This marks the first time that Jesus has allowed himself to be publicly recognized as Israel’s Messiah. Until this point whenever someone acknowledged Jesus as the Messianic king, Jesus would charge him to keep quiet. Now that Jesus has come to Jerusalem for his coronation (though he knows it will be by crucifixion), he not only allows a public proclamation of his kingship, he insists that it must be so. This moment—the arrival of Israel’s true king—is so auspicious, that if people don’t herald it, the rocks will.