1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—
Peter begins to build on an image of Jesus as a stone. He begins by describing Jesus as a living stone. He is combining two images. Stone is not alive, although lava might be considered alive in a remote sense. I think Peter is focusing more on the idea that Jesus rose from the dead and is alive forevermore. He is also a stone. In the ancient world, stone was a key building material. It lasts almost forever. We have much evidence today of the ancient world because people build with stone. People rejected Jesus as the key stone of the building of their lives. From the world’s perspective, this stone did not fit into the building of their lives. Their building, however, results in a shaky foundation. Jesus talked about the house built on sand (Matthew). In God’s perspective, this stone is the primary one that keeps the building together. In modern construction, this would be the foundation. A weak foundation will result in a weak building. Often as much work and costs go into the foundation as with the rest of the building. Jesus as the foundation of our lives is God’s plan for humanity.
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