4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Introduction

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," Genesis tells us (Genesis 1:1). He made and made and made. His final touch was to create mankind in his own special image. Designed to reflect and represent him, God blessed the man and woman and gave them dominion over all things. Their home was a garden paradise, and their duty was to cultivate the raw materials God had given them, all while enjoying God and the good gifts he'd given.

But sin marred the original splendor of God's created order. Fellowship with God was broken. Conflict arose between men and women. The man was banished from the garden, and the ground rebelled against him. The hospitable home God had made was replaced by a planet that is hard to subdue.

And humanity has been trying to go home, to go back to the garden, ever since. Some theologians wonder if all the structures and spaces we design, if all the gardens and parks and stadiums and cathedrals and Magnolia Market-inspired living rooms are an attempt to go back to Eden. God made us to live in his home, but sin banished us from it, and now we struggle to recapture its essence.

Years after Eden's catastrophe, God rescued a small contingent of slaves from Egpyt. He called their leader, a man named Moses, up to a mountaintop where he received God's laws for the new nation God had redeemed. And God gave Moses directions on a new structure called a tabernacle. It would become the new Eden, a place where God and man could meet. It was not nearly as free and lush as the original -- sin had created too huge a barrier between them and the holy God -- but at least Israel and her priests would have a way to seek God.

That tabernacle eventually developed into a temple, and God routinely displayed his glory and presence in that place. Unfortunately, however, it did not become the place of prayer for all nations God had desired. Israel, like Adam before them, sinned repeatedly, and God's eventual judgment came upon that temple. It was destroyed. And even though they eventually rebuilt the temple, God's presence never returned to it.

Until Jesus came, that is. On the day baby Jesus was dedicated to God in the temple precincts, an old prophet named Simeon took Jesus up into his arms, blessed God, and thanked God that he had finally seen God's salvation (Luke 2:29-32).

The glory of God had come. He was dwelling right there in their midst. John said God:

John 1:14 (ESV) — 14 ...became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

That Jesus dwelt among us means he "tabernacled" among us. God came and became one of us. The glory of God was on him because he was God.

But -- and Peter alludes to this in our passage today -- this God who became flesh was not accepted by mankind. Peter said Jesus came as a living stone rejected by men (4). Jew and Gentile alike conspired to kill him. Peter quotes from Isaiah 28:16 to drive home the point: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious" (6). Zion is Jerusalem, the place Jesus was killed, which was the event that made him into a living cornerstone (4, 6). His rejection made him our cornerstone.

What Peter means is that Jesus' death led to his resurrection -- he is living! And his resurrection led him to start a new temple. And he is the cornerstone of that new structure. And every believer in Jesus is like a living stone in that new spiritual house (5). And we also get to serve as priests in that house, people who offer spiritual sacrifices to God (5).

In other words, because of Jesus, believers are brought home. Humanity was banished from Eden and has been looking for something ever since. In Christ, believers have found what humanity is looking for -- we have been brought home to God. We are his spiritual house! He dwells among us and in us and through us. We are his home.

This is the new identity Peter wants us to understand. He wants us to know we are God's people, God's house, and God's priesthood. Knowing and operating in this identity had huge implications for Peter's audience, distressed believers marginalized for their faith. While feeling the effects of societal rejection, they needed to see their status and privilege before God.

And so do we. Let's think about who we are:

1. We Are God's People

He Lives, We Live

This passage teaches us we are God's people. Peter's whole letter has had this emphasis. He has told us we are exiles, elect, born again, preserved by God, saved, redeemed people who have tasted that the Lord is good.

But now he tells us we are living stones in God's house (5). And Jesus is the first living stone (4). This means we live because he lives. Our identity is thoroughly wrapped up in Jesus. His experience is ours. He died, and by faith, we also died. He was buried, and so were we. He rose, and we live in his resurrection power. And one day, we will experience the final resurrection he provides. In short, Jesus' status is our status.

Chosen And Precious

And what is Jesus' status? Peter says Jesus was rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious (4). He got the idea from the Bible, from Isaiah 28, where Jesus is described as a cornerstone chosen and precious (6).

Remember the setting. The believers Peter wrote to were feeling outcast and rejected. Peter tells them Jesus was rejected by men (4). People had decided Jesus should go to the cross. The most innocent and loving and hospitable and true and good man who ever walked the earth was rejected. All his beautiful teachings and miracles were rejected in favor of the status quo. Mankind could not be disrupted, and to accept Jesus and his claims would have disturbed too much in the Jewish and Gentile way of life.

But Jesus' rejection turned into the greatest blessing of all, the greatest gift and contribution he could make. The cross made the way for Jew and Gentile alike to find God.

This is why Peter describes Jesus as, yes, rejected first by men, but in the sight of God chosen and precious (4) -- in the sight of God.

It is so clear that the Father loved (loves) the Son. From eternity past, the Triune Godhead danced in joy and love. One. Three. Together. Love. And when Jesus came to earth, the Father could not hide his affections. He would break through at baptisms and mountaintops and before the cross to announce that Jesus was his Son in whom he was pleased. He affirmed Jesus' words and claims with the power of the miraculous. He raised him back to life after the necessary tragedy of the cross. And he accepted his Son back into his presence at the ascension. The Father loved the Son. In the sight of God, Jesus is chosen and precious.

Peter needed his audience to see their connection to Christ. He needs us to see it as well. Not only is Jesus' status our status, if we are faithfully following him, our experiences will mirror his. He was rejected by people. If we walk with him, so will we. He had to suffer and die. If we walk with him, there will be times we suffer for his name. But he was chosen and precious in God's sight. And so are we.

We are alive with him. He is the living stone, and now we are living stones (5). And Peter says, "Whoever believes in him will not be put to shame" (6).

Peter wants us to feel this acceptance from the Father. He wants us secure in our position before God. He wants us to know that we are also chosen and precious to God because we are in Christ. And no matter how rejected an alien and exiled and foreign and homeless you feel while you walk this earth, you are accepted by God.

You could have all the likes and followers and hearts and attaboys the world can offer, but it is nothing compared to God's love. Even if there was somehow a way to gain a 100% approval rating from all of human civilization, it pales in comparison to God's opinion. And if he calls you chosen and precious, you will not, ultimately, be put to shame (6).

This truth is important because it protects Exile Christians from error.

• When you see Jesus was rejected, you will not respond with unrighteous anger when the world rejects you.
• When you see how Jesus died in the midst of a hostile humanity, but for hostile humanity, you will not flee to isolate yourself from a Christ-rejecting society.
• And when you are convinced it is God's approval that matters more than anyone else's, you won't conform to the fleeting and ever-changing attitudes and opinions of your culture.

Instead, you will stand firm in your relationship with God. He has made and now re-made you in his image. You are designed to work and play and live and love before him. He is available to you and has given you everything you need.

We are his people.

2. We Are God's House

Living Stones Connected To The Living Cornerstone

This passage also teaches us we are God's house. Peter shows us this by saying we are like living stones being built up as a spiritual house (5). We've already noted that we are alive because Jesus is alive. He is the first living stone (4).

So Jesus is our first stone, but he's also our cornerstone (6). The cornerstone was often a massive rock that had been chiseled to perfection. It would serve as a foundation and guide for the rest of the structure. That's what Jesus is: our foundation and our guide. Without him, there would be no church. And without his life and teaching, we wouldn't know what to do. We are living stones connected to the living cornerstone.

One way to see Jesus' importance is to notice what Peter didn't say. Remember, Jesus had said to Peter, "On this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). If Peter had understood that to mean that Peter was the rock (the Pope) on which the church would be built, this would've been a great time to mention it. Instead, Peter described Jesus as the key rock, the living stone, the cornerstone the church needs.

And as stones together, we form a spiritual house for God to dwell in. He makes his home in us.

Paul said we are now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). Paul also said this is the mystery of the Old Testament times that has now been revealed:

Colossians 1:27 (ESV) — 27 ...Christ in you, the hope of glory.

So all throughout biblical history, God had a house (or temple or tabernacle) among his people. It was the place they could go to engage with him, something humanity lost in Eden. But now, individual believers comprise God's house, and each of us is like a living stone in his house.

Implication 1. We Are Home

What are some of the implications of this amazing truth? One of the first we must mention is what this does to Exile Christians: it tells us we are home. When ostracized for the faith, it is good to know you are part of God's home. You don't need to compromise or change or fear. You can certainly question what you believe and why you believe it (every mature Christian does this). But you don't need to deconstruct Christianity in an attempt to reconstruct something that suits modern sensibilities. You don't have to try to find a camp or home to fit into. Instead, you can rest secure that you are home and that God is home in you.

Implication 2. The Church Has A Position Of Honor

A second implication of the truth that we are God's house is that the church has a position of honor. The churches Peter wrote to were not all that different from churches today. They struggled with sin, battled discouragement, and had to learn to grow up into their salvation. They needed all the same exhortations we need today because they battled all the same temptations we battle today. But, by the blood of Christ, Peter shows us that the church is a place on earth where God dwells. So the church has an intensely high position and calling in God's sight.

This is important, especially since there are bound to be times the church (or a representative of the church somewhere) does or says embarrassing things. But we should not be so quick to criticize or critique God's church as if we are a shining example of flawless Christianity. It is not because of our mastery of the way of Jesus that God labels us as his house; it is only by the gracious blood of Christ.

Implication 3. We Should Pursue Holiness

A third implication of the truth that we are God's house is that we should pursue holiness. This comes from thinking about the Old Testament tabernacle and temple. They were places where the holiness of God was on full display. It took sacrifices to approach God. Everything and everyone there went through ordination ceremonies to be consecrated for the work. God was not approached flippantly or irreverently there. This is helpful to see because Peter has already called us to lives of holiness (1 Peter 1:14-16). And knowing we are God's dwelling place should help motivate us to holy living. We should want to keep his house clean.

Implication 4. We Belong Together

A fourth implication of the truth that we are God's house is that we belong together. This comes from seeing that we are living stones together in God's house. You are an individual dwelling place of God, but Peter highlights the fact that we are God's dwelling place together. We are being built up into one massive spiritual house. One day, the scaffolding of human history will be removed, and God's glorious and singular house will be revealed. This helps us know that each one of us has a part to play and that we cannot hope to do the Christian life alone. Exile Christians must especially cling to this truth because when society is inconducive to faithfully walking with God, you need other believers to back you up. And we are meant for this. We aren't stones in the rock yard lying all over the place. We are fitted and joined together by God. We need to be with one another.

We are his house.

3. We Are God's Priesthood

Define

But this passage also shows us that we are God's priesthood. Peter said we are like living stones being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (5). What Peter does here is fascinating, and some people have trouble with it. He goes from telling us we are God's house, the living stones of God's temple, to telling us that we are God's priests, the ones serving in God's temple. So what are we, the stones or the servants?

Peter is telling us we are both. It's like he doesn't even care that the analogy breaks down. How can people be both the stones and the servants, the rocks and the priests? It would take a miracle. And that's what we got. I think Peter wants us to know how powerful and amazing and glorious Jesus' transformative work is in our lives. He makes us stones. He makes us servants. Jesus is strong enough to do both.

But what does it mean that we are a holy priesthood? For this question, the Old Testament is helpful. In the original temple, the priests were there to serve God and people. They offered sacrifices of different kinds on behalf of the people to God, and they stood as the people's representatives before God.

Love God And Man

And the church is called to this glorious work today. We are meant to serve and love and worship God, and part of this work is serving and loving people. The Old Testament priests were geared to look up to God but also out to their fellow man.

Peter said that our priesthood is designed to offer spiritual sacrifices to God (5). What are these spiritual sacrifices? No one is quite certain, as it seems hard to put a fine edge on it.

One way to think about it is to find all the other places in the New Testament where the word "sacrifice" is used to describe something we give to God. By looking at it that way, we can learn that our words of praise, our prayers, our money, and our bodies can all be given to God as a spiritual sacrifice (see Hebrews 13:15, Mark 11:17, Philippians 4:18, Romans 12:1).

Another way to think about it is to consider the Old Testament priesthood. They offered literal sacrifices, usually of costly animals. In that case, the New Testament corollary would be our bodies, signaling our total dedication to God (Romans 12:1).

Or Peter might be saying something as simple as: anything I do as a gift to God.

However we look at it, it's clear we are meant to lay down our lives and give to him.

I think this perspective rejuvenates everyday life for the Exile Christian. For instance, I think understanding our priesthood before God makes our work all the more important. It's unfortunate that we often think of our careers or workplaces as benign places that God has little concern about. But they are places where he wants his image expressed, and I'm not just talking about personal evangelism or a bible study on your lunch break. What I mean is that we are still called to subdue the earth and bring it into subjection. And now, we are meant to worship God and represent him as his priests in our daily lives. So our work can become a primary means we worship him and serve others. I'm not saying you need to change your title from whatever it is to "priest," but what if you saw every interaction and decision as an opportunity to represent God and serve your fellow man?

It also rejuvenates fatherhood, by the way. Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! And the priesthood of the believer strengthens us for our role. We are meant to represent God to our kids and to intercede for them before God. We are to teach our children who God is and what he says. This requires that we learn the word well enough to communicate its central truths in simple ways. It also means we need to learn how to apply the Scripture to our lives as best we can so that we can show our kids why we do what we do and that our actions are grounded in the book.

But this idea that we are God's priesthood is incredibly helpful to Exile Christians. When we respond to the marginalization of our Christianity with unrighteous anger, cowardly retreat, or unorthodox assimilation, we do nothing for our world, and we fail our God. To serve him and humanity well, we must be his representatives on earth. So when the pressure rises for our faith, knowing we are here to represent God helps us patiently keep our cool.

We are his priesthood.

Come To Him

Our passage today started with the phrase, "As you come to him..." (4).

And this is what God has always wanted. He has always wanted people to come to him, to enjoy him. When he established Israel, he said:

Exodus 19:5–6 (NIV) — 5 "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."

Since the garden of Eden, when sin marred our relationship with God, God has been working to make a way for us to come home and enjoy him again. Jesus is that way. And, because of him, Exile Christians are home.