Luke 19:37, commentary and pictures

At the descent of the Mount of Olives on His triumphal ride into Jerusalem for the Passover, the whole multitude of the disciples, swelled by crowds going to the feast and coming out from the city, began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen. They spread their garments in His path and waved olive and palm branches while hailing Him as King and Son of David coming in the name of the Lord, recounting His healings, deliverances, cleansings, and raisings of the dead. They expected Him to take David's earthly throne and free Israel from Rome, not understanding that He was going to judgment and death and that His kingdom was not of this world. Yet their mistaken homage fulfilled prophecy given more than five hundred years before of Zion's lowly King coming on a colt, and could not be silenced, for if they held their peace the very stones would cry out. Their open, loud praise is an example to believers whose redemption is secured, who have still greater reason to praise God aloud for His coming again in glory and must not be forbidden or silenced as fanaticism.

Entry Setting and Praise

The verse belongs to Christ's triumphal entry as He came nigh to Jerusalem for the Passover, even at the descent of the Mount of Olives. He rode on a donkey, on an ass's colt brought by two disciples at His command with their garments spread on the beast for Him to sit on. As soon as He was seated the whole rapidly increasing throng broke into a loud shout of triumph.

The Mount of Olives was hallowed by His prayers and tears. Bethany lay on its descent and Gethsemane at its foot. Shortly before His trial its slopes echoed with joyful shouts as He approached the city.

The whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice, with glad enthusiasm and happy excited hearts. Their number rapidly increased with those going to the feast and with thousands coming out from Jerusalem to meet Him and conduct Him to the city. Their loud acclamations and hosannas were repeated again and again and echoed from the hills and valleys.

Their homage was worship of happy hearts without outward pomp and splendor, without royal standards or costly gifts. Unable to offer costly gifts, they spread their outer garments as a carpet in His path. They strewed cut olive and palm branches in the way and waved them, nature's emblems of victory. While doing so they cried Hosanna to the Son of David and Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord, hailing Him as Messiah their King.

They praised for all the mighty works they had seen. They were repeating the good works of healing, the deliverances from Satan's power, the cleansings, the raising of the dead, and all the works they could remind themselves of. Great blessing was coming from their lips as they did so.

The praisers were themselves living signs of His works of mercy, people He had delivered, healed, cleansed, and raised from the dead, not trophies of conquest. The gathering was drawn especially by the powerful effect of His raising Lazarus, and many had come to see Him on that account.

Mistaken Kingship Yet Prophecy

The shout that rose at the descent of the Mount of Olives hailed Him as Messiah and King, as the Son of David coming in the name of the Lord. He accepted public homage He had never before permitted, and the disciples took that acceptance as proof that their glad hope of His recognition as Israel's King would be fulfilled. Their joy was heightened by the hope that He was entering the city to establish His kingdom and reign as King. They believed they were escorting Him to take possession of David's throne in Jerusalem, to take an earthly, temporal kingdom and reign as a temporal prince. They looked for Him to free Israel from Roman rule and from its oppressors, not understanding that His kingdom was not of this world.

They were utterly mistaken, not realizing He was going to judgment and to death. Within days their high hopes were shattered and disappointed when they saw their beloved Master stretched upon the cruel cross above the mocking, taunting Pharisees, and the darkness of death closed about them. Only after He rose from the dead did they understand that prophecy had foretold His suffering and resurrection. Yet He remained true to His promises, giving sweet consolation to His people and rich reward to the true and faithful.

It was no error in them to act according to their belief, for their action fulfilled what had been foretold more than five hundred years before that Zion's King would come lowly and riding on a colt. Their triumphant welcome of Jesus as the Son of David fulfilled prophecy. It also fulfilled the prophetic call to Zion that bringest good tidings to lift up her voice and say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God, with praise belonging to Christ as King coming in the name of the Lord. Prophecy had to be fulfilled, so that if the people held their peace God would put a voice in the stones and the proclamation Behold your God would still be made in Christ's behalf. Their loud praise could not be silenced, for if they held their peace even the stones would cry out.

In the same way William Miller and his associates, though mistaken about the event, fulfilled prophecy by giving the proclamation of Revelation 14:6-7. They would not have given it had they understood that yet other proclamations of Revelation 14:8-14 were to be made before the Lord should come. That later disappointment of those who looked for the coming of the Lord was less, was not greater, than the disappointment of the disciples at the cross. On the crest of Olivet the triumph turned to weeping, for as the disciples stood and saw Jerusalem in its glory and their praise grew more fervent, Jesus saw the nation's coming rejection of Him and the desolation that would follow. His riding toward Jerusalem amid rejoicing was an act of mercy and love in coming to die for sinful man so he might not perish in his sins, followed by His weeping over the doomed city because that mercy and love were rejected. He saw beyond the destruction of Jerusalem to an impenitent world doomed to destruction. Jerusalem had been blessed with every advantage, yet rejected the only One who could give it peace, hope, rest, liberation, and victory, and His purity exposed its sin so that they put away the blessing He offered.

Unsilenced Praise for Believers

When priests, elders, rulers and Pharisees besought Him to still the multitude, He answered that if these were quiet the stones would cry out. After the people fell quiet, children continued the praise in the temple, showing God can use children to proclaim Christ. His message and the praise of the Saviour cannot be stopped by threats. Their praise proclaimed Jesus as the coming King and fulfilled the prophetic call to announce, Behold your God.

God will have a people on earth who are not cold and dead but who praise and glorify Him loudly. He will receive glory and praise from some people, including those who keep His commandments. If His chosen people should hold their peace the very stones would cry out.

Opposition to such loud praise, calling it fanaticism and mesmerism and extravagant and wild or extravagance and seeking to silence it, repeats the part of the Pharisees who told Jesus to rebuke His disciples. The priests, elders and Pharisees who tried to silence it and rob Jesus of this adoration manifested the same hatred shown through all ages by those claiming to believe present truth toward the messengers God sends to reprove them. People hostile to such praise would call wholehearted honor for Jesus fanaticism or extravagance.

Their open praise is an example for believers because of the hope and redemption Christ has secured. That hope is far more glorious than what those disciples saw, full of immortality and glory. He comes again not as a babe in Bethlehem nor as He rode into Jerusalem, but in the glory of the Father with all the holy angels. Waiting saints who have tasted the powers of the world to come must not hold their peace but must praise God even with a loud voice, and no one may forbid them. Their response calls each reader to consider whether he has seen God's works, come into right relation with Him, and become humble and a light to the world.