July 19, 2017

Luke 20:17, 18

(All Scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated)

Our featured Scripture for this blog is Luke 20:17 and 18:

      “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” 
      Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will
      grind him to powder.

In the first part of this Scripture, verse 17, Jesus was quoting Psalm 118:22, which is translated word for word from the Old to the New Testaments.  Now, a cornerstone, according to Webster’s New World Dictionary, is “…a stone laid at the corner of a building…at a ceremony formally beginning the erection of a building.”  It also means, “…the basic or main part; foundation.”

•      Both definitions apply to the Lord Jesus Christ!  We are told in…

      ✞      …Isaiah 28:16 (Contemporary English Version) – “…the LORD says, “I’m laying a firm foundation for the city of Zion.  It’s a valuable cornerstone proven to be trustworthy; no one who trusts it will ever be disappointed.”  This is a prophecy concerning the coming Messiah! (See also I Peter 2:6).

      ✞      …in Ephesians 2:19 through 22, Paul is writing concerning the Gentiles (the non-Jews):

      …you are…members of the household of God, having been built on
      the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself
      being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined
      together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are
      being built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.

      ✞      …I Corinthians 3:11 – “…no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

•      It also says in I Corinthians 10:4 concerning the Israelites’ 40 years of wandering in the desert, and God’s care for them:  “…and they all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

Having established that Christ is the Rock, the Cornerstone – the chief stone of the whole structure – Let’s go on to see what happens if anyone find themselves Under The Rock!

•      Our featured Scripture warns us that should the Rock be on top of a person, “… it will grind him to powder.”  What does this mean?  To have the Rock fall on a person means that one is eternally experiencing the judgment, the condemnation of Jesus Christ!

      ✞      He came the first time as Savior!  For He Himself said in Luke 19:10, “…the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  He came “…to call…sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32).

      ✞      But, we are warned that the second time Jesus Christ comes to earth, He will come as Judge! (See Acts 10:42; II Timothy 4:1; John 5:22, 27; II Peter 2:9).  In John 3:36 we read:  “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”  Such wrath of God results in the judgment of God!  And the judgment of God is as described in Revelation 21:8:  “…the…unbelieving…shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”  This is eternal death, according to Revelation 19:3 and 20:10.  So it is a fitting analogy that those Under The Rock will be ground to powder!

•      There is one more mention of Under The Rock that is actually related to the first.  It happens during the time of great judgment upon the earth – the Great Tribulation (see Matthew 24:21) – just as the Lord Jesus is “…coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.”  This ‘one more mention’ is found in Revelation 6:15 through 17:

      And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders,
      the mighty men, every slave and free man, hid themselves in the caves and
      the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains, “Fall on us and
      hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath
      of the Lamb!  For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able
      to stand?”

Can you imagine being so frightened of coming judgment that you would rather be crushed to death by a mountain of rocks?  The problem is that even being so crushed will not facilitate your escape from judgment!  You are created to be eternal!  And your soul will survive forever – even if your body is destroyed!  So, no matter how a person tries to escape, it stands true what is written in Hebrews 9:27:  “…it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…”!

Be sure you are in the Rock Christ Jesus, hidden in Him by His grace from judgment!  We will discuss being In The Rock in Friday’s blog.