First Christian Church
By Bruce Humes
Pastor
“Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening” (Acts 4:1-3 NKJV).
The apostles Peter and John are arrested for healing a lame man and preaching about Jesus and his resurrection from the dead to people. This was upsetting to all those in authority, and they jailed them over night. The next day, they brought them before the rulers, elders, scribes, Annas the high priest, Caiaphas and others for questioning. “By what power or by what name have you done this?”
“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If this day we are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he was made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, by whom God raised from the dead, by him this man stands here before you whole’” (Acts 4:8-10 NKJV).
Peter makes it clear that it wasn’t him who healed the lame man, but through the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Peter continues to explain this Jesus to them in Acts 4:11: “This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.” Peter is quoting from Isaiah 28, the prophet of old, who prophesied some 700 years earlier about a chief cornerstone who would be rejected. As high priests, rulers and scribes of the Jews, this quote should have made their hair stand up, but it didn’t; they continued in their denial and rejection.
The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:19-21, concerning this chief cornerstone, “Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple to the Lord.”
Peter explains a little more about this chief cornerstone: “Nor is their salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
John 11:25 says, “Jesus says to Martha, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live.’” In Ephesians 2:3-6, the apostle Paul wrote, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our savior, who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”
We, the church, the “called out ones” would do well to remember just who the “chief cornerstone” is in the foundation of our faith and in whom we put our trust.
If you want to speak to someone at the church or if you have a need, call the church office at (562) 431-8810. Leave a recorded message and someone will return your call as soon as possible.
