Luke 19:28-40 "The Stones Would Shout Out", sermon given on Palm Sunday, April 14, 2019

This past Sunday was as we all should know, 'Palm Sunday', and of course one is nearly entirely obligated to preach over the 'Triumphant Entry' of Christ into Jerusalem.  Those gathered that day fully expect and are ready to hear once again the story of Christ parading into the Holy City in full confrontation of the powers that would be... and thus I chose not to disappoint.

However, my sermon concerning Jesus riding in on a young colt took a turn that I suspect few of those gathered had ever heard or even were aware of.  My sermon focused upon the last verse of the chosen text, verse 40: 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.

"The stones would shout out"... I suspect that most of us 'modern day' Christians hear this verse and believe that what Jesus is getting at is that he has the power to make inanimate objects come to life and that they would then proclaim him to be the Messiah.  But, I'm fairly certain that this is not at all what Jesus meant nor how a first century Jew would have understood this verse.

One of our biggest weaknesses in being so far removed from the scriptures both culturally and geographically is that we don't know and thus miss much of the subtleties and complexities of Scripture.  In this story, Jesus has just entered or is just about to enter Jerusalem, he has come down the Mount of Olives and passed by what was already in his time the oldest and largest cemetery in the area of Jerusalem.  At the time of Jesus, this cemetery had already been in use for over 1,000 years (it's still in use today) and was therefore ancient.

It's also the place where those Jews that believed in the resurrection of the dead believed that the general resurrection would begin.  These stones were placed as a witness to these faithful souls buried there... these souls that hoped... believed... that they would be witness to the very beginning of the coming of the Messiah.  These are the stones that Jesus is invoking as a witness to his coming into Jerusalem.

Below please find the verses over which I preached and the supporting verses that I had prepared for the sermon.  I didn't end up using all of them, I tend to have verses ready and then see where the spirit leads me in my sermon.  They are provided for your use and or contemplation.  There is also a link to information about the cemetery by the Mount of Olives for your information as well.

Please take a few moments and give the sermon a listen, thank you for swinging through this little blog and as always...

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His Glory & Grace,
Roy

Luke 19:28-40 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
28 After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

29 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 32 So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They said, “The Lord needs it.” 35 Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, 38 saying,

“Blessed is the king
    who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
    and glory in the highest heaven!”


39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, order your disciples to stop.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”

Jewish Cemetery - Mount of Olives

Luke 19:11-27 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Parable of the Ten Pounds
11 As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 So he said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. 13 He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds,[a] and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’ 14 But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these slaves, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by trading. 16 The first came forward and said, ‘Lord, your pound has made ten more pounds.’ 17 He said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.’ 18 Then the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made five pounds.’ 19 He said to him, ‘And you, rule over five cities.’ 20 Then the other came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.’ 24 He said to the bystanders, ‘Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’ 25 (And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten pounds!’) 26 ‘I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.’”

Genesis 31:44-51 Revised Standard Version (RSV)
44 Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I; and let it be a witness between you and me.” 45 So Jacob took a stone, and set it up as a pillar. 46 And Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones,” and they took stones, and made a heap; and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Je′gar-sahadu′tha:[a] but Jacob called it Galeed. (heap & witness) 48 Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore he named it Galeed, 49 and the pillar[c] Mizpah,[d] for he said, “The Lord watch between you and me, when we are absent one from the other. 50 If you ill-treat my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us, remember, God is witness between you and me.”
51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me.

Matthew 27:52-53 New King James Version (NKJV)
52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

1 Peter 2:1-6 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
2 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5 like living stones, let yourselves be built[a]into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture:
“See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him[b] will not be put to shame.”

Luke 19:41-48 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem
41 As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. 44 They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”[a]
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
45 Then he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there; 46 and he said, “It is written,
‘My house shall be a house of prayer’;
    but you have made it a den of robbers.”
47 Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him; 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were spellbound by what they heard.

Zechariah 9:9 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Coming Ruler of God’s People
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
    Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
    triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,

    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.