Bible Study with Danelle

Have you ever heard the phrase that Jesus is the cornerstone and wondered where it came from? We find out what that means in this chapter.

Jesus came back into the temple in Jerusalem and the Pharisees keep trying to trick Him with questions and challenge His authority. After stumping them with the question if John was baptized from heaven or man, Jesus begins to tell the parable of the tenants.

He tells of a man who planted a vineyard and then leased it to some tenants. The tenants were evil people and each time the man sent a servant to collect some fruit, the tenants would either beat or kill the servant. Finally, the man sends his son, but sadly, they kill him as well.

The man finally came and destroyed the tenants and gave the vineyard to others. When we read this, we can see that Jesus was talking directly about what had happened throughout history with the Jewish nation’s relationship with God. Every prophet that God sent, they ended up rejecting. All the way back to Moses. They would listen for a bit, but then turned and did their own thing.

And finally when God’s beloved Son, Jesus, came…they rejected and eventually killed him. (Just as Jesus foreshadows here.) Jesus is calling the religious leaders out and they are not happy about it.

Jesus quotes to them Psalm 118: 22-23:

The stone that the builders

rejected

has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord’s doing,

and it is marvelous in our eyes?”

Psalm 118:22-23 & Mark 12:10-11

Jesus is the building block, the foundational stone for the new church. The new covenant with God through Christ. Jesus is telling them that HE is the rock on which they should be building their faith. He is the most important and foundational part of our life and relationship with God.

Is Jesus the cornerstone of your life?

For additional commentary, I found this bible study resource helpful and of course, I always love Jeff Stott’s perspective. You can read it here.