the first triumphal entry…

The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

John 12:12-13 ESV

It’s Palm Sunday… the day we remember Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem…

The lesson for the second grade Bible class last week was Palm Sunday… and I realized as I taught… this was the only time Jesus entered triumphant into the city of Jerusalem…

The other times He was either unknown… or wanted by the church authorities… His name on their hit list…

But this time… He came celebrated… if only briefly…

As he was drawing near — already on the way down the Mount of Olives — the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Luke 19:37-40 ESV

After reading this passage to second graders… I asked… What does it mean that the stones would cry out if no one else did…?

I got some strange looks… and they gave some strange answers… grasping for something they thought I wanted to hear…

But being one who takes God at His Word… I told them… If the people didn’t give Jesus the praise He deserved in this moment… the rocks would…

You mean rocks can talk…?! 

Yes… if people won’t… creation will…

All creation is waiting for Jesus to bring about redemption… this was His final entry into Jerusalem… before He made the Way…

If His disciples were too obtuse to see the moment… to let the Spirit inspire praise of what they did not yet understand… then the rocks certainly would… by the power of the same Spirit…

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage of corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Romans 8:19-21 ESV

His disciples today should be proclaiming His praise in all they do… not letting fear keep them quiet… or their flesh distract them from what’s truly important…

If we do not shout His praise… the rocks will… because… you see He’s coming again…

This was His first triumphal entry… and we are waiting for His second… when He will return in all His glory… and everyone… will bow their knee at His name…

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:8-11 ESV