Read:1 Peter 2:4-8

Have you ever climbed along a pile of rocks? It might have been near the beach or in the forest somewhere. It can be quite enjoyable jumping from rock to rock. Occasionally a rock might be loose and then as you put your foot on it, it moves and you have to be careful that you don’t fall and hurt yourself.

Peter calls Jesus Christ a rock, or a stone. But Jesus is not a stone that wobbles and moves. No, he is a solid stone, one that is firm and strong and will not move. Christ will not change over time. He will not crumble or fall. Christ is a solid stone, which means that we can count on him always.

Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. The cornerstone of the building is the first stone that is laid, on which all the other stones are built. If you don’t have this cornerstone then the whole building will crumble and fall. This shows us how important Jesus is for our lives. Without him, the church would not be able to stand. We need him to carry us through each day.

Stones, as you know, are dead. They have no life in them at all. But Peter tells us that Jesus is a living stone. Our Saviour is alive. Yes, he did die, but he also arose from the dead and so he is very much alive today. He is in heaven working for us. He is there to help us, his children.

Christ Jesus is also described as a precious stone. If something is precious to you, that means it is important and you treat it with care and love. Remember that Jesus is your precious cornerstone. Treat him as number one in your life. Keep going to him in prayer. Keep trusting in him to care for you and to give you strength. Trust him to help you fight against Satan. Satan is like a wobbly rock that moves and makes us fall. Skip over him and trust in Christ, the precious living stone. With him you are always safe.

Reflection with your child:

What does it mean to you that Christ is a precious living stone?

Source: Sermon by Dr. R. Bredenhof