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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
As we open the “H” we may learn more. We now see the word “LIFE.” Someone has said, “Half of life is ‘IF,’ ” suggesting that life is uncer tain. As I open the top of the “H,” reading up, I find the words “LIFE ETERNAL.” This refers to those who are saved. The “H” now speaks of heaven. We will fold the top back down and open up the bottom. Now we discover the words, “LOST ETERNALLY” and the, “H” reminds us of hell. Jesus once said, “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matt. 25:46). If we accept Christ as Saviour the “I F ’ is taken out of “LIFE” for us, and heaven is assured. Let us choose Christ today! Him remembered what was written and thus recognized Jesus as Messiah. But what they did and what they cried exactly fulfilled what the. proph ets predicted would be done and said. They acknowledged Jesus as the Son of David and the promised Messiah, and their reference to the “highest” would indicate they looked upon Jesus as being more than an ordinary man. But whether their cry, “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest,” was because they were aware of just who Jesus was, is uncertain. If they were aware of it, sin’s blindness soon settled upon them and they cried, “ Crucify him” (Mk. 15:13). When they name into the city and were asked, “Who is this?” they re vealed their ignorance by saying it was “Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee” (vs. 9-11). Perhaps fear of the rulers in the city suggested that they had better not proclaim Him as the Son of David, nor make men tion of the “highest.” So they de scended from the supreme acknow ledgment and Jesus became to them a mere prophet. Sinfulness always en tails increasing.ignorance. B LA C K B O A R D LESSON
II. M anifestation by M essiah (12-14) This was the second time the Lord Jesus had driven from the temple those who desecrated its sacred pre- ■ cincts (v. 12). And the fact that no opposition was raised against Him when He cast “out all them that sold and bought in the temple” revealed there was something about their busi ness, as well as about the demeanor of Jesus, that gave them a sense of guilt. He convicted them of turning "the house of prayer” into “ a den of thieves.” This charge must have been true, or else many voices would have been raised in opposition. Isaiah had declared that God would make His people glad “in my house of prayer,” but even in Isaiah’s day, men had taken the gladness out and turned the temple into a “ den of robbers,” even while continuing their sacrifices (cf. Isa. 56:7; Jer. 7:8-11). While the nation had gone far from God, He was always compassionate toward the needy and helpless ones (v. 14). III. O bjection by the R ulers (15, 16) These rulers had seen the miracles which Christ had performed, had heard the cry of the multitude, and had listened to the children "crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David.” But, instead of being led by all this to an eager in quiry as to whether or not Jesus was indeed i the promised Messiah, they were “moved, with indignation” (v. 15, R. V.) which ripened at last into murder. He had given many proofs of His origin and person, but they re jected these proofs and became hard ened against Him, and thus against the God they professed to worship. They accused Jesus of blasphemy. They reasoned that if He had heard what the children were crying in the temple and had not rebuked them, He was accepting what they said of Him as being true. On this ground, the rulers accused Him. In their minds, His acceptance of worship was blasphemy; and so it would have been if what was said had not been true. Then Jesus referred them to their Scriptures. If they, the rulers, were blind to who He was, the children were merely fulfilling the prophecy that declared, "Out of the mouth of babes” the truth would be uttered (Psa. 8:2). But these r u l e r s were not to be moved by what their Scrip tures taught concerning the meek Messiah, who should first suffer be fore He would reign (cf. 1 Pet 1:11). The rulers believed in and desired the glory, but refused to believe in the sufferings. Thus they were blind and
LESSON: Of what do you think this “H” reminds us? “It could be heaven or hell.” That’s a good answer. In fact it reminds us of both. We will turn it over and see how it will teach us of heaven and hell. In the center of the “H” there is a big "IF.” It means heaven if one is saved, and hell if one is not saved.
MARCH 25, 1945 THE TR IUM PHAL ENTRY M atthew 21; 26; 27 :l-56
Matthew 21:6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garmetiTs In the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them In the way. £ nd *he multitude that went before, and tnat followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh In the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. 10 And when , he was come into Jerusa lem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Galilee. 12. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. 14 And the blind and the lame came to him In the temple; and he healed them. 15- And when the chief priests and scribes «•w.the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and say ing, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, 16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea: have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou has perfected praise? LESSON T E X T : Matt. 21:6-16. GOLDEN T E X T : “ Blessed is he that cometh in dhe name of the Lord: Hosanna In the highest (Matt. 21:9). DEVOTIONAL READING: Psa. 24. Outline and Exposition I. R ecognition by the M ultitude ( 6 - 1 0 I A HE MANNER of the Lord’s coming to Jerusalem that day A was in perfect accord with the prophecies (vs. 6-8). The prophets had declared, “Behold, thy King com eth . . . riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Zech. 9:9, R.V.). It cannot be certainly known whether the multitude that hailed
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