1n 1 Peter 2:4-8 Christ is unveiled as the living stone. In the Bible the matter of the stone is a great subject. According to Genesis 2, man was placed in front of the tree of life, which was put in the garden of Eden out of which a river flowed (vv. 8-10). One of the precious materials that issued from the flow of the river was onyx, which is a precious stone (v. 12). The Bible goes on to reveal Christ as a stone in many aspects. He is the foundation stone, the stone in which we trust and on which we rely (Isa. 28:16; 1 Cor. 3:11). He also is the cornerstone (Matt. 21:42; Acts 4:11; Eph. 2:20) that joins the two walls, one wall being the Jewish believers and the other being the Gentile believers. To the unbelieving Jews, He is the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense (Isa. 8:14-15; Rom. 9:32-33; Luke 2:34). To the nations, He is the smiting stone that will smite and break into pieces the aggregate of human government at His coming back (Dan. 2:34-35; Matt. 21:43-44). Yet to us He is the living stone, rejected by men but with God chosen and precious (1 Pet. 2:4).
First Peter 2:4 tells us that Christ as a living stone was “rejected by men but with God chosen and precious.” Although Christ as the living stone was rejected by the leaders of God’s people, this stone was chosen by God. God’s choosing of Christ as the living stone is of two aspects. First, Christ was chosen by God in eternity past (1:20). That was God’s initial choosing of Him. Then God chose Christ the second time in resurrection. Resurrection is strong proof that God has chosen Christ. This second choosing is a confirmation of God’s first choosing. Therefore, in resurrection God confirmed the choice He had made concerning Christ in eternity past.
When Christ was on the cross, apparently He was rejected by God. To the Pharisees and to all the others who opposed Him, the crucifixion of Christ was a sign that God had rejected Him. According to Matthew 27:42-43, the chief priests, with the scribes and the elders, said, “He is King of Israel; let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe on Him. He trusts in God; let Him rescue Him now if He wants Him, for He said, I am the Son of God.” Luke 23:35 says, “The rulers also sneered, saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, the Chosen One!” The religious leaders thought that God had rejected Christ. However, on the third day Christ was resurrected, and that resurrection is a sign of God’s choosing, a proof that God had chosen Christ to be the stone for His building.
From the time of Christ’s resurrection, Christ has been held in honor. The Greek word rendered “precious” in 1 Peter 2:4, the same word that is used in verse 6, also means “held in honor.” It differs from the Greek word translated “precious” in 1:19. There the word denotes preciousness in essence; here it indicates preciousness that is recognized and held in honor.
In 2:6, Peter says, quoting Isaiah 28:16, “Behold, I lay in Zion a cornerstone, chosen and precious.” This statement refers not only to Christ’s resurrection but also to His ascension. After God resurrected Christ, He lifted Him up to the heavens. Therefore, Christ’s ascension is a further sign and confirmation that God had chosen Him.
God’s choosing of Christ in eternity past was not seen by anyone, not even by the angels. When God chose Christ, nothing had been created, for that choice was made before the foundation of the world. Only God knew that Christ was His chosen One. But this choice has been manifested in Christ’s resurrection and ascension. Soon after Christ’s ascension, Peter realized clearly that Christ is the Messiah chosen by God. This is the reason that Peter said to the religious leaders in Acts 4, “Let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified and whom God has raised from the dead, in this name this man stands before you in good health. This is the stone which was considered as nothing by you, the builders, which has become the head of the corner. And there is salvation in no other, for neither is there another name under heaven given among men in which we must be saved” (vv. 10-12). There is salvation in no other name because God has chosen Christ, and this choice has been manifested in and confirmed by Christ’s resurrection and ascension.
Along with the other apostles, Peter could testify that he had seen the resurrected Christ. Furthermore, they had all witnessed His ascension. These two acts—resurrection and ascension—prove and confirm that Jesus of Nazareth is the One whom God has chosen to be the head of the corner for God’s building.
As such a chosen One, Christ is now held in honor. Christ is not only in glory; He is also on the throne at the right hand of God. This means that He is in a position of honor. Because Christ is now in such an honorable position, He is precious and highly valued.
With Christ as the stone for God’s building, there is the aspect of rejection and also the aspect of honor. Christ was rejected by the Jewish leaders, for they put Him on the cross. But Christ has been honored by God, for God resurrected and exalted Him. Therefore, the resurrection and exaltation of Christ are strong signs both that God has chosen Him and that He is held in honor by God.