It was an excited crowd that lined the road and followed Jesus into Jerusalem on his "triumphal entry." The cheers were loud and enthusiastic. Generally Jesus had sought to discourage such acclaim, but this time he voiced no opposition to it. There were others who did, however. The Pharisees in the crowd considered the conduct of his disciples to be totally inappropriate, and they called upon him to rebuke them. But he replied, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out."

There is no reason to believe that his thesis was called to test. The people did not stop their cheering - later they did, but not then. He himself, of course, never expected to hear stones cry out with actual audible voices. Such powers have not been given them; they are dumb, silent, without voice…