𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣
• Do you have a food that you absolutely love but everyone else seems to dislike? Tell us about it.
• What is one thing in your house that you just ignored as a kid, but now can’t live without as an adult?
• Is there a person in your life that you didn’t necessarily like before but is now close to your heart? Can you tell us about your relationship with that person?


𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗
“𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦: ‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦; 11𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥’𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴’?” 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝟭𝟮:𝟭𝟬–𝟭𝟭

Traditionally, when structures are built, there is always a cornerstone. It is an essential part of a building’s foundation, and without it, the structure would be unstable. In the same way, our lives, without the right, stable cornerstone, would be susceptible to crumbling when trials come our way. Today, let us look at what the Gospel of Mark says about the cornerstone.

𝟭. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲.
“𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦: ‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 . . .’” 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝟭𝟮:𝟭𝟬

In an encounter with the Pharisees, Jesus was questioned about who gave Him the authority by which He taught and did miracles. He then began to tell them a parable about the tenants and quoted from one of the prophecies in the Psalms (Psalm 118:21–22; Mark 12:1–11). In effect, Jesus was revealing to the people that He is the Son of God who was sent to them, the cornerstone that God will use for the salvation of all people. What do you think this revelation meant to the people at that time? How does this change or affirm the way you see God and the Lord Jesus?

𝟮. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗻.
“𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦: ‘𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 . . .’” 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝟭𝟮:𝟭𝟬

Jesus being the cornerstone means that He is of prime importance. But what’s ironic is, He is t𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥. This happened throughout Jesus’ life. He was rejected in His hometown of Nazareth and people there did not believe Him, so much so that He could do no work there (Mark 6:1–6). He was also rejected in many towns where He taught, and some of His disciples eventually left Him because they became offended by His teachings (John 6:60–66). But Jesus was ultimately rejected when the crowds chose Him to be crucified over Barabbas (Matthew 27:17, 21–26). Jesus experienced what it felt like to be rejected, like us. He can relate to and understand every human emotion we face, including rejection. Share an instance when you felt rejected. Knowing that Christ identifies with your rejection and that He
was also rejected for our sakes, how has this changed your perspective of the rejection you experienced?

𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.𝗻.
“‘. . . 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥’𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴’?” 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝟭𝟮:𝟭𝟭

We see from Scripture that Jesus’ rejection was planned by God from the very beginning. God allowed it to happen in order to carry out His very own marvelous purposes. Jesus’ rejection led Him to be the cornerstone that will ultimately be used by God for the salvation of all people. His perfect life, gruesome death, and victorious resurrection became the way for those who put their trust in Him to be restored to a right relationship with God. How does this encourage you as you face challenges in preaching the gospel?


𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
• The consequence of man’s sin was God’s rejection and the separation between God and man. Jesus’ sacrifice was the ultimate intervention for our salvation and restoration. Have you experienced this to be true in your life? If not, would you like to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior today?
• Is your life built on Jesus, the chief cornerstone? What areas in your life do you need to surrender to His rule? Trust in God that He is our foundation and source of strength.
• Who among your family and friends needs to hear about the saving power of Christ, our cornerstone? Commit to pray for them and preach the gospel to them this week.
 

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥
• Praise God for sending Jesus, our cornerstone, for our salvation. Thank Him that He can relate with us and understand our feeling of being rejected.
• Ask God to forgive you for instances in your life when you depended on your own power rather than relying on Jesus as the cornerstone and foundation of your life. Pray that you may step out in faith and follow His ways.
• Ask God for the wisdom and boldness to preach His word in spite of the challenges you experience in doing so. Pray for the grace to overcome any rejection you may face and for the right words to say as you step out in faith and share His word.