“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Devotion based on Luke 19:40

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Did you know that Jesus liked rock music? On the Sunday before he died, Jesus entered Jerusalem in a very special way. He rode on a donkey while people laid palm branches and coats along the road.

That may sound a little strange to us, but it was like rolling out the red carpet for a celebrity today. The people were welcoming Jesus as a king. And as the crowds cheered him on, they sang, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38)

They were singing Psalms that talked about the coming Savior. They were saying that Jesus was the promised Savior. They were calling him a king.

But some of Jesus’ enemies didn’t like that. They didn’t believe that he was the promised Savior or king. They hated Jesus, and it drove them crazy to hear the people singing those songs to him.

So, they went to Jesus and told him to make the people stop singing.

“I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

See, Jesus liked rock music!

Actually, he liked the songs the people were singing to him even more. Jesus loves it when his people sing praises to him. He deserves to be praised!

That’s what he meant when he said, “The stones will cry out.” On that Palm Sunday, 2,000 years ago, Jesus was going to be praised one way or another. If the people didn’t sing out, God would make the rocks sing!

Do you know what Jesus likes even more than rock music? He loves your music. He loves it when you sing praises to him at church. He loves hearing your voice sing his praise.

Sometimes, though, we get embarrassed. Maybe you don’t want people to think you’re weird, or maybe you don’t like the sound of your voice. So, you don’t sing very loud at church, or maybe you don’t sing at all.

But Jesus loves you. He loves the sound of your voice. He isn’t embarrassed to call you his friend. In fact, he loved you so much that he went into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday because he was going to die for you on Good Friday.

So, don’t be embarrassed to sing praises to him. Don’t make the rocks sing for you!

Dear Jesus, you are awesome! Thank you for riding into Jerusalem to die for me on the cross. Help me to never be too embarrassed to sing my praises to you. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

Questions for Elementary Age Children

Questions for Middle School and Above