Bible Study – Jesus is the Cornerstone
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
In this season after Pentecost, we hear stories of Jesus’ ministry in the world and our call to engage in that mission. This season is also known as Ordinary Time coming from the word “ordinal” which means counted time. This time is not ordinary as in common or regular, but it is the time of counted weeks between Pentecost and Advent. The color for this season is green and it is often referred to as the green growing time as we hear stories of what God is calling us to do in the world, we join in that call, and we grow in our faith
In the Bible we hear stories of many people. These people are just like us, they eat and sleep, go to school and work. God has a plan for each of them, and in hearing the stories we learn that God’s plan is for each of us too.
Opening Prayer: Almighty and amazing God, we thank you for all that you have given us, including the foundation of your Son, Jesus Christ. Be with us as we hear your words that we might better understand you and ourselves as we explore their meaning. Amen
Please open your Bibles to Matthew 21:33-46 and read or read the scriptures below.
Matthew 21:33-46
The Parable of the Tenants
33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 34 When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.
35 “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. 36 Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
38 “But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’[a]?
43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”[b]
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.
Questions:
- What does today’s parable mean to you?
- What do you think Jesus was trying to tell the people hearing the parable?
- What do you think Jesus meant when he told us about the stone that the builders rejected becoming the cornerstone?
Click here for the young learner’s lesson
Videos (Click on url)
Animated Bible Stories: Parable of the Tenants - Matthew 21:33-46) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zno4C9hmF2A
Daily Gospel Reading Video – St Matthew 21:33-43,45-46 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3qhwJqikSI
Song: “Oh Be Careful Little Eyes What You See” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKxpue8SZto
Activities:
A cornerstone is a stone that joins two walls together in a building, forming the base. A cornerstone is the place where a building is joined and also a place where the building rests. It is a key part of the construction and stability of a building. Sometimes it can be a ceremonial stone with writing on it and decoration, that remembers when the building what erected or who the building was named after.
Activity 1: Creating a Cornerstone and Support Wall
A cornerstone is a key part of a buildings foundation and support.
- How is Jesus a cornerstone?
- How is Jesus a foundation and support for you and others?
- How we can be supportive bricks for one another?
Below is a large cornerstone and wall of support for one another. Draw or write things on the cornerstone that remind you of how Jesus is the Cornerstone and support for us. Use the other bricks to color or write how we can be supportive pieces for each other, thus creating a support network for all, with Jesus as our foundation and support.
https://lessonplans.episcopalchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2014/08/LPTW-Proper-22A-OC.pdf Page 6
Activity 2: Creating a Cornerstone: Use the template below to create your own vision of what Jesus the cornerstone looks like.
- What does Jesus, the Cornerstone, look like to you?
- What words would you use to describe Jesus?
- What images would speak to you about Jesus be your cornerstone.
Use words and images to create your vision. Once you are done, follow the instructions to create your Cornerstone.
To make the block:
- Cut out the shape along the outside lines.
- Fold in all the Trapezoid pieces and the fold along the straight lines and then glue the box together
https://lessonplans.episcopalchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2014/08/LPTW-Proper-22A-OC.pdf Page 5
Vineyard Art: Draw squiggly lines all over a piece of construction paper to look like a vineyard. Then use a purple ink pad and place purple finger prints all over the vineyard and write words from today’s lesson around your art work.
Parable of the Tenants Crossword Puzzle: https://sermons4kids.com/parable_of_the_tenants_crossword.htm
Parable of the Tenants Word Match: https://sermons4kids.com/parable_of_the_tenants_matching.htm
The Parable of the Tenants Decoder: https://sermons4kids.com/parable_of_the_tenants_decoder.htm
Prayer: Gracious God, We thank you for our time together today as we thought about how you are our cornerstone, our foundation and our support. Be with us and help us to remember you and your unbounding grace. Amen.
