Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Holy Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected, this became the cornerstone. This came from the Lord, and it is marvelous before our eyes’ (Ps. 118:22–23).”
With these words Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22–23, revealing that He is the “stone” that the builders—that is, the religious leaders—rejected, but God made it the cornerstone of the whole plan of the building (salvation). The “builders” symbolize people, the people of faith, who were to build God’s house, yet they rejected Christ, not recognizing His divine nature. Yet this very rejected Christ becomes the foundation stone of salvation, on which the Church stands. The phrase “This came from the Lord” shows that all this was part of God’s plan—to accomplish the mystery of His salvation through human rejection. This word is a deep prophecy, revealing that Christ’s cross, which in people’s eyes seemed like defeat, by God’s providence became victory and salvation for humanity.