Psalm 118 describes how the Lord Jesus will appear as the Messiah in the future, returning to earth and to the land of Israel. His earthly people, who experienced deep distress after having once rejected the Messiah, will one day welcome Him with joy as the long-awaited King. Israel will shout with joy, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes” (Psalm 118:22-23).

The Rejected Stone Becomes the Cornerstone

We can easily picture the imagery behind these verses: Construction workers assess stones to determine which ones are suitable for building a structure. They examine a particular stone, decide it is unsuitable, and discard it. However, the builders’ judgment is overruled by a higher authority. It is this discarded stone that is declared the most important in the entire building—the cornerstone, or “head of the corner.” Everything aligns with the cornerstone; it provides stability and serves as a point of reference. The term “head of the corner” implies more than that: it describes the cornerstone’s prominent position as the building’s main stone.

Who is the rejected stone? Who assigns the stone its proper place? And who are the builders?

The New Testament helps answer these questions.

In Acts 4:10-11, just a few weeks after the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, the Apostle Peter clearly explains to the chief priests, elders, scribes, and high priest who the rejected stone from Psalm 118 is and who the builders are: “Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy. This is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.”

Jesus Christ, the Nazarene, whom the leaders of the people of Israel crucified in accordance with their responsibility, was the rejected stone. This despised Jesus, who patiently endured the mockery of being called a Nazarene until His death on the cross (John 1:45, 46; 19:19), was misjudged entirely and rejected by the masses of the people of Israel. In reality, He was the “stone of Israel” mentioned in Genesis 49:24, the foundation of every blessing and future expectation for this people. Moreover, He was the one of whom Isaiah prophesied: “Behold, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, firmly established; whoever believes will not be afraid” (Isaiah 28:16). In ignorance and blindness, the majority of the people of Israel totally misunderstood this and ultimately crucified their Christ out of hatred and envy.

Raised from the dead by God, Jesus Christ has now, according to the words of the Apostle Peter, become this precious cornerstone, on which everything aligns with God’s purpose and which towers above

all else. The New Testament clearly illustrates who gives the stone, rejected by men, its rightful place as a precious, wonderful cornerstone, the “head of the corner”: “This is from the Lord” (Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:11). It is God Himself, the Lord, who, in the highest authority, corrects the grave misjudgment of men and reveals in His Word the incredible glory and beauty of the precious cornerstone. What an honor for the incarnate Son of God!

Peter’s statement also made it unmistakably clear what the leaders had already recognized a few weeks earlier from the words of the Lord Jesus in Mark 12:10-12: they were the misjudging builders. They had utterly rejected the promised stone of Israel and had Him executed.

What was the result of this fatal misjudgment? Because they were outwardly religious but inwardly dead to God. Throughout the Old Testament, the term “builders” refers to those who worked on the construction or repair of God’s house. This was true for the leaders of the people at that time. Externally, they were very active in religious matters and believed they were serving God and His house with zeal (cf. Acts 22:3) – yet they lacked a true connection to God in their lives and failed to seek His will. Thus, they were blind to the true value of the stone of Israel —the Messiah sent by God —and rejected Him. In doing so, they declared the most crucial and valuable stone of the building to be useless.

The Response of Unbelief and Faith

Unfortunately, the revelation of God’s thoughts about the rejected stone did not lead to repentance among Israel’s leaders. Their hearts were certainly touched by the message, but they lacked insight into their grave misjudgment of the stone of Israel and showed no godly sorrow. Instead, they attempted to prevent the name of the Lord Jesus from spreading (Acts 4:17–18). It is tragic that they rejected the appeal to their conscience made by the Apostle Peter and, consequently, God’s offer of grace, which was presented to them once more.

In contrast, believing hearts—both those of the future remnant from Israel and those of believers in the age of grace—demonstrate a completely different attitude toward the fact that the rejected stone has become the cornerstone. They admire God’s counsel and the wonderful cornerstone, the “head of the corner.” This admiration is reflected in verse 23 of Psalm 118 and its quotations in Matthew 21:42 and Mark 12:11. While Psalm 118 emphasizes God’s wonderful counsel, the New Testament quotations focus more on the greatness of the cornerstone.

It Is Wonderful in Our Eyes

Believing hearts admire God’s counsel, which reflects His intention to exalt the Son whom men rejected. On the cross and in the tomb, the Lord Jesus experienced the ultimate humiliation and rejection by humanity (cf. Phil. 2:8; Gal. 3:13; Isa. 53:9). However, after His glorious resurrection and triumphant ascension, God exalted the one who was once rejected. Although Christ is still rejected by the people of Israel, He has become the foundation of a heavenly building (Eph. 2:19-22). The assembly forms this “spiritual house,” with Christ as its cornerstone (1 Pet. 2:5-7). In light of this development, we gladly declare, “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes” (Ps. 118:23).

He Is Marvelous in Our Eyes

It is not only God’s counsel that we find admirable; we also deeply admire Christ Himself. He, the stone of Israel, patiently endured rejection by men. In a way deserving of worship, He endured the cross to fulfill God’s plan. His resurrection and ascension testify to His victorious triumph at Calvary. Now, He is crowned with glory and honor in heaven (Heb. 2:9). As glorified man, Christ has become the wonderful, precious cornerstone—the foundation of God’s assembly in this present age and the hope of the future remnant of Israel. With Him as our cornerstone, we exclaim in admiration: “He is wonderful in our eyes” (Mt. 21:42; Mk. 12:11)! To Him be all glory.