Jesus’ as The Solid Rock – By Babatunde Olugboji
The Bible describes Jesus as a rock, and this imagery speaks to both believers and non-believers. For those who trust in Him, He serves as the solid rock on which they can build their lives (Matthew 7:24–29; 16:13–20). As the unwavering foundation of the Christian faith, Jesus is our rock of salvation (2 Samuel 22:47). However, for those who don’t believe, He becomes a rock of offense, a stumbling block that leads them to their own downfall. People have a choice: they can place their faith in Christ and gain eternal life, or they can trip over Him and face eternal judgment.
The term ‘rock of offense’ is found in 1 Peter 2:7–8: “Therefore, to you who believe, He [Jesus] is precious; but to those who are disobedient, ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.’ They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed” (NKJV).
Peter’s depiction of Jesus as a rock of offense for those who don’t believe comes straight from Isaiah 8:14. Paul echoed this Old Testament reference to highlight how Israel’s past unbelief has carried over into the present (Romans 9:32–33, ESV). Just as the people in Isaiah’s time turned away from the Lord, the Jewish community in the first century also rejected Jesus Christ.
The term “rock of offense” essentially means “stumbling block.” Anyone who turns away from Christ ends up tripping over the very truth of who He is, failing to recognize that He is the cornerstone of spiritual life and our connection with God. The Jews stumbled over their Messiah to the point of crucifying Him. Paul boldly stated he would “preach Christ crucified,” even though his message was “a stumbling block to Jews” (1 Corinthians 1:23, ESV). The Jewish people were looking for a powerful king to overthrow Rome and set up His kingdom on earth, but instead, they found in Jesus a humble servant destined to suffer and die.
“They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them” (1 Peter 2:8, NLT). Here, Peter clarifies why unbelievers trip over the cornerstone: it’s because they disobey the Word of God. They choose not to believe the gospel message. This isn’t just a case of accidentally stumbling like someone tripping while walking; Peter is talking about a deliberate rebellion. They don’t want to accept God as the authority in their lives. So, when someone rejects Christ, that refusal ultimately leads to their own downfall.
Peter reassured his readers by pointing out that this rejection of Jesus was foretold long ago in the Old Testament and was part of God’s grand design. Those who crucified Jesus were fulfilling God’s purpose: “For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will” (Acts 4:27–28, NLT). Even in their rejection, God’s plan was still at work.
In a powerful parable, Jesus made it clear that He is God’s chosen cornerstone (Luke 20:17) and cautioned that God’s judgment awaits all those who turn away from Him: “Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on” (Luke 20:18). Those who reject Christ will face God’s judgment, as the Lord has made it clear that our standing or falling hinges on our belief in Jesus. He is the sole path to salvation; to stumble and turn away from Him is to choose a path of destruction: “For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11–12, NLT).
To God the Father, Jesus Christ is the living stone, chosen and precious (1 Peter 2:4). For believers, He is our steadfast rock of salvation (Psalm 18:2). However, to those who do not believe, Jesus is the stone that they reject, causing them to stumble. Unfortunately, many people today, whether religious or secular, still find themselves tripping over Him.
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