1 Peter 2:4-12 - God's New People
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Introduction
We’re going to continue in 1 Peter today. Quick short recap for everyone, first half of 1 Peter chapter 1 is about the hope we have while going through trials because of salvation. Next half of the first chapter through chapter 2 verse 4 is encouragement to live holy lives for God.
Now all of 1 Peter is very similar in the message given, each idea supports each other.
We are God’s own children because of what Christ did and the faith we have in Christ
Because we are God’s children, we should value His ways and commands
Christ is our model to imitate as we live for God, but we are strictly seen as Holy only because of our faith in Christ
Everything Peter writes about revolves around these three points and he is trying to encourage these people in Asia minor to persevere through life. We are going to read through 2:4-12 today, and they probably most closely relate back to point #1, we are God’s children and He chose us. And as a chosen child of God, not only will we partake in the inheritance promised to us on the day of glory, but we have a purpose in the time we live on earth. We get a different picture of this group of believers in these verses.
Body
Let’s open with verses 4-8
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 honor.
And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say,
“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,
chosen for great honor,
and anyone who trusts in him
will never be disgraced.”
Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.”
And,
“He is the stone that makes people stumble,
the rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.
Much of the verbiage Peter uses here is connected back to the Old Testament. And he actually quotes the Old Testament multiple times in this passage.
Now here we get this picture of the church or body of Christ as a spiritual temple. There are some key words to pick up on here. Christ is declared as the living cornerstone of God’s temple in verse 4. He is living because although He was crucified He was then raised from the dead by God. And the word cornerstone is significant, here. First of all let’s go over why the word cornerstone is used. Cornerstone like you may have guessed, is a stone that is used in the corner of a building, joining two walls. Now it’s not just any stone though in the corner, it’s the first stone. And in this context it doesn’t mean the cornerstone of any of the corners, it is the first corner, meaning it is the first stone of the building, which in this context is the spiritual temple. The way to check if any of the stones are out of line, which we read in verse 5 is us, living stones in this spiritual temple, we need to refer back to how the stone, or we, align with the cornerstone. And in our case, it’s Christ. Every step we take in life, we can prepare for by checking how it aligns with our Cornerstone, Jesus Christ. And we do that by studying His living Word.
The second part of verse 4 talks about how Christ was rejected by the people and was then chosen by God for honor. Now obviously not everyone rejected Christ, that’s not what is being said here. Peter is getting this concept from the Old Testament, which we’ll get into more detail soon. But when Christ was crucified on the cross, that was the ultimate rejection, that was the fulfillment of the prophecy that He would be rejected. And when He was raised from the dead by God, that was him being honored.
Peter recites this in Acts as well. Let’s read Acts 4:10-11. Now to give context, leading up to this point Peter and John were been heading to a prayer service at the temple and a crippled beggar was outside asking for money. Peter didn’t have money for him, but he gave him something much more valuable, he healed the man through the power of Christ and then everyone rushed out and was amazed at what they saw and Peter saw the opportunity and he began to preach the Good News. He was eventually confronted by those who opposed him, such as the Sadducees, and taken before the council where he spoke before the the high priest Annas and his relatives. And now we get to verses 10-11, this is Peter speaking.
Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,
‘The stone that you builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.’
From the rejection, which was Jesus being crucified, to Jesus becoming the cornerstone by being resurrected. Before the death and resurrection of Christ, people would go to the physical temple to worship, now Jesus is the cornerstone of the spiritual temple, which as believers we are all a part of as living stones.
The scriptures that Peter was likely referring to is Psalm 118:22. Isaiah 28:16 is also similar.
Let’s read Psalm 118:22-23 because later we’ll get into something Jesus says, and he actually refers back to both these verses.
The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.
Isaiah 28:16 is similar.
Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem,
a firm and tested stone.
It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on.
Whoever believes need never be shaken.
These scriptures are referred back to not just by Peter multiple times but even Jesus himself in Matthew 21:42.
Now leading up to this verse in Matthew, Jesus has just given the “parable of the evil tenant farmers.” We won’t read the whole thing, but it can be summarized as a land owner who plants a vineyard, leases out that vineyard to tenant farmers. At the time of harvest, he sends his servants, the farmers kill them, the landowner sends more servants, the farmers kill them too, then landowner sends his son thinking at the very least they would respect his own son, which they end up killing.
So after this parable is given, Jesus talks to the religious leaders about it. Let’s read Matthew 21:40-44.
“When the owner of the vineyard returns,” Jesus asked, “what do you think he will do to those farmers?”
The religious leaders replied, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.”
Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.’
I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”
From the Old Testament to the words of Jesus here is same verbiage used from Peter in 2:4-8. Accept Christ and be a part of the spiritual temple or reject the cornerstone and stumble. Rejecting the cornerstone leads down a path of destruction by disobeying God’s Word. But in the life of a believer you will never be disgraced or put to shame. It may not feel that way because of our earthly surroundings, but we have to remember here in the context of scripture we are talking about spiritual things. And as Peter said back in chapter 1 in the second half of verse 7.
1 Peter 1:7 “So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” That’s the day we wait for.
One of the other big ways we are described in these scriptures besides being living stones in the spiritual temple, is being Holy Priests. Now before we dive into that let’s finish reading this section of 1 Peter 2. So Peter wraps up in verse 8 about how people the people who stumble are the ones who decide to disobey God’s word and reject the cornerstone. And now let’s read verses 9-12.
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
“Once you had no identity as a people;
now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
now you have received God’s mercy.”
Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.
So because of our faith we a new identity, we are declared as holy priests or royal priests. In the Old Testament God told you Israel, you must be holy because I am holy. Now because of what Christ did what God said to Israel is now for everyone who believes, extending to gentiles. The only difference is that we are seen as holy by God because of our faith in Christ. And commentators have said that yes we are both royal priests and living stones, not to be confused thinking that Peter is suggesting some are stones and some priests within the temple. This is not a physical thing, this is spiritual, so yes we are a part of the spiritual temple as living stones and we are royal priests. We all have the same duty, to spread the word, praise God and bring glory to Him. And contrary to what satan will try and make you believe, all the powers of hell cannot stop the church. In Matthew we read about Jesus speaking to Peter and how he is going to be a leader in the church.
Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”
Peter was a leader in bringing up the church, Jesus used him in many ways, but there is a key phrase in that first sentence. Jesus said “upon this rock I will build my church.” Peter was used by God. But through everything he did it was God at work, and God building the church. And because God was at the source of it all, and still is today, Jesus said “all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” God is building up his spiritual temple with Christ as the cornerstone, and no matter what resistance we face as the church, God is in control of everything. Hold on to our duty as a follower of Christ and remember his promise that when God is at the source of what we do and we’re doing his work, “All the power of hell will not conquer it”.