1Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"
2And Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
Wow, what a day! This is still the day after Jesus cleansed the temple. When He arrived at the temple this morning, His authority was questioned then He was tested by the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Scribes. Then he taught several lessons. He is just now leaving the temple.
I cannot tell what stones he is talking about. Is he referring to the destruction of the temple that will take place when He suffers death on the cross? Or because the disciples seem awed by the temple buildings is he simply saying how all things man made eventually crumble? Or is He being more metaphorical, referring back to the metaphor of the stones mentioned in scripture when the Pharisees tested Him earlier this morning? Earlier today He said "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone." The foundation of the Pharisees,' Sadducees', and Scribes' faith is not built on Christ, so will not be able to remain standing. Every stone, every possible aspect of their faith will crumble, starting with how Jesus was able to pick away at their foundation as He answered their questions today.
Regardless of exactly what Jesus was referring to in His statement, the same statement holds true: Jesus must be the chief cornerstone of our faith. With Jesus as the foundation, our faith will hold up in adversity, will outlast anything man made, and will withstand the test of time. He is giving us the foundation for everlasting life.