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Luke 19:39–40
“Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to [Jesus], ‘Teacher, rebuke your disciples.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.’”
The Gospels make it clear that Jesus did not widely announce His messianic identity during His earthly ministry, so we might wonder why so many people acclaimed Him as the Messiah—the Christ—during His triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Luke 19:28–38). Yet as we consider the scope of our Lord’s work leading up to the final week of His life, it is not hard to understand why people came to see Him at least potentially as the Messiah. His miracles, His teaching with authority, and other factors set Him apart (e.g., see 4:32; 18:35–43). He had evident power and command, the kinds of qualities fit for a king, for the Messiah.
Although the people did not really understand the kind of King Jesus is, they happily acknowledged Him as Messiah when He entered Jerusalem. The Pharisees, however, did not. As we see in today’s passage, many Pharisees told Jesus that He should rebuke the disciples for acknowledging His royal authority (19:39). Luke does not tell us specifically why the Pharisees did not want people to call on Jesus as King. Some scholars have suggested that the Pharisees were afraid that the cries of praise would attract the notice of the Roman authorities, to the detriment of the Jews. Relations between the Romans and the Jews were always tense, and the Romans were quick to put down anything that looked like a possible rebellion against Caesar. Many messianic claimants called for revolt against Rome during the first century, declaring themselves kings in place of Caesar. It is possible that the Pharisees were afraid of civil unrest and thus didn’t want the disciples to hail Jesus as King, but we also know from the Gospels that the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders were envious of the crowds that Jesus attracted (see Matt. 27:18). They loved the best seats and greetings and saw Jesus as a threat to their own position in society (Luke 20:45–47).
Jesus refused to rebuke the people for hailing Him as King, noting that if the people were silent, the stones would declare His kingship (19:40). This is a remarkable statement, for it indicates creation’s inherent recognition of its sovereign and Creator. Even God will not ultimately keep the world from recognizing Him and His Christ, for such recognition is essential to the nature of creatures. The church father Cyril of Alexandria comments, “It is impossible for God not to be glorified.”
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
God will certainly be recognized as King of His creation. Nothing could keep the world from acknowledging Jesus as the King when He made His royal, triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and nothing will keep the world from doing it again when He makes His royal return at the end of the age to judge the living and the dead. As we worship Him now, we are anticipating the universe’s full submission to Him at His return.
for further study
- Psalm 19:1
- Isaiah 55:12–13
- Habakkuk 3:3
- Philippians 2:9–11
the bible in a year
- Isaiah 7–9
- Galatians 4