Word@Work Luke290 - Luke 19:37-40
Published: Thu, 02/10/11
Word@Work from BeaconLight
SPONTANEOUS PRAISE
Luke 19:37-40 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." (NIV)
The sight of Jesus riding a donkey was a Messianic prophecy fulfilled: Zechariah 9:9 says, "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." So of course they shouted, even though the Pharisees, keen to avoid the religious embarrassment of having crowds openly confessing Jesus as the Christ, rebuked Jesus and told Him to rebuke the crowd.
Jesus' response was swift, "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!" The crowd were not being deceived but were telling the truth: Jesus really was Father God's chosen messenger. And so, with memories of Jesus' ministry including the miracles, everything came together in their minds as they confessed Jesus as the Christ (the Anointed One = Messiah). So they added other Old Testament Scriptures to the chanting. Psalm 118:25-26 says, "O Lord, save us; O Lord, grant us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you." This was not a manipulated crowd, and an attempt to stir up popularity. No, it was a simple spontaneous public demonstration of how they regarded the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is right to praise God, and for the crowd to audibly honour the Saviour; in the same way it is right for us to join in praise and worship. But, what about this spontaneous outburst ... should that ever be our experience? Yes. The Psalms are full of such expressions, sparked by the beauty of His creation, the memory of His wonderful deeds, the largeness of His mercy to sinners, the wonder of His intimate knowledge and the completeness of His salvation. So when the Lord reveals His character to you, praise Him! When prayers are answered, and whenever we realise that the Lord has been involved in our lives, spoken praise is natural. Indeed to refrain from praise is disobedience. Don't wait for church until you praise; do it with two or three others - praise Him whenever you can!
Prayer: Heavenly Father. I thank You for the many examples in the Bible of people who saw Your work near to them and were compelled to praise You. Please give me a heart that is ready to give thanks and to publically adore the One who is my Saviour. Forgive me for more easily grumbling than rejoicing. Please do a work in my heart so that praise and prayer will be my default reaction to anything. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
The sight of Jesus riding a donkey was a Messianic prophecy fulfilled: Zechariah 9:9 says, "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." So of course they shouted, even though the Pharisees, keen to avoid the religious embarrassment of having crowds openly confessing Jesus as the Christ, rebuked Jesus and told Him to rebuke the crowd.
Jesus' response was swift, "If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!" The crowd were not being deceived but were telling the truth: Jesus really was Father God's chosen messenger. And so, with memories of Jesus' ministry including the miracles, everything came together in their minds as they confessed Jesus as the Christ (the Anointed One = Messiah). So they added other Old Testament Scriptures to the chanting. Psalm 118:25-26 says, "O Lord, save us; O Lord, grant us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you." This was not a manipulated crowd, and an attempt to stir up popularity. No, it was a simple spontaneous public demonstration of how they regarded the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is right to praise God, and for the crowd to audibly honour the Saviour; in the same way it is right for us to join in praise and worship. But, what about this spontaneous outburst ... should that ever be our experience? Yes. The Psalms are full of such expressions, sparked by the beauty of His creation, the memory of His wonderful deeds, the largeness of His mercy to sinners, the wonder of His intimate knowledge and the completeness of His salvation. So when the Lord reveals His character to you, praise Him! When prayers are answered, and whenever we realise that the Lord has been involved in our lives, spoken praise is natural. Indeed to refrain from praise is disobedience. Don't wait for church until you praise; do it with two or three others - praise Him whenever you can!
Prayer: Heavenly Father. I thank You for the many examples in the Bible of people who saw Your work near to them and were compelled to praise You. Please give me a heart that is ready to give thanks and to publically adore the One who is my Saviour. Forgive me for more easily grumbling than rejoicing. Please do a work in my heart so that praise and prayer will be my default reaction to anything. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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