Who is this Jesus: The Cornerstone

Introduction

Perhaps over that last few weeks, you have experienced a shift in your normal way of life. We have heard over and over the phrase, “this is the new normal.” We are experiencing many things that have not been experienced for a few generations. Things we thought were secure have collapsed and we have had to rethink our every day routines. As we continue our study from Mark’s Gospel of “Who is this Jesus?”, we see a parable that Jesus told. It has been called the Parable of the Tenants and it is also recorded in Matthew and Luke. In it we see a description of Jesus being the Cornerstone. It seems more than ever, as we rebuild and refocus our lives, we need to make Jesus our Cornerstone. Listen carefully as we ready :

Mark 12:1–12 NIV84

He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Haven’t you read this scripture: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

Jesus is using a “back parable” that is from .

Isaiah 5:1–7 NIV84

I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled. I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.” The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.

Situation

Notice the situation. A landowner has planted a vineyard. Mark gives the description of the vineyard having a wall, a pit for the winepress and a watchtower being built. The landowner rents out this vineyard then goes on a journey. One interesting fact that Mark does not tell us the details that this was a common practice. He also does not tell us that Jewish law had regulations about planting and when and how to harvest.

Leviticus 19:23–25 NIV84

“ ‘When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten. In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord. But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the Lord your God.

Leviticus

In , Jesus mentions that it was Harvest time. This is that fourth year that is mentioned in the Leviticus passage. Rightfully, the owner of the vineyard desired to collect rent which included some of the fruit. Jesus painted this picture for many reasons. He was teaching the meaning of scripture.

Psalm 147:19 KJV 1900

He sheweth his word unto Jacob, His statutes and his judgments unto Israel.

Psalm 80:8 NIV84

You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.

Psalm

Psalm 80:8

Jeremiah 2:21 NIV84

I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine?

Jeremiah

He also showed His adversaries that their thoughts and actions were going against the plan of God.

Psalm 147:19 NIV84

He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel.

Psalm 147:

Amos 3:7 NIV84

Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

Amos

Zechariah 1:4–6 NIV84

Do not be like your forefathers, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. Where are your forefathers now? And the prophets, do they live forever? But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your forefathers? “Then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve, just as he determined to do.’ ”

Zechariah 1:4

These scriptures were well known to the these adversaries. Jesus told them this parable to teach them that their actions were not of God.

In doing so, Jesus described sinfulness.

Sinfulness

That is a subject we do not like to talk about and certainly one that does not make us comfortable. However, it is one that is prevalent in this parable. The owner of the vineyard on many different occasions sent out a servant and each time the tenants refused instruction. The servants were beaten, cast out, and many of them were killed trying to carry out the requests of the owner of the vineyard. Jesus pointed out that the servants that were sent had expectations of the owner of the vineyard to carry out his desire. He made it known that the tenants rejected the desire of the owner of the vineyard.

It would not take one long to study Scripture to see that many prophets were sent out by God to proclaim His desire for the people that inhabited His land. These prophets were rejected, severely persecuted and even killed. Those that knew the Law of the Lord did not produce fruit as the Lord desired. In fact, those that called themselves people of God became so wicked that they killed the One that was sent. They even cast Him out of the vineyard.

Hebrews 1:1–3 NIV84

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

Can you imagine what went through their minds as Jesus told this parable? Jesus, used a parable to declare a forthcoming judgement. Then Jesus, the Son of God, the Healer, the Teacher and the Miracle Worker, quotes from Scripture. We know it as .

Psalm 118:22–23 NIV84

The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

Wait a minute. Jesus goes from telling the story about a vineyard and its owner and how he and his servants were disrespected and then shifts to thoughts about a stone?

Jesus used this to show that a son was be rejected. He was thrown out like a mason rejects a stone establishing a stone. However, there would one that was rejected that would become the very cornerstone on which the entire foundation would be established.

When you are laying a foundation, you have to have one true starting point.

Isaiah 28:16–17 NIV84

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place.

What a beautiful description. The most important stone in all the building is the cornerstone. This passage shows us that though Jesus was rejected by the religious rulers, He became the very truth on which the Kingdom of God would be built. The Cornerstone is our Savior!

Savior

Do we need a Savior? I think the evidence is quite clear. We are dealing with a situation right now that shows what happens when we have made other things in our lives a cornerstone. We have placed the stock market as a cornerstone. We have placed the freedom to do as we choose a cornerstone. We have placed our healthcare as a cornerstone. We have even placed the over abundance of toilet paper as our cornerstone!

We have tried to build our lives on the cornerstones which are man-made. All of these examples have come crumbling down. There are folks that are clueless how to rebuild.

When I was a teenager I was in Boy Scouts. For my Eagle Service Project I built a 55-foot walking bridge for a canoe trail that was near the Meherrin River in Northeastern North Carolina. I spent hours building this bridge using 8-by-8 oak posts and 2-by-6 oak planks. When it was all done, I had over 120 hours invested in it and I build most of it by myself. I moved away and several years I returned to the site. I did not know that area had been flooded and my sturdy bridge made of these solid oak posts and flooring had been demolished. I can still tell you how I felt looking at the pile of debris and the devastation I felt knowing all my hard work was completely destroyed.

Some of us have felt that devastation these last few weeks as this pandemic has moved across our globe. Our hard work has been left in a pile of debris and we are devastated that our work has been destroyed.

I did not have the opportunity to rebuild my bridge. However, as long as we have breath, we have the opportunity to rebuild our lives. We must make Jesus as our Cornerstone and build on the truths that He has established for the Kingdom of God. When you do so, you becoming part of something way bigger than any pandemic can be:

Ephesians 2:19–20 NIV84

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Ephesians 2:19-20

Pehe

The Scripture from Mark’s Gospel says that, “The stone the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone.” Then is says, “The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes.” Do you know why it is marvelous in our eyes? Because no matter what comes our way, no matter what tries to shake us or break us, it will not happen because Jesus is the Cornerstone.

Oh How Marvelous. Oh How Wonderful. And my song shall ever be.

Oh How Marvelous. Oh How Wonderful. Is my Savior’s love for me.

Have you experienced the marvelous sight of Jesus being your Cornerstone?