No Singing Rocks

No Singing Rocks

Words of Faith 12-31-18

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2018

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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 Luke 19

    [32] Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. [33] As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?"

    [34] They replied, "The Lord needs it."

    [35] They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. [36] As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

    [37] When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

    [38] "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"

        "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

    [39] Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

    [40] "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

       Jesus had made several bold statements when entering Jerusalem.  The first bold statement was to the disciples that He was in charge of the week.  Every arrangement even down to the transportation had been planned. Nothing was left to chance or would be a surprise.  A second bold statement had to do with Jesus' identity.

       Everything about the way that Jesus entered from the Mount of Olives was a fulfillment of Scripture.  This was a picture that proclaimed clearly statement that Jesus was the Messiah.  Zechariah had prophesied this day, "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zech. 9:9).

       Jesus entered as a king.  It was a scene much like that recorded in 2 Kings, when King Jehu came into town.  The people took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, "Jehu is king!" (2 Kings 9:13).

       This was all particularly offensive to the Pharisees.  Remember that there were two major controlling parties in Judaism-- the Pharisees (rural rabbis) and the Sadducees (urban priests).  Jesus was making a statement that was absolutely "in your face" to those who claimed to wait for Messiah, the anointed redeemer of Israel.  This all was a Messianic statement and a Messianic welcome.

        Jesus deliberately entered the city with provocation toward the Pharisees who believed in the coming of Messiah. The Sadducees did not really believe in a coming Messiah.  They did not believe in eternal life or in the resurrection either.  (He would upset them later.)  Jesus had already confronted the Pharisees by challenging their narrow interpretation of rules and the observance of the Sabbath.  Now he claimed to be the personification of their most precious hope.

        But Jesus was also careful to make this statement in a way that could not be construed as a threat to Rome.  A king who rides on a donkey is not the sort of king that Rome needed to fear.  The Roman authorities could not have possibly felt threatened by Jesus.

        When the Pharisees objected to all this Jesus verbalized his bold statement.  "If the people keep quiet, the rocks will cry out."  In essence, Jesus testified to them, "All of creation knows what is going on here, why don't you?"  All creation is watching.  All the angels in heaven are in attendance.  Singing rocks are a strange if not embarrassing phenomenon if we are, in fact, supposed to be singing the praises of God.

        The coming of Jesus forces a decision.  We are not afforded the option of sitting on a fence.  We must either receive Jesus as the Messiah of God, or we reject Him. When we reject Him, we ultimately give Him over for crucifixion.  If we do not praise Him, all creation will do so, even rocks in our place. This personal decision is a life decision, but it is also a daily decision.  What will we do with Jesus?

        Lord God, I choose to worship You.  I lift my heart to praise the Son of the Living God.  I praise the Messiah of God.  I receive the Messiah of God.  In Jesus' name.