TUESDAY September 8, 2026

A Chief Cornerstone

Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
1 Peter 2:6

When Peter used the term living stone, it meant “a stone of stumbling” or “a solid rock.”  Remember the time when Jesus went up to Caesarea Philippi? The Twelve were with Jesus, and He presented to them this question: “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (Matthew 16:13). They had different answers, to which Jesus responded, “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). He confessed that Jesus was God! Jesus responded, “...you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church...” (Matthew 16:18). He referred to Peter as petros, meaning “a little stone,” and Himself as the Petra, the massive Rock on which He will build His Church.

Interestingly, Christ is referred to as a Rock throughout the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament. The Bible tells us that God’s people would reject Jesus as their Messiah––He would become a Rock of offense: Isaiah 8:14: He [Jesus] will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel....

Think for a moment about Jesus’ statement when He entered Jerusalem on a donkey, and the Pharisees became indignant upon hearing people praise Him: “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke 19:40). In other words, even if the people in Jerusalem would not worship Him, the very rocks would cry out. As their Messiah, He was the Rock of their salvation and worthy of their worship.

When you worship your Lord, worship Him for who He is––the Chief Cornerstone, elect and precious. He is the Rock of your salvation. Those who believe in Jesus will not be put to shame. This literally means you will never be confounded or disappointed in Christ. Why? He will fulfill all of His promises made to you for the rest of your life.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee; let the water and the blood, from Thy riven side which flowed, be of sin the double cure, save me from its guilt and power.
~Augustus Toplady~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!