanted the ceremony to be worshipful, focused ultimately on God and not us. For this reason, one of the songs we picked was “Lamb of God” by Twila Paris. It doesn’t mention marriage, but it does celebrate the amazing love of God: “Your gift of love they crucified. They laughed and scorned him as he died. The humble King they named a fraud, and sacrificed the Lamb of God.” Lamb of God seems an unlikely title for Jesus. What does it mean? John the Baptist identified Jesus to his followers by announcing, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (vv. 29–31). This alluded specifically to the Passover story (Exodus 12; 1 Cor. 5:7). Prior to the tenth plague on Egypt, the Israelites were instructed to put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts so the angel of death would “pass over” them and spare their firstborn sons. The principle at work was that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” or life (Heb. 9:22). Jesus is the Lamb of God because He shed His own blood for our forgiveness and salvation. A well-known Messianic prophecy said He would be “led like a lamb to the slaughter” (Isa. 53:7), that is, Jesus sacrificed Himself willingly. The apostle Peter understood the sacrificial lamb image as well, writing that we have been redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19). Although only John the Baptist uses the title “Lamb of God” in the New Testament, Christ appears as a Lamb at least 29 times in the book of Revelation (see Rev. 5:6). This picture powerfully and memorably unites the meanings of atonement and victory!

For our wedding day, Julia and I chose the music carefully. We wanted the ceremony to be worshipful, focused ultimately on God and not us. For this reason, one of the songs we picked was “Lamb of God” by Twila Paris. It doesn’t mention marriage, but it does celebrate the amazing love of God: “Your gift of love they crucified. They laughed and scorned him as he died. The humble King they named a fraud, and sacrificed the Lamb of God.” Lamb of God seems an unlikely title for Jesus. What does it mean? John the Baptist identified Jesus to his followers by announcing, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (vv. 29–31). This alluded specifically to the Passover story (Exodus 12; 1 Cor. 5:7). Prior to the tenth plague on Egypt, the Israelites were instructed to put the blood of a lamb on their doorposts so the angel of death would “pass over” them and spare their firstborn sons. The principle at work was that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” or life (Heb. 9:22). Jesus is the Lamb of God because He shed His own blood for our forgiveness and salvation. A well-known Messianic prophecy said He would be “led like a lamb to the slaughter” (Isa. 53:7), that is, Jesus sacrificed Himself willingly. The apostle Peter understood the sacrificial lamb image as well, writing that we have been redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19). Although only John the Baptist uses the title “Lamb of God” in the New Testament, Christ appears as a Lamb at least 29 times in the book of Revelation (see Rev. 5:6). This picture powerfully and memorably unites the meanings of atonement and victory!

J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, coined the term “eucatastrophe,” which means “good catastrophe.” When it looks like a hero is doomed . . . but then the plot turns! The death of Jesus certainly qualifies as a eucatastrophe! As one writer explains, “Jesus’ crucifixion was the most evil event in history, but it secured the redemption of those who believe in Jesus’ substitutionary atonement for their salvation.” Christ’s sacrifice made it possible for us (and all of humanity) to start over. That is why Paul depicted Him as the new Adam. Today, we begin the second section of our month’s study focusing on Christ’s role in salvation. Paul explains that, through the first Adam, sin and death entered the world and affected all humanity (v. 12). No one was innocent then, and no one is innocent now. This “original sin” means we are all born with sin natures and stand condemned before God. The good news is that Jesus, as the new Adam, lived a perfect life of obedience to His Father. Through His sacrificial death and resurrection, life is possible for those who believe. We stand justified before God on the basis of Christ’s righteousness (vv. 18–19). Notice the contrast between the old and new Adams. What Christ achieved is greater than what Adam spoiled (vv. 15–17). Jesus didn’t merely undo the Fall, salvation is a step up! His gift is greater than any trespass. Good is greater than evil. Grace is greater than sin. Life is greater than death. Furthermore, while sin and its consequences were deserved, the gift of salvation is undeserved by us, to God’s greater glory. The result? Whereas once “sin reigned in death,” now grace reigns and brings “eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (v. 21).