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) And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" (Matthew 27:51-54, ESV) And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. (Matthew 28:2-4, ESV)
As Jesus was approaching Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the Pharisees chastised Him, saying that His disciples should not be praising Him. To this Jesus replied, "If these were silent, the very stones would cry out", implying that one way or another He would be praised, if not by His disciples, then by the very stones crying out.
When the worship of the crowd died out, indeed when the crowd turned against Him and demanded His crucifixion, when He hung dying on the cross, when the worship of His disciples ceased, did then the stones cry out? When His humiliation ended with His death on the cross, when He had completed the work His Father had given Him, when redemption had been won and His state of exaltation began, who was there to sing His praises? When His disciples had abandoned Him, when the worship of the crowd on His entrance into Jerusalem turned to scorn, when everything seemed to be a loss but was instead a glorious victory, who was there to declare His kingship, to give Him the praise He rightly deserved? Did then the stones cry out?
When the angel from heaven descended, accompanied by an earthquake, and rolled back the stone at Jesus’ tomb, was this the stones crying out in praise? Was the worship of the crowd at His entrance to Jerusalem replaced by the praise of the stones at His death and resurrection? Did the stones cry out?
We have the advantage of hindsight. We can see these events for what they really were. Jesus’ death on the cross was not the end of a man who had shown great promise, who had done supernatural signs and wonders, but was instead His crowning victory over sin, death and the devil. His inevitable resurrection, since He was the all-powerful Son of God through whom everything was created, was the bookend of His three days in the belly of the fish, His descent into Hell and declared victory. What appeared to His disciples at the time as a horrible loss, as the end of their leader and their hopes, was anything but. Their terribly sad "loss" was actually their wonderful "victory". Jesus had fulfilled His role as the sacrificial Lamb of God and had opened the gates of Heaven not only to them but to all who believe and trust in Him.
As I am writing this article it is the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Last night was the well-done Tenebrae service, which, although it is not a Communion service, is one of my favorites. Tomorrow the barren cross will be adorned with flowers and the “Hallelujahs” missing during Lent will return. We will sing with joy on this day, the annual celebration of our Lord and Savior’s resurrection, the culmination of His victory, and ours, over sin, death and the devil. We will give thanksgiving to our God for all that He has done for us, for His incredible act of love and mercy in becoming man and taking on our punishment, for His opening the Kingdom of Heaven to us miserable sinners. We will celebrate that we, who deserve only His wrath and punishment, have been given the opportunity to spend eternity in His presence, something we definitely do not deserve.
So, let’s cry out with the stones! Let’s celebrate His death, yes, His death, since that was His taking on our punishment, and His resurrection! Let’s do this not just this weekend but throughout the year. While we can never begin to repay Him for what He has done, we can worship Him, we can praise Him, we can show Him our greatest gratitude! So, let’s do this. Let’s give Him our worship, our praise, and our thanksgiving, not just on Easter weekend but throughout the year. Let’s give Him what He deserves! Let’s cry out with the stones!
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!