Jesus is our cornerstone.

19 Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
(Psalm 118:19-24)

Every day is a day the Lord has given us to glorify him. To be grateful for each day regardless of its content is the call and privilege of each child of God. Psalm 118:24 has been used repeatedly to encourage Christians to that end. However, this psalm goes much deeper than a call for daily rejoicing and gladness. What is the “day” that the Lord has made that we are to rejoice and be glad in? We can begin to answer that question in the preceding verses. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. (Psalm 118:22-23)
The day of gladness and rejoicing is the day that God laid the chief cornerstone; the stone the builders rejected. What, or should we say who, was this stone?
Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22-24 in a conversation with the chief priests and Pharisees. He told them a parable about a landowner who leased his vineyard to vinedressers then went into a far country. When the time came for the crop to come in the owner sent his servants to receive some fruit. However, the vinedressers treated them badly. He sent more servants and they were treated in the same manner. Lastly he sent his son whom the vinedressers killed. Jesus’ obvious message to the chief priests and Pharisees was that he was the son, the chief cornerstone, they would one day kill. Even though it was God’s plan, the kingdom would be taken from them and given to more worthy vinedressers.
What is the day we rejoice and be glad in? The day that Jesus Christ became the sacrifice for our sins and became the cornerstone for us! It is the gate of the Lord that the followers of Jesus will enter. It is not because of anything we do that allows us to enter, but by the very grace of God that He gives us when we trust Jesus.
He has become our salvation! It is God's doing. It is a gift we receive from Him. It is not deserved, but the benefit is HUGE! We become sons and daughters of God! We become co-heirs with Christ! We who come in the name of the Lord are blessed! God has given us the light of the world which is Jesus. We give thanks to God because of His loving kindness that will last forever!

Peace and love,

Sue


"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. " (1 John 4:9-10)