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Food for Thought: If We Don't Shout the Stones Will

April 1 , 2007

Dr. Mark Ruppert

Luke 19:28-40

When was the last time you attended a parade?  Was it the parade right after Thanksgiving that ended with jolly old St. Nick appearing, letting you know that Christmas was right around the corner?  Or was it the St. Patrick’s Day Parade where you were all decked out in green?  The last parade I attended attracted over 500,000 people and I had to drive all the way over to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to see it.  It was after the Pittsburgh Steelers won their 5th Super Bowl in February of 2006 and I was in 7th heaven that day as I saw Jerome Bettis hoist the Lombardy Trophy over his head as he, and other Steelers, stood on the stage close to the point in downtown Pittsburgh.  I sincerely hope that some day that Cleveland can experience something like this with the Cavaliers or as long as they don’t play the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Indians.  But the Browns, well, that’s another story. 

Today, I want us to imagine that we are standing on the road looking east from Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives, to the villages of Bethany and Bethphage.  These villages are less than two miles away. 

Jesus has just sent two of his disciples ahead to make preparation for a great event that will unfold.  We can project that the animal that Jesus wants to use, a colt, was owned by a disciple of Jesus.  Was this a prearranged plan?  I’m not so sure but rather this might have been the result of divine knowledge.  We read in verse 30 that this particular colt has never been ridden before.  We also read in the Old Testament, in I Samuel 6:7 the story when the Philistines returned the ark of the Covenant to the Israelites and, for this sacred purpose, animals that that had never been used before were drafted for service.  So in the case of Jesus and His triumphal entry, this colt had never been ridden because this too, was a sacred purpose.

Let’s spend some time looking at some of the exciting things that took place that first Passion or Palm Sunday.  First of all, who planned the event?  Was it the followers of Jesus?  Was it his 12 disciples?  No, it was Jesus who planned His own parade.  For quite some time Jesus had been trying to be very low key.  Those He had healed and cured He told them to remain silent, “Go and tell no one.”  But now it is time to come out and be center stage.  Now it is time to be visible.  Now it is time for recognition.  So He planned His own parade and He did so unashamedly.  He did so for His own sake, for the sake of those who followed Him, both back then as well as today. 

Second, why did Jesus have a parade?  Jesus needed to make a statement about His greatness, He needed to let the people see who He really was and is.  He was the Messiah, He was the King of kings and Lord of Lords and so if there was any doubt whatsoever on the part of anyone, it was cleared up that day. 

Back in the time of Jesus horses were symbols of military might.  The donkey or colt was a symbol of peace.  Conquering generals came riding in on horses while ambassadors who came on missions of peace rode a donkey.  And Jesus was the ambassador of peace for the only Kingdom that matters. 

Third, who honors and praises Jesus as He rides in on a borrowed colt that has never been ridden before?  Is it the general crowds that have gathered in Jerusalem for the Passover festival?  Is it those who had, as we read in John 12, only days earlier, heard about Jesus raising His good friend Lazarus from the dead?  To both of these questions Luke would answer NO.  For in Luke’s account of the Palm Sunday account, Jesus is hailed and praised by His followers.  Verse 37 says, “as he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God.” 

In Luke’s account it is His disciples who honor and praise Him, not the fickle crowd that later that same week turn against Him and shout out, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him.”  It is His disciples and yet, did they completely understand His messiahship?  Did they fully comprehend who He was?  No, but they celebrated Him as a king, for verse 38 says they spoke with a aloud voice saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!”  Had His followers put all the pieces of His kingly puzzle together?  No.  For the things that would eventually happen that week and in the weeks ahead would test them, and even some of them would fail.  Why loyal Peter, one of His closest would deny Him and they would scatter in fear.  But eventually they would “get it.”  But at that moment and on that day Luke portrays an event that was for the believers, and they had faith in Him, even though they didn’t grasp the complete magnitude of who He was and His mission. 

With Luke’s account we read of a much more subdued crowd than in Matthew, Mark or John’s account. 

Speaking of a more subdued crowd- I find it interesting that never once in Luke’s account do we read of people shouting hosanna, and never once do we read of palms or branches cut from trees.  Why does Luke leave these out while Matthew, Mark and John includes them?  Maybe it is because Luke wants us to focus on the parade, not all the trappings.  Palms and branches where used in the parades and festivals that had nationalistic overtones.  Luke wants us to see the parade for what it was.  Luke does tell us that they spread their garments on the road, which was done for famous military or civic leaders, and that they cheered.

Fourth, what did the parade do?  Well, for the average person this was what they were praying for, this is what they were praying for. 

If Jesus was the Messiah, those who were waiting for a military leader who would raise up an army and overthrow the Roman dogs whom had taken over their land.  For the faithful followers, this parade was the climax of his final mission to His people.  For the Pharisees who hated Him so, this was His challenge- He flung down the gauntlet to His enemies.  This action defied them and this parade was intolerable. “Every token of royal honor which he accepted that day gave point to the challenge, and every [blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord] drove it home.  [So] let the powers of evil do their worst; he knew his power.  He was the Lord’s anointed.  He was riding to the throne which God had given him.  He was ready for the last campaign.”  (The Life and Teaching of Jesus Christ, James S. Stewart, pg. 146). 

Fifth, who objects?  Well of course we know it is the religious leaders of the day. 

Verse 39 says, “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him ‘teacher, order your disciples to stop.”  We do not read of this objection on the part of the Pharisees in Matthew, Mark or John, only Luke.  Interesting…!  What might have been behind their objection?  Possibly it was because they were calling Him “king” and they feared that there would be political problems and so their reasoning might have been out of self-interest.  Could it have been that they actually were concerned for Jesus’ safety? I mean it was the Pharisees who told him in Luke 13:31, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.”  But then again, the Pharisees could have been objecting because they disagreed and did not believe He was a king. 

Which brings me to my sixth and final point.  What was Jesus’ response to the Pharisees?  Verse 40, “He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.” Jesus is telling these religious leaders of the day, what his followers are doing is right, what they are saying is true, what they are saying is appropriate.  “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” Now the phrase, “the stones would shout out” is a figure of speech.  But what Jesus is saying to them is that even if my followers were silent, God will provide a witness to me, His Son.  His truth will never be silent.  You see, my friends, there is always a remnant, there is always a witness even if every mouth is silent.  Whatever evil and opposition Christianity might experience it will never succeed, for the truth will be made known.  Jesus is “the way, the truth and the life” and “the truth” can never be silenced.

The question for us is are we silent when it comes to Christ or are we willing to be His witnesses and tell others what He means to us?  There is a world that is literally dying who needs to be introduced to our Savior Jesus.  

If we are His disciples in the here and now, we have a mandate to tell others, it's a command of Christ.  We don’t have to bull them over, just tell them about our best friend. 

I leave you with this true story that took place years ago. Britain's King George V was to give the opening address at a special disarmament conference, with the speech relayed by radio to the U.S. As the broadcast was about to begin, a cable broke in the New York radio station, and more than a million listeners were left without sound. A junior mechanic in the station, Harold Vivien, solved the problem by picking up both ends of the cable and allowing 250 volts of electricity to pass through him. He was the living link that allowed the king's message to get through. (Warren Wiersbe, Prokope, July-August, 1988, p. 3.)   Friends, if we are silent, the stones will shout out.  Amen.

Key Points

Introduction: When was the last time you attended a parade?

Imagine, standing on the road looking east from Jerusalem…

A look at some of the exciting things that took place that first Passion/Palm Sunday

        First, who planned the event?

          Second, why did Jesus have a parade?

                   Horse = symbol of military might

                Donkey/Colt = symbol of _______

        Third, who honors and praises Jesus as He rides in on a

          borrowed colt that has never been ridden before?  Vs.37

        Fourth, what did the parade do?

                   The average person-

               The faithful followers-

               The Pharisees-

        Fifth, who objects?                    Vs. 39

        Sixth, what was Jesus’ response to the Pharisees?  Vs. 40

Conclusion: If we are silent, the stones will shout out.

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)