What's a Cornerstone and Do You Have One?

Toby Mac has a new song out called Cornerstone. It’s a duet with Zach Williams and a great tune, but it got me thinking a little. What actually is a cornerstone?

In Luke chapter 20, 17-18, Jesus refers to Himself as a cornerstone. “The stone the builders rejected – this has become the cornerstone. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and if it falls on anyone, it will grind him to powder.”

On a surface level, a “cornerstone” does sound like an important part of building a structure. But what makes it so important, and how does it relate to the Son of God? So, I did what any good journalist does with a question: I dug into it and found some interesting answers.

The first stop was newstudioarchitecture.com. After all, "cornerstone" is an architectural term and a pretty important one. A cornerstone is traditionally the first stone laid for a structure, with all the other stones laid in reference. It also marks the geographical location by orienting the building in a specific direction. In other words, all the other stones get set in reference to the cornerstone. That determines the direction of the entire structure.

Cornerstones have been around in some shape or form for millennia, tracing back to ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian cultures. We’ve been using them for a long time. Have you seen any signs built into a building that tells what year it was constructed? Typically, that’s the cornerstone.

This is what a cornerstone looks like

It started to make more sense when backtothebible.org pointed out that the total weight of a building rested on the cornerstone. If it gets removed, that will collapse the whole structure.

Gotquestions.org says Jesus is the cornerstone that His church would be built upon and the foundation of the whole thing. Everything in the church building (us) aligns with the cornerstone. It’s such an important concept that it’s mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments.

The Book of Isaiah has many references to the Messiah to come. “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. I will make justice the measuring line (for length) and righteousness the plumb line (which keeps it straight).” (Isaiah 28-16-17)

The term is also mentioned in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul says in Ephesians, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the prophets with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him, the whole building is joined together and rises to become a Holy Temple in the Lord.” (Ephesians 2:19-21)

I think I’m starting to understand just how foundational Jesus is to those of us who placed our faith in Him. However, I’m also starting to understand what faces folks who don’t put their hope and trust in Him.

“Jesus is the cornerstone the builders rejected” in Mark 12:10. From the very beginning, Jesus was a “stone that causes people to stumble and the rock that makes them fall.” (1 Peter 2:8) “Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” (Matthew 21:44)

When the pressures of life get complicated, and they will for all of us, there’s only one cornerstone capable of bearing the weight. Jesus will keep your life straight and bear that weight for you. He’s not just a Rock; He’s the Cornerstone!

By the way, here's the song from Toby Mac.