Praise Which Cannot Be Repressed

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: Luke 19:37-40
Psalters: 275, 177, 58, 409
  1. The entrance.
    1. It was Passover week and Jerusalem was crowded with people coming from near and far in a festal mood.
      1. Jesus had sent two disciples into a nearby village to get a colt of a donkey on which no one had yet ridden (30).
      2. A crowd quickly gathers, hailing Him to be the Messiah, the King of Zion (38; Mt. 21:9; John 12:13).
    2. This is a powerful revelation which Jesus makes of Himself to Zion/Jerusalem.
    3. The Pharisees felt this to be terrible blasphemy and demanded that Jesus rebuke the people for identifying Him as Messiah.
    4. Notice how Jesus reveals Himself as the king of Zion!
      1. He comes, demonstrating meekness, ready to fight for Zion against of sin and death and the dominion of the devil.
      2. His coming this way to Zion will lead Him to the cross where He will atone for Zion’s sins and reconcile them to God.
  2. There are shouts by His disciples (37, 39b).
    1. The shouts confess Jesus to be the Messiah, the anointed King who comes in the name of the Lord.
    2. They represent the true church of Christ, the daughter of Zion, as instituted on earth.
    3. While they could not have comprehended the full significance of the Christ, they did believe in Him with a simple faith.
  3. While Jesus’ enemies of Jesus wanted to choke this cry of praise and adoration, Jesus says it is impossible.
    1. Jesus teaches that it is impossible to restrain them because they are moved as prophets – it is a work of grace within them.
      1. As prophets cannot help but bubble over in enthusiastic proclamation, so it was for these disciples of Jesus.
      2. The power of God which enables Jesus’ disciples to believe and shout for joy is what can make the stones sing.
    2. What about us?