And whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”
Jesus says this immediately after identifying himself with the “cornerstone” mentioned in the Psalm. Here the “stone” symbolizes Christ, that is, the foundation of salvation and at the same time the instrument of judgment. “Whoever falls on it will be broken” means that whoever encounters Christ without faith, or stumbles over his word because of unbelief, will be spiritually shattered. And “on whomever it falls, it will crush him” refers to the final judgment, when Christ, as the Lord’s cornerstone, will become the righteous Judge, destroying every opposing power. This saying shows that Christ either saves the one who believes or judges the one who rejects. One must be built upon him, not fight against him at the cost of destruction.