Jesus: the Stone of Stumbling

January 28th, 2025
by Dr. D. Lance Waldie

Romans 9:32-33 Because [Israel] did not pursue [righteousness] by faith, but as though it were by works… They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

Perhaps the greatest hindrance to salvation is one’s self-righteousness—the belief that we as humans are innately good and do things that please God. This was Israel’s problem, then and now. In Israel’s pursuit of righteousness she fell flat on her face, failing to see the stumbling stone in her path because she was so intent on her own finish line. The stone she stumbled over, however, was prophesied in her own Scriptures—a stone put in her way by God Himself, the stone being Jesus: “For indeed Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness” (1 Cor. 1:22-23). The rock she stumbled over was to be the foundation stone on which Israel was to build. But instead of receiving that stone, Israel stumbled over it and cursed it. Their narrow focus on the law of works to attain righteousness restricted them from seeing clearly. In the end, the finish line of good works is not the goal after all; a daily pursuit of righteousness through faith in Christ is.

Paul’s quote from Isaiah speaks of this stumbling stone: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” This quote is a conflation of two texts in Isaiah (28:16 and 8:14), and it is one that the Apostle Peter quoted in the same way (cf. 1 Pet. 2:8) proving that the apostles saw the OT passages as a prediction of Israel’s rejection of the coming Messiah. So what the OT prophets predicted, Paul and Peter confirmed, for Israel’s failure was in that which she rejected—her Messiah.

Of course the “rock” put in the Jews’ way was Jesus of Nazareth. Through Isaiah, God called the rock “a rock of offense” (cf. Gal. 5:11). Ironically, what the Jews believed to be true righteousness, namely works, is what truly offends God! God therefore condemns their works and stands offended at them for their rejection of the rock—of Jesus the Messiah, the Christ.

Sanford C. Mills was once a heathen Jew, but after coming to faith in Christ he said, “Israel wants to be the captain of her own soul, the master of her own ship. But Israel lost both her rudder and her compass, and now, with her vessel of state careening about in a maelstrom of sin, what is to save her from being drawn into the vortex of hell? Yet this is the condition of Israel today, even as it was in Paul’s day.” Israel is therefore not only unsaved, she represents all who offend God, who attempt to please Him by good works. But if righteousness could be attained by the Law or through any other form of good works, then Jesus Christ died for nothing (Gal. 2:21).

So, has Israel sinned to the point of no return? No! First, God is keeping His promises to the remnant of Israel (9:6-13). Second, God is not unjust in His purpose according to election (9:11), for neither His mercy nor His justice can be called unjust (14-18). Third, God is not acting unfairly in blaming Israel or holding man accountable for unbelief. After all, man has no God-given right to question God. For God is fully just, man is sinful (19-29). Israel’s unbelief can be seen in her pride. She continues to pursue a righteousness by works, not by faith. In so doing, she has tossed the parachute out the window while she attempts to land a plane without wings, no fuel, and nothing but death all around (30-33). She is a disobedient and obstinate nation (10:21).

Food for Thought

To stumble over the stumbling stone is a way of saying that someone believes they can accumulate good works to themselves in order to please God and be saved. Some believe if they’ve saved a life, God will save them. Others believe if they give to the poor, God will save them. Although these are great deeds, they cannot save. Trusting in Christ is the only way.