The Newtown bee., 1908-06-05

l VI SSiSuiiSo lb lloD bSCll to think of the saving work of Jesus Christ in this three-fold aspect of Prophet, Priest and King. It is my thought tonight to invite your atten- tion to the consideration of this last aspect, namely the
 KINGLY ASPECT OF THE WORK
 OF JESUS CHRIST.
 Let no one. say this is hls full doctrine of salvation, that he underestimates the prophetic and the priestly element of the work of Jesus.
 Be that what it may, tonight it seems to me that we can with profit concentrate our attention and our thought upon the kingship of Him whom we love to call Master and Lord. It has been customary in the past to think of the Kingship of Jesus in two distinct ways; some have looked to his death and resurrection, to his ascen- tion, to his second coming, the judg- ment of the world, as emphasis of the regal qualities of his life, but for me tonight prefer rather to find a kingly aspect to the life of Jesus in the every day details of his ministry; details in which he evidenced the marvellous con- trol of himself and of others; and it is to this precise aspect of the truth that our text calls attention, Jesus there fore came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment" You remember that the night before Jesus had been tried before the Sanhedran and condemned, upon the charge that he claimed to be the Son of God. Early in the morning he was hurried before Pilate, on the charge that he claimed to be king and Pilate asks him, "Art thou king then?' and Jesus replies "To this end have 1 been born and to this end l came into the world, that I might bear witness to the truth. I am a king, but my kingdom is the king dom of Truth
 Pilate is frightened; he wonders what this may mean he questions him further, but his conclusion is that Jesus is innocent; but the soldiers scourge him; they plat the crown of thorns and put it upon his head, and they cast about him a purple garment, and Pilate says ''In order that ye may know that find no crime in him I bring him out to you"
 Jesus therefore came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple gar ment." Behold Him! In the midst of all this passion and hatred and antip- athy Jesus stands as the one alone dignified, controlled and self master; He alone in the midst of all this mock cry is the King!
 Now it is to this aspect of the King ship of Jesus that 1 want to invite your attention, and 1 find it manifested in two distinct ways. In the first place Jesus manifested kingship over himself; during those six weeks when he entered into the wilderness and struggled with the problem of a life work, when there came to him repeat ed suggestions as to what should be the method of procedure as he struggled with these evil thoughts and tempta- tisns. then it was that we see Jesus was master of himself. There came to Him the distinct alternative of testing the Messianic power and presuming upon the care of his Father, of filling all the popular Messianic expectations or in place of all that, choosing as the sphere of his operation, only the life of man. Jesus chose the latter, and in it all he evidenced marvellous self control and self-mastery; Jesus was king of the inner life in those days of struggle and temptation, and his whole ministry is but the sole realization of that fact.
 In those days of temptation and struggle He mastered himself and his life is but the expression of that vic tory. Jesus stands before the world as a man full of self-control, of dignity, of matchless power. Jesus stands be- fore us as king over those most bit ter temptations that come to any man. As He goes out into life he meets the religious leaders of the day. They him, they do all in their power to thwart his purpose, but Jesus disre- gards it all and goes steadily forward to do that which he considers his duty. | They mock him, they deride him, but | Jesus ignores it; often Jesus enters in- to an effective criticism of them and | their teaching; Jesus hurls against | them the worst invectives that the | world has ever seen, Woe unto you, scribes and Phariseesl" Jesus in it | all, as he dealt with these religious leaders, was master of his own selfish | thought and tendency.
 The multitude would come and take lim and make him king, but he passed