The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-04-28
LESSON FOR APRIL 20
JESUS WELCOMED AS KING.

Ihl lesson marks the beginning OF
that last tragic week in the life of
our Lord, the most important week in
all history since creation. The date
was probably April 1, A. D. 80.
I. The Lesson Of His KInship. wv.
12-16). Reading carefully the record
Of each evangelist, regarding this tri-
umphal entry, we are still at a loss
fully to describe the scene. It &C.
Cured the day following the supper in
the home of Mary and Martha and
Lazarus, 1. e. on the Jewish Sabbath.
From Bethphage Jesus sent two Of
his disciples into Jerusalem to secure
the colt. They were to loose him with
out asking anyone's permission, and
bring the ass and her colt to him to
whom all things belong, with no other
explanation than, "The Lord hath need
of them" (Matt. 81 :3). This command
was in line with the prophecy Czech.
9:9). The young ass was a symbol of
peace, but the going of the disciples,
In obedience to his command, was an
act of faith, and obedience Is the su-
preme test Of discipleship John
1910. In response to their faith,
they found everything just as he said
1t would be CLuke 10 1927. Placing
their garments upon the colt Matt.
21:7) Jesus rode upon 1t toward the
city, the people crying, "Hosanna"-
literally, "Save, I beseech" Cps. 10 81
40; see Luke 10 :3S; Nix. II $40; Matt.
81 :9). The enthusiasm of the moment
was tremendous. For the mOment this
great crowd (Mk. II :S) believed that
Jesus was really the Messiah, threw
the garments of their holiday attire in
his way Matt. 81 :S), and cast their
palm branches before him. The Phari-
sees protested duke 10 :39-4O), but the
enemies of Jesus for the moment were
impotent (John 12:19). The Phari-
sees forgot their dignity to such an
extent as to get excited along with the
multitude, though with another pur-
pose (See Luke 10 :37-40). Unfor-
~tunately the enthusiasm of the peo-
pie was not long-lived. Many of the
same ones were oon crying, "Crucify
him" och. 10 :14-15). Jesus himself
did not join in the general joy duke
10 :41-44), for he, with prophetic eye,
saw the outcome (Luke 10 :41-44).
II. The Lesson Of Reverence wv. II
49, 1t Is n thing to acknowledge
Jesus as a King. 1t is quite another to
revere him as Lord and Savior. Never
was there a time when we need more
to have reverence for things holy and
for constituted authority than the
present day. The act of reverence on
the part of this multitude for the God
anointed King ought to be a suggestion
to those who look upon Jesus merely
as q man..
Ride triumphantly;
Behold we lay
Our lusts and proud Wills in Thy way.
Jesus grief is in strange contrast
with the joy of the multitude. The
practical application for us today is:
Have We cast III talents before him,
Gods r~ightfully anolnted King?" There
a been a large company of people
present when Jesus was at the tomb
OF Lazarus, and raised him from the
dead. The testimony of these eve
witnesses to the power of Jesus must
have had great weight with tAe multi
tude. The enthusiasm of this crowd
for Jesus excited the hatred of the
Pharisees, making it all the more in
tense, for they saw the crowd forsak-
Ing them, and following one whom
they envied and hated. To one anoth.
er they exclaimed, Behold, how We
prevail nothing" Notice the personal
pronoun "ye," seeking to lay the fault
upon others rather than taking .their
own share of the burden, another
touch of human nature which is evil
dent even today.
Ill. The Lesson of the Greek Pill
grims wv. 20-26). These Greeks came
first to Philip, who himself was a
Greek. The hour had come ". 23)
the work Of Jesus for the Jews
was to be finished. The Jews had
been threatened with Greek religion,
and that assault had been stopped by
Pharisees. Christ came first to
Jews that through them he might
the Gentiles. Now his work for
jews is done. He rejOices as he
sees the Greeks coming to him, for it
was to be in Greek dress and in Greek
form Of expression that Christianity
was to conquer the world. But this
rejoicing is tinged with sorrow, for 1t
was a prophecy Of the price that he
must pay for the redemption of the
The Son of Man was glorified by his
death; he was glorifed by his recep-
tion on the part OF the Gentiles; he
was glorifed by the approval of the
Verse "a expresses one of the most
tremendous facts In the life of Jesus
(Cf. I Cor. 10 1897.
Think of the rich fruits Of Christ's
death, the countless lives that he
reached and ennobled. and the effect
Of his life on the practicaI affairs NJ