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THE K I NG ' S BUS I N ESS
Bethany. We can imagine Him domi ciled in the happy home of His beloved friends, M a r y -and LESSON Martha,- whose house EXPOSITION was no doubt His T. C. Ilorton headquarters during those last days of His earthly pilgrimage. How differently had Judas spent the night, closeted with the foes of Christ, and bargaining for His betrayal (Mark 14:10). He had made an agreement with hell, and now awaited an oppor tunity to give to his Master the traitor ous kiss by which he was to fulfill the Scripture and seal his own doom. (1) THE KING HONORED, vs. 1- 11. “ ‘Hosanna to the Son of David.” It is Passover week, the most event ful of all weeks in the earthly history of the King. Jesus, accompanied by His disciples and friends, and a great concourse of people, started fpr the Jew ish capital. It was the tim e of the Pass- over Feast and thousands of pilgrims thronged the road. Many had come by way of Bethany out of curiosity, to see the tomb in which Lazarus had lain, or perhaps to see Lazarus himself. , At Bethphage He exercised His sov ereign right to His subjects’ property by sending two disciples (Luke 19:30) to secure a colt and its mother which they were to find as He directed. Their authority was “The Lord hath need of them.” ' These messengers exercised true faith by obeying their Master and found it “even as He had said.” (John 2:5; 15:14; Luke 19:32).; ' “Ye are my friends if ye do whatso ever I command you.” The disciples acknowledged His king- ship by putting their own garments up on the colt (2 Ki. 9:13). The multitude cast their own garments in the way, and others cast branches of olive and fig trees in the way. Thus, in the most minute way, was the prophecy of- Zech. 9:9 fulfilled:
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of J e ru s a le m ; behold, th y K ing cometh unto thee) h e is just and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal .of an ass.” , The people lift up their voices inr“Ho sanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the King of Israel, th a t Cometh in the name of the Lord!” (John 12:13; Psa. 118:25, 26). The excitement was intense. The whole multitude was moved.. How vast the throng we canfiot imagine, but prob ably two millions of people were in at tendance at the feaSt. The outbreak was supernatural and spontaneous. This is the most eventful scene in the ministry of Christ and unlike any other in His history. Riding upon the foal of an ass suggests that' *He was the Prince of Peace*—all powerful, yet meek and lowly; His subjects the - corûrnon people—poor pilgrims like Himself. At His chariot wheels are His trophies, not bound-(as was th e custom of victorious Eastern kings), but those who had been- bound but were noW free,—the lame, blind and halt now walking, leap ing and praising God.! Truly, this is the King, and of such is His kingdom. Moving out from the City of the King comes another multitude, catching up the strain of hosanna and Swelling the chorus of praise. At the brow of the Mount of Olives the city itself bursts into view, the goldën-domëd temple flashing the glory of the noon-day sun. Looking Upon the city Hè Wept over it. (Luke* 19:41-44). He loved it but Its real glory had departed. What à contrast between the shouting populace and the weeping Prince! There in that city were the chief priests', His enemies! There Ha must suffer condemnation! FrCm' there lie must be led às a lamb to the slaughter, and upon the city must come the awful judgment of His Father! If the prophecy concerning His first advent into Jerusalem was so definitely fulfilled, how say some that .the proph ecy concerning His second advent will not be literally fulfilled? He will come
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