In what ways does 1 Peter 2:4 connect to Old Testament prophecies about Jesus? Setting the Stage: The Living Stone “As you come to Him, the living stone—rejected by men but chosen and precious to God—” (1 Peter 2:4) Old Testament Foundations: Five Key “Stone” Prophecies • Psalm 118:22 – “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” • Isaiah 28:16 – “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone…” • Isaiah 8:14 – “He will be…a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense…” • Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:8-11 – the rock struck in the wilderness that gave Israel life-giving water. • Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45 – the stone “cut without hands” that crushes earthly kingdoms and fills the earth. How 1 Peter 2:4 Weaves These Prophecies Together • Rejection by men ↔ Psalm 118:22 and Isaiah 53:3 (“despised and rejected”). • Chosen and precious ↔ Isaiah 28:16’s “precious cornerstone” hand-picked by God. • Living stone ↔ the wilderness rock that miraculously poured out water—Jesus is the ever-living source (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:4). • A stumbling stone ↔ Isaiah 8:14; Peter develops this two verses later (1 Peter 2:8). • World-changing stone ↔ Daniel 2: Jesus, the living stone, inaugurates an eternal kingdom. New Testament Echoes that Reinforce the Link • Matthew 21:42 – Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22 about Himself. • Acts 4:11 – Peter cites the same verse while preaching Christ’s resurrection. • Romans 9:32-33 – Paul merges Isaiah 8 and 28 to describe Christ as both stumbling stone and cornerstone. Why These Connections Matter for Believers • Certainty: The Messiah foretold in the Law, Prophets, and Writings is the very Jesus we approach. • Security: God’s “chosen, precious” cornerstone guarantees the stability of His house (Isaiah 28:16b: “whoever believes will not be shaken”). • Identity: As we come to the living Stone, we become “living stones” ourselves (1 Peter 2:5), built into a spiritual house that shares His life. • Mission: The rejected-yet-exalted pattern calls us to endure opposition while proclaiming the glory of the cornerstone who will one day fill the whole earth (Daniel 2:35). |
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