The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-04-05
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

Little did the Jews understand the
momentous importance to them of the
event which Christians commemorate
| Oh Palm Sunday. 1t will be remem-
, bered that the incident occurred at the
close of our Lords ministry-three and
q half years after his baptism at Jor
dan and five days before his crucifix-
ion. The Jewish Sabbath had been
spent In rest at Bethany. Lazarus,
whom Jesus awakened from the sleep
of death, with his sisters Mary and
Martha. prepared for Jesus a banquet,
and when the Sabbath closed the sup
per was eaten. 1t was at that time
that Mary brought forth the box Of
perfume, spikenard very valuable, and
Herewith anointed our Lords head
and feet. 1t was the same occasion on
which Judas. In a wrong spirit. had
murmured against this expression OF
her loving devotion; that 1t was a
waste; that preferably the money
should have been given to the poor. 1t
was then that the Master defended
Mary and announced that the anoint-
ing was for his burial (Which occurred
later the same week.. and suggested
to the disciples, 'The poor We have al
ways with you. And whatsoever ye
will ye do them good: but me We have
not always"
The next morning, the first day Of
the week. corresponding to our Sun
day, Jesus made ready for his tri-
umphal entry into the city Of Jerusa.
lem as the Jewish King, according to
the custom of the Jewish kings riding
upon an ass and hailed and acclaimed
by the populace- The incident had
been foretold by the Prophet Zechs
riah in great detail, saying, Rejoice
greatly, o daughter of Zion; shout, o
daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy
King cometh unto thee; he is just. and
having salvation; lowly, and riding
upon an ass" (Zechariab *. 81.
Prophecy Must Be Fulfilled.
When the apostles had brought the
ass and Jesus sat thereon. the large
concourse Of people (Which had come
from Jerusalem to see Jesus because
of his awakening Of Lazarus) shouted
aloud. They were filled with enthusi
assn and. after the manner Of the time
some broke off palm branches for the
ass to step upon; others laid their gar,
ments In the way and thus formed, as
1t were. a carpet in the road leading
to Jerusalem near by. The shout of
the people was just as the prophet had
declared. They hailed Jesus as the
promised Son of David the Messiah
long waited for. On previous oc-
casions, when they sought to make
Jesus king, after witnessing his mar
velous works, he withdrew himself
from them, to wait for their ardor to
cool, knowing that the Fathers time
was not yet due But now he knew
that his hour was come and hence,
instead of hindering, he helped or
with the enthusiasm by sending TO-
the ass, etc Prominent sectarian Jews
present. although unable to account
for the miracle. were unprepared to
think of Jesus as the true Messiah, or
anything short of an impostor In that
role. When these heard the multitude
shouting and addressing Jesus as the
Messiah they were offended and sent
word to Jesus that he should restrain
the ignorant people who were thus ac
claiming him.
But instead Of forbidding the ova-
ton Jesus intimated that it was the
proper thing, that because the Proph-
ct zechariah dx. o. said, "Shout, 0
daughter of JerusalemF' therefore
there must be shout II the people
had not shouted, rather than have the
prophecy go unfulf1lled. Jesus said the
very stones would have cried out.
Enroute to Jerusalem Jesus halted
the ass and the procession at the top
Of the Mount of Olives and, overlook
ing the Holy City. wept while he
pronounced his sentence upon IT.
Unworthy Unappreciative! AS the
evangelist declares, Israel knew not
the time of her visitation" The time
for Israel to receive the King had
come and they were not only ignorant
Of the matter collectively, but they
were not In the heart condition to
understand or appreciate. Jesus cried,
20 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that
killest the prophets, and stonest them
which are sent unto thee. how often
would have gathered thy children
together. even as hen gathereth her
,H.t toll L4,
would notw Matthew xiii, 80 For
three and a half years he and his faith
full apostles had been declaring that
the Kingdom Of God was at hand;
that the people should repent and be-
lieve the good message And even
six months in advance of this John
the Baptist and his disciples had SINH
larly preached.
After those four years of faithful
preaching throughout the length and
breadth Of Palestine. the nation was
apparently as unprepared for Jesus
as at the first Hence our Lords fol
lowing words. Therefore ! say unto
you, Your house is left unto you DESC
late! Ye shall see me no more until
that day when We shall say-Blessed
is he that cometh in the name of the
Lordr That day has not yet come.
Meantime the Jewish nation was there
cast off from fellowship with God, as
the prophet declares. Because they
knew not the time of their visitation"
Israel has been outcast from ma
tional favor for more than eighteen
centuries. Thank God the day is near
at hand, when, at the second coming Of
Messiah, his Kingdom shall be turned
over to them. And then, as he de
clares, they will be glad to say. Bless
ed is he that cometh in the name of
the Lord" The long centuries of per
secution and separation from Gods
favor will have brought that people
to a humber condition Of heart, where
they will be glad to receive of Divine
grace upon Divine terms. To this
great event st Paul refers us in Ro-
mans ri, 27-34
Although God foreknew all that had
happened the offer of the Kingdom to
Israel was just as bona-flde. just as
genuine. as though he had not known
it. God always does his partI What
ever failure there is in any matter of
contract belongs to humanity.
If thus we have before our minds
the origin of Palm Sunday and what
1t signified as the climax of the test of
natural Israel in respect to Messiah.
we are prepared to go further and to
note that in Gods providence there is
a similar test for us Christians.
Enemies For Your Sakes"
St John emphasized particularly the
fact that the rejection of the Jewish
nation. because OF their rejection of
Messiah. did not apply to all the In
dividuals Of that nation. As the