The Response of The Pharisees: God's Coming Judgment on Jerusalem (19:39-46).
It was not to be expected that this hearty welcome of Jesus would please the Pharisees. Perhaps they were afraid of the reaction of Rome, or possibly they felt that it was coming near to blasphemy. But either way they wanted the enthusiasm stilled. There is possibly a hint in this of, ‘Now look what you have done by entering Jerusalem in this spectacular way.' Jesus' reply is significant. It stresses to them that what He has done has a deep significance. Indeed such is the importance of this occasion that if the people are silent the very stones will cry out. If man will not welcome his Creator, then creation itself will do it. Again we are made aware of Jesus' supernatural claims.
But in view of what follows it also includes the thought of the stones crying out at the coming destruction of Jerusalem, the thought then being that if this One is not welcomed by Jerusalem only the severest of judgment can follow. One day the stones will truly cry out.
Analysis.
a Some of the Pharisees from the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples”, and He answered and said, “I tell you that, if these hold their peace, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:39-40).
b When He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it (Luke 19:41).
c Saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which belong to peace! But now they are hid from your eyes” (Luke 19:42).
d “For the days will come on you, when your enemies will cast up a bank about you, and surround you, and keep you in on every side”(Luke 19:43).
c “And will dash you to the ground, and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone on another, because you did not know the time of your visitation” (Luke 19:44).
b And He entered into the temple, and began to cast out those who sold (Luke 19:45).
a Saying to them, “It is written, And my house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers” (Luke 19:46).
Note than in ‘a' the stones will bear witness to the One Who is God's true witness, while in the parallel His action in the Temple bears witness against the ‘robbers' within it, those who have proved to be false witnesses. In ‘b' He wept over the city and in the parallel He cast out evil from the Temple, revealing its sad state. In ‘c' the truth was hidden from their eyes, and in the parallel they did not know the time of their visitation. Centrally in ‘d' is the description of the besieging of Jerusalem.