“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out. Luke 19:40 (NIV)
A King and the Stones
It was Passover and Jerusalem had swelled with pilgrims returning to observe the feast. News of Jesus had spread faster then the people could carry the stories… in the days prior, Mary had anointed His feet with oil, and Lazarus had been raised from the dead. There were whispers, claims, wonderings, hopes that Jesus would bring freedom. Public tension and expectation had grown to revolutionary heights.
It was the week before his crucifixion, Palm Sunday. And as Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds started chanting “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” and laid palm leaves on the ground for him to travel on.
To us, this may seem appropriate and nice. But in Roman occupied Jerusalem, where the only king was Caesar, and the religious leaders wanted Jesus dead; this declaration from the people was laden with political and spiritual expectations.
The cry of the crowd is a Hebrew word (hoshi`ah-na) meaning “save” or “kelp.” It was used to address a King with a need. And the people were in need. The palm branches were symbolic of a victorious ruler. Previously, the crowd had wanted to make Jesus king (6:15), and now this crowd was recognising Him AS their king. There were making their claims of Jesus public.
However, instead of riding in high on horseback, above the crowd, like a warrior King, Jesus rode in on a donkey. Humble, peaceful, accessible.
He was in turn showing them what kind of King He really was.
When the religious leaders, in horror, tried to get Jesus to quiet the crowds, He responded with, “if they don’t shout, the rocks will cry out…”
It’s not that Jesus needed the praise. The recognition of THE truth and love cannot be silenced.
Even if they stopped the crowds from chanting, all of creation had been eagerly awaiting this moment that their creator would show Himself to humanity as they had seen Him all along from the very beginning…
“But ask the animals… let them teach you; let the birds tell you what’s going on. Put your ear to the earth—learn the basics. Listen—the fish in the ocean will tell you their stories. Isn’t it clear that they all know and agree that God is sovereign… that he holds all things in his hand—Every living soul, every breathing creature.” Job 12:7-10
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