Will Stones Speak for You?

 This sermon was preached on Palm Sunday, March 28, 2021, and focused on the passage of Scripture in Luke 19:40 "... if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." The message provides a look at other passages in which stones were used to convey important messages, then addresses the possible meanings Jesus had in mind by making the statement. A video recording of the worship service in which this sermon was preached may be viewed by clicking here.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Not long ago I was reading again the account of Jesus riding into Jerusalem and I was especially intrigued with this verse in which Jesus declares, “If these keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” Today I want to begin by considering some other places in the Bible where stones were used to communicate important messages, and then try to ascertain what Jesus actually meant by these words he uttered to the critics.

I.          Stones were historically used to convey important truths.

A. A stone pillar testified of encounter with God.

Genesis 28:18 (NKJV) Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it.

Are there any “pillars” in our lives that testify to our family and friends that we have had an encounter with God?

B. A stone pillar testified of a covenant between families.

Genesis 31:45 (NKJV) So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

C. A Stone pillar/pile testified of a divine miracle.

Joshua 4:20 (NKJV) And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal.

Do we have any “pillars of stone” which testify of miracles God has done in our lives in the past?

II.        Jesus could have been using a proverbial saying.

Some commentators writing about this comment by Jesus have compared it to a text found in the OT book of Habakkuk 2:11

Habakkuk 2:11 (NKJV) For the stone will cry out from the wall, And the beam from the timbers will answer it.

In the context of this verse, the prophet is condemning the leaders of Babylon for establishing their dynasty or kingdom on violent, illegal and unethical actions.

(Carl E. Armerding, Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised) - Hab. 2:9-11 The first tricolon [v. 9] sets out what the Babylonians attempted: to build a house with unjust gain, to set a nest on high, and to escape the impending doom. Verse 10’s three lines present the stark disaster that such actions have produced.…

The two lines of v.11 are, in Hebrew, preceded by “for” (kî; cf. RSV) and perfectly parallel one another. The pathetic cries of the nonverbal creation at the horrors they must witness provides an antecedent for our Lord’s allusion to “stones crying out” (Lk 19:40).

(Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament) - The stone out of the wall and the spar out of the woodwork will cry, [that is to say] because of the wickedness which thou hast practised in connected with thy buildings (Habakkuk 1:2)… because they have been stolen, or obtained from stolen property.

(Adam Clarke's Commentary) This appears to refer to the ancient mode of building walls; two or three courses of stone. and then one course of timber. See 1 Kings 6:36: thus was the palace of Solomon built. The splendid and costly buildings of Babylon have been universally celebrated. But how were these buildings erected? By the spoils of conquered nations, and the expense of the blood of multitudes; therefore the stones and the timber are represented as calling out for vengeance against this ruthless conqueror.

1 Kings 6:36 (NKJV)  And he built the inner court with three rows of hewn stone and a row of cedar beams.

The words in v. 11 are not intended to be understood literally, but as a proverb pronouncing a witness against evil and the cry for justice. In a similar way, Jesus’ words should not be understood literally, but as a proverb, to emphasize the fact that there are always witnesses to God’s divine intervention and there will be testimonies of the same. God will be praised, and He will receive glory. He may have to use extraordinary means to accomplish it, but it will happen.

III.       Jesus could have been making a sober prophecy.

There were obviously people in this crowd that day who connected what they were witnessing with the prophecy of Zechariah,

Zechariah 9:9 (NKJV) "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

For the present moment they viewed His journey as the fulfillment of prophecy and rejoiced for the soon arriving kingdom of God, which meant, in their minds, the overthrow of Roman control and oppression. But the religious leaders were having none of it! Jesus did not fit their stereotype of Messiah and He had to be stopped. They couldn’t tolerate the “noise” of the crowd because of the message it conveyed.

Some have stated that they knew they could not make the crowd be quiet, so they implored the Lord to quiet them. But Jesus doesn’t answer in the way they hoped. But what is the real significance of Jesus’ words?

(R.C.H. Lenski NT Commentary) – Jesus speaks prophetically of a time when "these" shall, indeed, cease their acclaim, and when the lifeless stones shall, indeed, "yell" with piercing shrieks when not one stone is left upon another in Jerusalem itself. That yelling will be the voice of judgment for rejecting the Messiah-King.

Lenski sees a prophetic element to the words of Jesus. He proposes that Jesus is warning them about the pending destruction of Jerusalem referred to in this same context when Jesus states, “Not one stone will be left upon another.”

Luke 19:43-44 (NKJV) For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, ⁴⁴ and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

It is possible for the crowds and even individuals to cease their acknowledgment of Jesus as Messiah and Savior, but it will be to their own detriment and judgment. After the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, those stones literally did testify of God’s judgment. They showed to the world that judgment is the only option when God’s kingdom and salvation is rejected.

Conclusion: Who will offer testimony? You or the stones?

You and I are not standing with the crowd watching the Lord ride into Jerusalem. But we still have the choice to accept Jesus for who he is or reject Him. We have the choice to acknowledge Him with testimonies of praise, or we can keep quiet. Am I going to testify, or will God have to recruit the “stones?” Are you going to testify, or will He have to be praised by the “stones?”

We still have some time and I think it would be appropriate right now for a few people to stand up and testify and praise God. I’m not asking for long, drawn out hospital stories. I’m looking for someone who will stand up and tell us what you think about Jesus. Someone who will stand up and tell us how great God is. 

Closing Song: Stand Up and Bless the Lord