‘The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.’ Psalms 118:22-23

The Jews had their own explanation of this verse. It is only a legend, but it is very illuminative. The story goes that when the temple of Solomon was in the course of construction all the stones sent up from the quarry below were practically of the same size and shape. One day a stone was found different from all the rest, and the builders said, “There is no place for this stone. There must be a mistake.” So they rolled it to the edge of the cliff and tumbled it down into the valley of Kedron below the temple area.

As the years went on (Solomon’s temple was seven years in building) they were finally ready for the chief cornerstone; so they sent down the order for it. They were told “You must have it there; we sent it to you long ago.”

Their search proved fruitless, until an old workman said, “I remember now. There was a stone different from the rest and we thought there was no place for it and tumbled it down to the valley below.”

So, the builders went down to the valley of Kedron and there they found the stone, now covered by lichens and debris-the very stone they had rejected. So they had to hoist it to the top of the cliff, then back to the platform and put it into place. It fit perfectly. The stone the builders rejected had become the headstone of the corner.

[IN ACTS 4:11] Every Jew knew that story and knew what Peter meant when he said, “This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.” In other words Peter was saying, “Jesus was God’s Anointed and you rejected Him, crucified Him, but God has raised Him from the dead and in resurrection has made Him the chief cornerstone of the new temple He is building.” That new temple is the church spoken of in Matthew’s Gospel, “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of [Hades] shall not prevail against it.”

Then Peter drove home to them that it was Christ or nothing, Christ or judgment, Christ or Hell; no other way to be saved except through Christ. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Oh, I wish I could shout that loudly enough to be heard from one end of the earth to the other! None but Christ; God’s only Savior! His precious atoning blood is the only remedy for sin. Have you trusted Him? Ironside’s Commentary