Life.101 (Part 4)

A Life of Blessing
1 Peter 2:4-10

The Big Idea: When life is difficult, think about the amazing blessings that are yours because of Christ and thank Him.

1. There is nothing more important than our response to Jesus.

“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him” (v. 4). The “living Stone” = Jesus Christ. (Seven NT passages identify the stone as Jesus: Matthew 21:42-44; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17-18; Acts 4:11-12; Romans 9:32-33; Ephesians 2:20-22; 1 Peter 2:4-10). Peter quotes three Old Testament “stone” prophecies and applies them to Christ:

· “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” (Isaiah 28:16; quoted in v. 6).

· “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone” (Psalm 118:22; quoted in v. 7).

· “And he will be a sanctuary; but for both houses of Israel he will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall” (Isaiah 8:14a; quoted in v. 8).

Jesus is described as the “cornerstone.” In ancient times, a cornerstone was the first stone set in the construction of a building. It was extremely important since all the other stones were set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire building. (Today, a cornerstone is a ceremonial stone set in a prominent location on the outside of a building, with an inscription indicating the construction date, etc.) God wants us to make Jesus the foundation of our lives.

a. We can accept Christ and enjoy the blessings of God.

“For in Scripture it says: ‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious” (vv. 6-7a).

b. We can reject Christ and miss out on the blessings of God.

"But to those who do not believe, ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,’ and, ‘A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’ They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for” (vv. 7b-8). To believers, Jesus is the cornerstone; but to the world, He is a stumbling stone.

c. The blessings of God can be received only through faith in Jesus.

“He [Jesus] is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11-12).

2. Jesus was rejected by the world, but believers are accepted by God.

“Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read the Scriptures: “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit’” (Matthew 42-43; cf. Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17-18).

“What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the ‘stumbling stone.’ As it is written: ‘See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame’” (Romans 9:30-33).

God has bestowed on the church (both Jews and Gentiles) almost all of the blessings promised to Israel in the Old Testament:

(These privileges given to the church do not imply that the church is Israel or that it replaces Israel. Romans 11:13-16, 23-24 guards against such an idea. Romans 9-11 affirms God’s continuing concern for ethnic Israel and predicts for the Jewish people a great future time of blessing.)

a. God's dwelling place is no longer the Jerusalem temple, but the church.

“You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house” (v. 5a).

b. The priesthood no longer belongs to the descendents of Aaron, but the church.

“To be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (v. 5b).

(1) We have direct access to God.

In Old Testament times, once a year one man (the high priest) would enter the “Holy of Holies” (the inner sanctuary of the temple). Today, every believer can enter the presence of God at any time. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

(2) We can offer acceptable sacrifices God.

We do not offer physical sacrifices of incense and animals as in the Old Testament, but spiritual sacrifices. (Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice ended the need for animal sacrifices.) “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship” (Romans 12:1). Basically, anything we do in service to God is a sacrifice.

c. The chosen people are no longer the descendents of Abraham, but the church.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you have not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (vv. 9-10).

“Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7). We are Abraham’s spiritual descendents who possess the same kind of faith he did.

Our purpose: Bring glory to God. Make known what God has done.

When life is difficult, think about the amazing blessings that are yours because of Christ and thank Him. The blessing that is emphasized in 1 Peter 1 is hope. Do you have the blessing of hope in your life?