The Stone Heard Around the World
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PALM SUNDAY INTRO
Today is what we call Palm Sunday.
Palm Sunday is also known as the Triumphal Entry.
It’s when Jesus comes into Jerusalem for the final time… to establish His reign as King.
It was a joyful, exciting day for the Jewish people.
Their King had come to take His place.
And as Christians, we know…what started as a triumphant entry turned into a very difficult week.
We are in week five—the final week— of our series where we’ve been asking the question: who’s next?
And this is my last shot to inspire you to take a step toward that person in your life before Easter.
So pray for me… I ain’t that good.
28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples,
30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here.
31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ”
32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them.
33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?”
34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.”
35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.
36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road.
37 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,
38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”
40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
I’ve titled the message this morning:
The Stone Heard Around the World
Pray
There is a conversation that we need to have as Christians and church attenders…
Can we talk about hand raising in worship for a moment?
Some of us…we love Jesus with all our heart…but your hands?
Those are for your pockets. Not Jesus.
Like there is no scenario…where you’re getting caught with your hands in the air.
Unless Outkast is playing…
Now all of a sudden—hands up.
“Lift your hands in worship to Jesus…”
Nah.
But André 3000 says something and now we’re responding.
The Bible says this world is not our home… so technically you’re an alien…
Some of y’all got that.
Some of y’all didn’t.
The sanctified people are like, “what is he talking about?”
The “I’m still working out my salvation” people are like, “wait… is Outkast a Christian band?”
No.
Anyway…
Then there’s another group…that I think is equally confusing.
I’m talking about the chronic hand raisers.
Slow song? Hands up.
Fast song? Hands up.
Song mentions Jesus once? Hands up.
Song just has a positive message? Hands up.
We were at the Zach Williams / Third Day concert Thursday night…
I felt like I time traveled into K-LOVE 2026…
I’m watching people like…y’all don’t even know what this song is about.
You remember that website peopleofwalmart.com?
I’m about to start my own—“Christians at concerts who don’t know what songs require hands.”
Because you can’t just lift your hands… just because the song is Christian.
Some of y’all listen to Jesus Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood and start lifting your hands…
I’ve driven behind some of you… I know first hand.
Raising our hands… it’s an act of surrender.
Think about a toddler for a moment…
Why do they raise their hands?
Because they want to be picked up.
They may not have the language for it…but what they’re really saying is—“I need you.”
Lifting our hands is not a response to an emotional high.
Raising our hands is in surrender to a Holy God.
And the danger of getting that wrong…we actually see it in this text.
Because this crowd…they were riding an emotional high.
Here is Jesus—“their King”—riding into Jerusalem on a donkey fulfilling what they thought the prophet was saying in Zechariah 9:9.
And in that moment…they’re loud.
They’re expressive.
They’re saying all the right things.
But here’s the tension…
Not all expression is surrender.
And not all excitement is truth.
Because the same crowd…that shouted on Sunday…would be silent by Friday.
Now this week well meaning pastors are preaching all over the country on how the same crowd that welcomed in are they same that called for him to be crucified.
Now, listen that preaches really good….
But historically?
It’s not really accurate.
The crows that called for His death was a crowd that was stirred up and put together by the pharisees.
Instead this crowd?
They did what you and me do.
They went silent…
They didn’t turn on Him… they just stopped speaking about Him.
The irony of their silence is that they actually demanded that Jesus silence the crowd…
39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.”
This is so fascinating to me…
You’ve got a crowd that has fully gotten behind Jesus.
And the pharisees do not like it.
So they go to Jesus and say—“Hey… you need to shut this down.”
Tell them to stop.
Tell them to be quiet.
but they weren’t bothered by the noise…they were bothered by what was being said.
Isn’t funny how we are okay with noise has long as we agree with it?
The reality we live in now isn’t that different.
Don’t talk about Jesus.
Don’t push your beliefs.
Don’t force your religion on me.
Can I tell you something sobering?
No one in hell…is thankful that you respected their comfort more than you cared about their eternity.
Look at Jesus’ response to the pharisees though…
40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
What a strange thing to say.
Stones don’t have mouths.
They’re not living.
They don’t have voices.
They can’t make sound on their own…
Yet.
Jesus says—if they stop…the stones will start crying out.
Now here is what I love about Jesus…
He knows the word…
Because it’s His…
But he is actually calling back to a book of the bible that most of you have probably never heard of Habakkuk 2:11
11a For the stone will cry out from the wall…
So when Jesus says this…
He’s not being poetic.
He’s not exaggerating.
He’s pointing to something that’s already been said.
In other words—this has always been true.
If people won’t say who He is…creation will.
Psalm 19 points to this as well
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Creation has never had a problem speaking.
The only thing in creation that struggles to speak…is us.
Now…can I take this a step further?
Can we go just a little bit deeper?
We know…that the crowd eventually went silent.
Jesus was arrested.
He was crucified.
He was killed.
And He was placed in a tomb…Sealed by a stone.
Remember what Jesus said…
“If they stay silent…the stones will cry out…”
Well now He was placed behind one…
Here is the cool part…
1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
They went in…and He wasn’t there.
Ladies and gentlemen…
The stone cried out.
The stone could not stay silent.
And once they saw it…
once they heard it…they could never un-hear it.
They lost their lives.
They lost their comfort.
They lost everything…
so that other people…could hear it too.
Because once you’ve heard it…
silence is no longer an option.
I want to ask you one final time in this series…
Who’s Next?
Who’s the next person to experience freedom?
Who’s the next person to receive hope?
Who’s next?
PRAY OVER INVITE CARD.
(I’ve Witnessed It.)
