The Pharisees wanted Jesus to hush the crowd. But Jesus told them the stones will cry out if the crowd kept quiet. Luke 19: 39 But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” 40 He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!” [1]
The crowd’s praise and actions demonstrated that they believed Jesus was the Messiah and soon would be their King. The Jewish leadership did not think Jesus was the Messiah. They assumed Messiah would be one of them, not some poor, itinerate preacher. They considered themselves to be the religious power of the day and were not about to share it with Jesus.
The leadership also had an uneasy working relationship with the Roman government. Caesar didn’t allow any other king. There could be trouble if the governor heard that the people praised Jesus as their King, not Caesar. Rome could deem this demonstration a revolt and send the Roman army to quell it. They wanted to avoid that at all costs. Thus, their request to Jesus to keep His people quiet.
The Rejection of Jesus
The Pharisees rejected the praise of the people for Jesus. This foreshadowed their rejection of Jesus in the next few days. But Jesus’ reply to them shows that He is a real king whether they want to admit it or not. Jesus was present at creation and created the stones. Colossians 1: 15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.[2] So, even the stones could give testimony of who Jesus was.
The Prophet Habakkuk also spoke of stones giving testimony. Habakkuk prophesied before the fall of Judah to the Babylonians. The people were not following God and doing evil things to the point that even the stones would tell of their wickedness. Habakkuk 2:11 The very stones in the walls cry out against you, and the beams in the ceilings echo the complaint. [3]
Habakkuk preached to a people who were rebelling against God. Jesus used similar words in His reply to the Pharisees, who were also rebelling against God. “So, Jesus’ words may have a double meaning. Praise for the true Messiah could not be repressed, and the stones of the wall would bear witness to the city’s rejection of him.”[4]
Testimony of Who Jesus Is
We can see from this story that a negative opinion of Jesus does not change the truth of who Jesus is. Creation even gives testimony of who God is. Psalm 19: 1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. 3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. 4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. [5]
Don’t reject the truth about Jesus, or even the stones will cry out. To learn more, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/weeping-amid-rejoicing
[1-5] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.