Dear Christian friends:

Stones are very important in our life. Chiefly we use them for buildings. In Palestine where Jesus lived stone was used more than any other building material.

Stones can also be dangerous. Sometimes a person stumbles over a stone and breaks a leg or other member of his body. Sometimes a large stone can fall on someone and kill him as during an earthquake or rock slide. The Jewish people used stones as their chief way of executing criminals.

The Bible calls Jesus a "stone". Also here in our text Jesus is called a "stone". In our hymnal we have a beautiful hymn called "Rock of Ages". The Bible calls Jesus a "stone". Why? By that name God wants to teach us a very important lesson. So let us attend to our text and consider the topic:


For many people Jesus is a rock that breaks them or crushes them. In our text Jesus says, "Whoever shall fall upon this stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind him to powder." (verse 38)

Those who reject Jesus will be "broken." (verse 18a)

The Jewish leaders were "broken." In the parable the Lord gave "the Vineyard” to others. (verse 16) "The vineyard" means the church. When the Jews rejected Jesus, God established His church among other nations. The Jews have been broken off from God's church.

Everyone today who rejects Jesus Christ will be "broken." Peter writes, "Jesus is a stone of stumbling, a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient." (1 Peter 2:8) (Explain why people are offended by Jesus.)

When people reject Jesus they suffer broken relationships. Without Jesus man's relationship to God is broken. He remains an enemy of God. And if man is not a friend with God he can't be a real friend with his brother. Those who reject Jesus suffer many broken relationships: broken marriages (divorces), broken families, broken cities, broken nations and a broken world. Much strife, quarreling, hating one another, fighting and war. We see plenty of that today in our world.

Also when anyone rejects Jesus his deepest spiritual needs are not satisfied. The need man has to love and serve his Maker. Man who rejects Jesus is like a ship at sea With a broken rudder. He has no one to lead or steer him in the right way. He has no real purpose in life.

Those who stumble over the Rock, Christ, are "broken." And if they don't wake up and repent they will at last be destroyed in hell. Jesus says in our text, "On whomsoever it (The Rock) shall fall, it (The Rock) will grind him to powder." (verse 18b)

The Jewish leaders and people were destroyed a few years after Jesus ascended into heaven. And worse, they will be condemned forever in hell!

The same will happen to anyone who rejects Jesus and does not repent. If anyone refuses to accept Jesus for his Savior, then for that person Jesus becomes a Judge and Condemner. Jesus says, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he who believes not will be condemned." (Mark 16:16)

Perhaps someone complains: "That is not fair! Jesus should not send anyone to hell!" But anyone who thinks like that is wrong!

In this parable about the vineyard Jesus shows how patient God is with us sinners. God was very patient with the Jews. He gave them His Word and chose them for His special, holy nation. The Jews were God's Old Testament Church. God sent His servants, the prophets to them many times during 2,000 years. Often they refused to listen to the prophets. They insulted them, kicked them out and killed some of them, from Moses to John the Baptist. Finally God sent His own Son to preach to them and urge them to repent. But they refused to listen to God's Son and nailed Him on the cross. They rejected God's love and mercy, so God is fair and right to punish them in hell and all others who refuse to repent.

How about us? God has given us the Bible, His Word and sacraments. God has made us become His holy, special people, His church today. Today God continues to send His servants, pastors, to us. What more can God do for us? If anyone goes to hell, he can't blame God!

God is patiently and with great love and mercy seeking our faith, our love and our service. The prophet warns us:

"Seek ye the Lord while He
may be found. Call ye to Him
while He is near. Let the
wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts:
and let him return unto the Lord,
and He will have mercy upon him;
and come to our God, for He will
abundantly pardon"
(Isaiah 55:6-7)

We don't want Jesus to be a "rock"' over which we stumble and are broken or crushed. We want Jesus to be for us the chief cornerstone of the Church.

In our text Jesus says, "The stone which the builders rejected, the same (stone) is become the head of the corner." (verse 17) Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22. The Holy Spirit through David prophesied about Jesus becoming the chief cornerstone of God's Church. The Jewish church leaders are "the builders". Jesus is the "stone". The Jewish church leaders refused to accept Jesus. They refused to let Him be the Head of the Church. They refused to accept Jesus as the Son of God and their Savior and King. They forced Pontius Pilate to condemn Jesus to death on the cross.

In rejecting Jesus they did God's plan, although they did it in sin and ignorance. God used their rebellion and wrong doing to fulfill His eternal plan, His plan to save the world through His own Son. In that strange way, "the stone which the builders rejected, the same (stone) is become the head of the corner."

Jesus is the chief basis of the Christian's faith. St Paul writes, "You are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (their writings in the Bible). Jesus Christ Himself being the Cornerstone." (Ephesians 2:20)

Jesus is the Cornerstone and we Christians are the other stones in God's Church, "living stones." St. Peter invites people to come to Jesus the precious Cornerstone: "Come to Him, to that “living stone, whom men rejected, but God's chosen, precious One, and like living stones yourselves, become a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual offerings which please God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:4-5) Those who believe in Jesus for their Savior love Him and live for serving Him. St. Paul said, "I live to serve Jesus." (Philippians 1:21)

Jesus is God's wonderful Rock. It is sad that the Jews long ago, and many people today stumble over that Rock and are broken and destroyed. But it is good joy that for others Jesus is the Rock of Ages, the Rock of Salvation.

Is Jesus a rock that displeases you? Have you stumbled over that rock? Are you now "broken"? Is your marriage broken? Your family broken? Your friendships broken? Are you always quarreling and fighting and unhappy? Better repent today or that rock will fall on you and crush you to dust.

Is Jesus the rock that gives you joy and pleasure? Is Jesus a rock of Salvation for you? Are you a "living stone" in God's Church? Do you love Jesus and live for Jesus? Then thank God and continue serving Him.

May Jesus, always be for us, "the Chief Cornerstone in His Church, May our faith always rest on the imperishable foundation of the apostles and prophets," so that we may be and remain "living stones, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual offerings which please God through Jesus Christ."

Amen.