The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-04-03
SABBATH SCHOOL,
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
APRIL :.
Lesson Text: "The Triumphal En-
try" Mark XII, 1-11-Gold-
en- Text: Mark XII, g.
Commentary.

1. "And when they came nigh to Jerusa-
| lem. unto Bethpage and Bethany, at the
| mount of Olives, He sendeth forth two OF
| His disciples" This so called triumphal
| entry Of to-day's lesson is recorded by each
OF the four evangelists. 1t is probable that
the order Of events as given in John xii. is
the real order. rs very often events are
grouped together not in the order of their
occurrence, but to prove or show that which
the Spirit. through the writer, had in view.
After being received by Zaccheus, Jesus
seems to have come to Bethany and
to have tarried and supped with Martha
and Mary and Lazarus, at which time Mary
anointed Him beforehand for His buria!
Mark xiv. 81. That supper may have been
after the Sabbath. or. as we would say, on
Saturday evening. II 80, then this entry
would be on the first day of the week, now
called Palm Sunday
2. ''And saith unto them. Go your way
into the village over against you, and as soon
as We be entered into it ye shall find colt
tied, whereon never man sat. Loose him
and bring him." We are not to suppose that
the ass and the colt were there by any pre-
arrangement of the Lord with any one, but
being there the Lord knew it, as He knows
all things, and the owner was all unwitting-
ly accomplishing the Lords pleasure.
8. "And II any man say unto you, Why do
ye this? say We that the Lord hath need Of
him, and straightway he will send him
hither." have no doubt but that the owner
OF the colt WAS disciple of Christ for 1t is
not His way to make use of the property Of
an enemy. Neither would He have His fol-
lowers have any alliance with or seek any aid
from those who are not His, for the friend
ship of the world Is enmity with God (James
iv., A. and He does not need the help OF His
enemies.
4. And they went their way and found the
colt tied by the door without in place where
two ways met. and they loose him." They
found it just as Jesus said they would. SO
did the man who believed the word that
Jesus had spoken concerning his son in John
iv., so, So. 1t is perfectly safe for us to say
concerning oil that God has spoken, II be-
lieve God that it shall be- even as 1t was told
me- (Acts xvii, 25). To believe Is the way
of peace and rest and Joy; to obey is the way
of prosperity and victory. The willing and
obedient cannot fall to eat the good of the
land Elsa. l.. 19). All the affairs of the king
dom are His. and He will see we'll to them
all. 1t is the privilege OF all His people to
know and enjoy His peace, quietness and as
surance forever Elsa. xxxii., 1T.
5. sand certain OF them that stood there
said unto them, What do ye, loosing the
oolt?' Luke says that the owners asked the
question. We need have no fear OF people or
their questions if only we are sent of God,
for He is the possessor of heaven and earth
and doeth according to His will in the army
of heaven and among the inhabitants OF the
earth, and none can stay His hand or say
unto Him. What doest Thou? (Gen. xiv. 10;
Dan. iv.. 35).
6. And they said unto them even rs Jesus
had commanded, and they let them 60"
When the Lord Jesus sends His messengers,
He always tells them what to say. When
those who profess to be His messengers have
a message of their own and not His, 1t Is
safe to conclude that He did not send them.
He Himself spake only what the Father told
Him to say (John xii. 40; xiv, 10Y, and both
prophets and apostles were under orders to
speak only what they were commanded to
say (Jer. L., Z; Eek. ill.,, 10; Jonah ILL.,, p.
David says that his psalms were not his own
composition, but that "the Spirit Of the Lord
spake by him. and His word was in Dayid's
tongue" QI Sam. xiii, p.
z. And they brought the colt to Jesus and
cast their garments on him. and He sat upon
him.. It is written in Math. xxi, 4. 5; John
xiii, II. 15 that all this was done to fulfill
the prophecy recorded in Zech. tx, g. an
other illustration of the fact that everything
that God has said shall be literally fulfilled,
and since Israel's Messiah actually rode upon
an ass colt. as the prophet said he would,
we may be perfectly sure that His feet will
actually stand again on the very same hill
from which He assembled, as the same prophet
has said in chapter XIV, 4; that He shall yet
be King over all the earth, and that all Ma
tions shall so up from year to year to Jeru-
salem to worship the King, the Lord Of Hosts,
as it is written in the same chapter.
g. "And many spread their garments in the
way. and others cut down branches of the
trees and strewed them in the way If all
believers would cast themselves at Jesus's
feet for His service as readily as these people
cast their garment under Him, how quickly
the kingdom might come! What a kingdom
it will be when all things animate and mani
mate shall be under Him, ''for He must reign
till He hath put all enemies under his feet,
for all things shall be subdued unto Him, and
in all things He shall have the pre-eminence"
q Cor xv.. Is, 90; Col. 1, 18).
g. "And they that went before and they
that followed cried. saying: Hosanna!
Blessed is He that cometh in the name Of the
Lord" This is from Ps. cxviii and is associ-
ated with Israel's joy because OF the salvation
OF Jehovah. Some of the words Of the psalm
are found in the song Of Israel ut the Red
Sea, and also in Israers millennial song,
which shall be sung when Christ shall come
again in power and glory to bring the king
dom.
10. BLESSED be the kingdom Of our father
David, that cometh in the name OF the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest" Hosanna Is SIM
ply an untranShteu hebrew WOrQ, or Two
words, which you will find In Ps. cxyiii., 25,
translated rs .''save now." The kingdom
they expected was the restoration Of David's
kingdom, the kingdom Of Israel (Acts l., 81,
and they were right in expecting it.
II. "Aud Jesus entered into Jerusalem and
into the temple, and when He had looked
round about upon all things, and now the
evcntide was come, He went out unto Beth
any with the twelve" Luke says that be-
fore He entered the city He wept over it be-
cause it knew not the time of its visitation.
He would gladly have saved them. He would
have set up the Kingdom if they had received
Him, but they received Him not. On the
contrary they were ready TO cruelty Him.
Consequently the kingdom Is postponed,
while Jesus Christ. by His Spirit, gathers out
OF all nations His church, after which He
will return to build again the tabernacle Of
David and restore all things Of which the
prophets have spoken (Acts XIV, 14-1I; ill.,,
1920. Never was anything more plainly
written by the Spirit Lesson Helper