The Upside-Down Kingdom

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘ The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.This was the LORD’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? (Matthew 21:42)

Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “ Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” (1 Peter 2:6)

Jesus is the chief cornerstone in this Upside-Down Kingdom. He is the stone which the builders rejected. Why do you think this is so? Is it not because the builders were looking for an actual stone, and not a living stone? The people were looking for a kingdom that would be established by brick and mortar.

I would like to propose that Jesus is not only the chief (as in supreme) cornerstone, but that he is rather the only cornerstone. “Now hold on,” you’re going to say. “No one can build a building with only one cornerstone - can they?” And my answer to that question: “Is there anything too difficult for God?”

Think about how a building is constructed. A basic building generally has four corners, upon which are set 4 cornerstones. But I would like to propose that the Kingdom of God has but one cornerstone, and it is Jesus Christ. And that the weight of the Kingdom is upon His shoulders.
Jesus came to serve. He came to lay his life down for others. When He did, He laid down the chief cornerstone. His authority was to be the servant of all. He then gave authority to His disciples who followed his example of laying down their lives and serving those who would come after them. They received authority to serve. They became the next level of the kingdom of God. Then, folks kept piling up on top of the foundation until the building is unfathomably huge! It’s leadership from the bottom up.

Can you imagine presenting a structure like this to a CEO in corporate America? “Ok sir, what we need for you to do is clean the bathrooms now. You are to serve any and everyone in this company, and help them become more than you ever could. You should train each person to follow this same example.”

The problem is that we think the CEO, the president, the king, the pastor is at the top, when in reality in the Kingdom of God they are at the bottom. Do you remember the words of Christ when His disciples were arguing over who would be the greatest in the Kingdom? His answer was very plain, and hard to misinterpret:

“If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)

The Kingdom is upside-down, because it is not fashioned by men. It is fashioned by God who uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. God’s Kingdom is confounding in the natural. No one could build an upside-down pyramid, but God did. That’s the beauty and simplicity of the Kingdom. It is so simple in principle, but yet revolutionary. Kingdom principles that seem so foreign to natural men are the building blocks for true freedom.

4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “ Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” (1 Peter 2:4-6)