Middletown transcript., 1921-01-29
!. The Preparation wv. 1-6).

!. The Preparation wv. 1-6).
1. The sending of the disciples for
the ass wv. 1-3). He told them just
where to go to find it and told them
how to answer the inquiry of the one
who owned it. This shows how per-
fectly our Lord knows our ways. God
uses unlikely and apparently insignifi-
cant things in the accomplishment OF
his purposes.
2. The fulfillment of prophecy wv.
4,5). Some five hundred years before
this Zechariah had made this predic-
ton. If the predictions Of His first
coming were thus literally fulfilled
there is no alternative but to believe
that those Of His second coming will
be literally fulfilled. The prediction
Of Zechariah ID :3-11 will be just as
literal as that of Zechariah 90.
8. The obedience of the disciples
". g.. The request may have seemed
strange and unreasonable, but they
fully obeyed. True disciples will rem.
der full and glad obedience no matter
how strange the command may SEEM
II. The Entrance Of the King wv
7-1D.
1. The disciples put their garments
| upon the ass and set the Lord upon
them ". y. This act showed that they
recognized Him as their King III Kings
9:13).
2. The multitude. Some spread their
garments in the way; others who had
no garments, to spare cut down
branches and did the same with them,
which was just as acceptable to Him.
To give what we have and to do what
we can is all that He demands Of us.
8. The city shaken wv. 10, 11). This
was a stirring time, but one more
| stirring is coming. That will be when
the Lord comes in power and glory.
III. The King Rejected (vv. 12-10.
The Immediate occasion of this re-
lection was the cleansing of the tenn
pie. A like cleansing had been made
some two years before (John 2:13-1O,
but the worldlings had gone back to
their old trade.
w. The Nation Rejected by the
King wv. 18-46).
Having in this official presentation
shown their unwillingness to receive
Christ, He turns from them and by
parallels makes known their awful con-
dition. :.
1. The barren fig tree cursed wv.
1922. It was on the morrow after
His official presentation as Jesus was
returning from Jerusalem that He OBJ
served the unfruitful fig tree. Be
cause of hunger He sought for figs,
and finding none He caused to fall
upon it withering curse. This fig
tree full Of leaves but barren Of fruit
is a type of Israel. With its leaves
It gave a show of life, but being destf-
tute of fruit 1t had no right to en-
cumber the ground. The nation thus
stood like a mountain in the way of
the gospel. He encouraged the dis
ciples by showing them that If they
had faith even this great mountain
should not stand in their way.
2. The parable of the two sons wv.
2S-32). Both sons were told by tn
father to work in the vineyard. The
one, like the profligate publican, re-
fused outright to obey, but afterward
repented and went The other pre-
tended willingness to obey, but in real
ity did not. The first one represents
the publicans and harlots; the second,
the self-righteous, proud pharisees,
priests and elders. The Lord declared
that the publicans and harlots would
go into the kingdom before them.
| 8. The parable Of the householder
wv. 33-46).
(1) The householder. This was God
himself. (2) The vineyard. This
means Israel (see lisa. 5:1-7; Jer. :21 ;
Ps. SO:8). The Lord went to part1cu-
lar pains to gather out this nation
and make it separate, bestowfng Pc
culiar favors upon it. This vineyard
SO well kept and provided for did not
bear fruit. (3) The husbandmen.
These were the spiritual guides, the
rulers and teachers of Israel, the mem.
bers of the sanhedrin. az The serv-
ants sent for the fruits of the vine.
yard. These were the various proph.
cts whom God sent to the nation. The
maltreatment and rejection of the
prophets is fully set forth in the
Scriptures. They were beaten and
killed. (5) The Son. He is the Lord
Jesus Christ. Gods only and beloved
Son. He came into their midst. They
knew Him to be the Son, but they did
not receive His message nor bow to
His authority. They cast Him out Of
the vineyard and slew Him. They knew
this was intended for them. He now
asked them for their own verdict upon
such villainous ingratitude. He took
the place Of a Judge and pronounced
Judgment upon them on the basis Of
their own verdict.