OLD TESTAMENT
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes. Psalm 118:22-23
NEW TESTAMENT
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 1 Peter 2:4-6
In the very beginning, God the Father, had created things as they should be and He saw that it was good. In love, He cultivated a garden in which Adam and Eve would keep and live in His presence. Things were as they should be. Then Adam and Eve chose to betray God and disobey His command, utterly deceived by the serpent. What would make sense is that God would punish mankind and destroy them, but what He chose was to make a covenant instead. From then on, where things were pretty straight forward before, they became paradoxes in which God would save mankind. Let’s meditate on 3 paradoxes.
The Firstborn of Creation was Born as Man
We so easily sing, “Happy birthday to Jesus” with our children. Yes, it is an easy way for them to understand that Christmas is when Jesus was born, but isn’t it so much more than this. Let us not oversimplify the Gospel to make it more tangible to our children (or anyone.) We should teach our children the word, “incarnation.” God came to us as man through Christ. 1 Colossians 1:15-20 says:
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Here we see that all things were made through Him; they were created for Him; He was preeminent; and all things are held together through Him. He is the head of the church. It goes on to say that “in Him the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” And here is the paradox in vs. 20. That Christ in all that He is, in whom God was pleased to dwell, reconciled all things to Himself, “making peace by the blood of his cross.” How did He do this? In all His glory, He humbled Himself and had to come to us. Jesus, incarnate. In Him, who the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, was held in a womb for 9 months and then swaddled and placed in a manger to later be held to the cross. So let us boldly proclaim this to our children and anyone who will hear— “For everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.”