REJECTED AND YET TRIUMPHANT

MARK 12:1

A. "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED IS BECOME THE HEAD OF THE CORNER"
  1. Setting of the words of our text:
    1. The brief drama of Christ's earthly life and His teaching approaches the crisis
    2. Our Lord is well aware of the mounting tide of opposition
  2. He knew what was ahead of him:
    1. Rejections, unjust treatment and death were ahead of Him
    2. But in it all, He was calm and had full assurance of His ultimate triumph over Satan and sin
  3. The stone which the builders rejected:
    1. Was the corner or head-stone - Ps. 118:22
    2. It is put as the angle of a building, whether as the building of a foundation or that of a wall
  4. In our text it is used metaphorically - speaking of Jesus Christ our Lord:
    1. He is precious - chosen of God - I Pet. 2:5
    2. Disallowed of men - nevertheless God's only choice - Acts 4:12
  5. Why the Jewish nation rejected Christ:
    1. They had a total misconception of the plan of redemption; when they limited God's plan for men to their own race or nationality
    2. Thus they were totally blind to the fact that the plan of redemption encompassed all men
    3. Even the disciples had a narrow and unbiblical view of the plan of redemption - Acts 1:6-8
  6. But there was still another reason for them to reject the Son of man:
    1. They pictured a Messiah that was to display power and majesty like King David or Solomon
    2. When Christ came in the form of a servant, meek and lowly they rejected Him - Is. 53:1-6; John 1:11
  7. Had they studied Bible prophecy prayerfully:
    1. They would have understood the nature of the mission of the Messiah
    2. They would have understood the earthly sanctuary and its typical services - Heb. 10:1-6 B. REJECTED AND YET TRIUMPHANT
  8. This is the great essential in the subject before us:
    1. Men rejected the Messiah or cornerstone because they were blind to its intrinsic value
    2. They failed to see that without the God chosen cornerstone their building would not endure - John 15:5; Matt. 7:24-28
    3. By rejecting the headstone, precious and chosen by God, they rejected God's plan for them and their posterity
  9. Let me note three specific truths based upon the opening words of our text:
    1. Christ and Christ alone is the world's hope for endurance and survival
    2. Men have built huge empires only to crumble and disappear - Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome; mighty human structures seemingly unbreakable, yet they are history - only a memory of their glories remain
    3. Men of science are now doing the seemingly impossible - building a society that enjoys modern conveniences never before known to men
    4. Yet ask them what their hope is for society in tomorrow; they will tell you that society, as it is now constituted, cannot endure; its very foundations are beginning to crumble
  10. The Bible teaches and we sincerely believe:
    1. That Christ and Christ alone is the hope of mankind - and that for a number of very good reasons; He is the God chosen Savior of men and for that very reason there can be no hope aside from Him
    2. To endure society must have moral strength to resist corrosion; it must possess truth and equity; holiness and godliness
    3. But no man, outside of Christ possesses these virtues - Rom. 3:9-10; Gal. 3:22
  11. In closing let us make a personal application of the rejection and triumph of the cornerstone:
    1. We all are building some kind of a building in our lives
    2. Is Jesus Christ the chief cornerstone of that building? If not, our building will not endure - 1 Cor. 3:9-15


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