At the triumphal entry Jesus's "disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice" (Luke 19:37). The Pharisees said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples” (Luke 19:40). Jesus responded, "I tell you, if these were silent, even the rocks will cry out." This was the only time Jesus permitted a public demonstration on his behalf. On this day there would be no silencing the welcoming of the Son of David, Israel’s king.

https://youtu.be/OXYG89Hzyuc

Table of contentsEven the Rocks Will Cry Out, Because Jesus Was Following a Divine TimelineThere Was a Time to Be SilentThere Was a Time "Even Rocks Will Cry Out"There Was a Time to DieJesus Repeatedly Said, “My Hour Has Not Yet Come”Jesus Finally Said His Hour Had ComeThe Triumphal Entry Ensured Jesus Would Die on TimeGod Has a Course for Our Lives

When I was in Army ROTC at Florida Tech, there was an ITT (individual tactical training) course. You’ve probably seen courses like this in movies that depict basic training, or if you’ve been in the military, you’ve probably been on courses like this multiple times. Unlike other obstacle courses, which teams typically go through together to build teamwork – think of soldiers helping each other over walls – ITT courses are performed individually. Hence, the word individual is used in the acronym.

ITT courses include numerous obstacles that involve running, climbing, swinging, balancing, high crawling, low crawling, jumping, dropping, and sometimes swimming. You move from one obstacle to the next as quickly as possible with soldiers yelling that you are moving too slowly and need to pick it up…regardless of how fast you are going.

The entire course is laid out for you. You don’t get to decide whether to go left or right. You can’t skip any obstacles or do them out of order. You move from one to the next in the order laid out for you.

Even the Rocks Will Cry Out, Because Jesus Was Following a Divine Timeline

A you read the gospels, you might notice that Jesus’ ministry seemed like this. He moved from one event (or obstacle) to the next in the order laid out for him by God the Father. Listen to Jesus describe his ministry this way:

John 5:30 “I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me."

John 6:38 “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me."

Matthew 26:39 “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

Jesus was describing the course that was before him. At least once he even described his earthly ministry as a course:

Luke 13:32 “Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course.”

Jesus didn’t get to decide whether to go left or right. He didn’t get to skip obstacles or do them out of order. He moved from one obstacle to the next.

There Was a Time to Be Silent

Let me show you some examples from Jesus’s life. In Mark 1:40-42 Jesus cleanses a leper. Then:

Mark 1:43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

It is surprising that Jesus told this man not to tell anyone about the miracle. Why would he do that?

One reason is it wasn’t time for the people to recognize Jesus was the Messiah. That might sound odd, but he was following the divine timeline set by His Father.

Another reason is large amounts of publicity would hinder Jesus’s mission and divert public attention from his message to his miracles. He wanted to continue teaching ministry in an uninhibited way. He needed to be able to move around easily. If people knew about his miracles, he would be swarmed by so many people he would be unable to enter towns where he could preach. This is exactly what happened because this man disobeyed him.

Unfortunately, the man did the exact opposite of what Jesus asked: he talked to everyone but the priests. You can see the problems it caused. Before Jesus cleansed the man he was able to minister in the town. But after the man told everyone, Jesus was forced “out in desolate places” where there were fewer people for him to reach.

You could ask, why did Jesus perform miracles if it was going to hinder his ministry? First, because he loved people and he wanted to help them. But more importantly, they served as signs that he was the Messiah.

Beginning at Mark 5:21 Jesus raises Jairus’s daughter from the dead. Then he said to feed her, but not tell anyone:

Mark 5:43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

In Mark 7:31 Jesus healed the def man. Then:

Mark 7:36 And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.

Jesus healed the blind man, but not in the middle of the village because of the commotion it would cause. Jesus entered the village, and then brought the blind man out of the village to heal him:

Mark 8:22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”…26 And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Jesus told him not to return to the village, because more than likely everyone knew the blind man, and when they learned Jesus healed him, Jesus would be mobbed by the crowds:

Luke 9:18 Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” 20 Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

Lots of people were getting this wrong. Seems like people thought Jesus was everyone except the Christ: John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the other prophets raised from the dead. But Peter got it right. This is one of those times he opened his mouth and hit a home run. Of course, Jesus is going to say, “Great, now go tell everyone the truth. Straighten them out because they have no idea who I am.” Nope:

Luke 9:21 And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Jesus told them not to tell anyone he was the Christ! Something similar happened right after the Transfiguration:

Matthew 17:9 Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”

Jesus told them not to tell anyone about seeing Jesus in his glory, for the same reason he said not to tell everyone he’s the Christ. He knew it would cause problems. Most people, including even the disciples, didn’t know what Jesus was going to do as the Messiah. They thought he would be a conquering king who would sit on a throne. The transfiguration would further this view. They didn’t know he was a suffering Servant who would hang on a cross. If they didn’t understand Jesus’s first coming, they couldn’t talk to people about Jesus, because it would increase the confusion about who he was…they would almost be unintentional false teachers!

Imagine if they said, “We saw the Coming King transfigured. He’ll be on the throne of David any day now!” How confused would people feel when he was crucified instead? So, Jesus says, “Be quiet for now. After my resurrection, when it’s clear I would die, then you can preach about me!”

There Was a Time "Even Rocks Will Cry Out"

At the triumphal entry the religious leaders completely resented the outpouring of praise:

Luke 19:38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”

When we read the word “disciples” we typically think of the 12 disciples. But it is important to know that disciple means student or follower, which is why we also read that John the Baptist and the Pharisees had disciples. When the Pharisees said this they weren’t referring to only the 12 disciples. They were referring to all the people who were recognizing Jesus as the King coming in the name of the Lord.

There are two possible reasons the Pharisees told Jesus to silence the crowd versus trying to silence the crowd themselves. One possibility is Jesus was so popular the Pharisees didn’t dare trying to silence the crowd themselves. The other possibility is they knew they could not silence the crowd, because it was too large and enthusiastic. So they went directly to Jesus and told him to silence them.

After Jesus fed the 5,000 he became incredibly popular. So popular that:

John 6:15 Perceiving that they were about to…take [Jesus] by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Jesus came to become king. That’s what he wanted. Why would he not let them make him king? He was following the timeline. This wasn’t his coronation. But the triumphal entry was, so:

Luke 19:40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

This was the one and only time that Jesus permitted a public demonstration on his behalf. This is the exact opposite of every situation we read about earlier. Instead of hiding, escaping, or silencing there is no hiding or escaping,