Lesson 170 - Senior
Memory Verse
"Behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass" (Zechariah 9:9).
Cross References
I Preparation for Triumphal Entry
1. While en route to Jerusalem Jesus approached Bethany, [LUK:19:28-29]; [MAK:10:32].
2. He sent two of His disciples into the village to loose and bring a colt to Him, [LUK:19:30]; [MAT:21:1].
3. The disciples were instructed what to answer the inevitable question by the owners, [LUK:19:31].
4. The disciples found it just as the Lord had said, [LUK:19:32-34].
5. The colt was brought to Jesus who sat thereon, [LUK:19:35].
II Christ's Ride into Jerusalem
1. The disciples cast their garments in the way, [LUK:19:36]; [2KG:9:13].
2. The whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God, [LUK:19:37-38]; [LUK:2:14]; [LUK:13:35]; [PS:118:26].
3. The Pharisees wanted Jesus to rebuke the multitude, but He refused to do so, [LUK:19:39-40]; [HAB:2:11].
III Christ's Weeping over Jerusalem
1. Jesus wept over Jerusalem, [LUK:19:41-42]; [JHN:11:35].
2. Jesus told of days to come when the city would be destroyed, [LUK:19:43-44]; [LUK:21:20]; [ISA:29:3-4].
IV Christ's Cleansing of the Temple
1. Jesus cast out them that bought and sold in the Temple, [LUK:19:45].
2. He told them that His house is the house of prayer and not a den of thieves, [LUK:19:46]; [ISA:56:7]; [JER:6:3-6].
Notes
For centuries Israel had looked for a king to come, one that would deliver their country from the hand of the enemy. Great crowds were following Jesus as he passed through Jericho on His journey to Jerusalem. We do not know how many miracles were performed on this journey, but we are told about the blind beggar who sat by the wayside and was healed, and about the rich publican, Zacchæus, who received the Gospel joyfully.
Divinity of Jesus
As this great procession draws nigh to Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives, which lies just two miles east of the city, Jesus sends two of His disciples into the little town of Bethany to get a colt. He tells them that the colt is tied near the entrance of the village, and that they are to loose him and bring him to Jesus; and if the owners say anything, the disciples are to tell them that the Master has need of him. The disciples go and find the colt just as Jesus said. This act alone would prove the divinity of Jesus. If scoffers would say that Jesus could have sent someone secretly to spy out about the colt, who could say that the colt would still be there by the time the disciples reached the place. Then no one but the Lord could know what the owner of the colt would say, and that he would be willing to let the colt be taken.
Supplying the Need of the Lord
"The Lord hath need of him." What have we in our possession today that the Lord hath need of? Is it our time, our talent, or something that we possess? Would we as willingly lend it to the Lord as this man did? That act was an individual matter with the owner of the colt. We must each one answer personally to the Lord for what we have in our possession that the Lord has need of.
We could look at the question from another side and say: What a privilege this man had to let the Lord ride on his colt! He could feel highly honoured to have had such a privilege. But did he know that Jesus was the King of Glory? Was he sure that the colt would be returned to him? Do doubts arise in your heart when the Lord is asking you to surrender something to Him? Do you willingly give your best into His hands?
Proclaiming Jesus King
The slight trend toward the popular realization that Jesus was the Messiah -" the Christ -" the Son of the Living God, must have taken on new impetus when the disciples brought the colt to Jesus. Perhaps they began to whisper among themselves: "He has sent for the colt. No doubt He is going to ride into Jerusalem as a King and will take the government upon His own shoulders." So they took their garments and spread them on the colt and set Jesus thereon. It was a custom in olden days, when one was proclaimed king, to spread garments in the way and show allegiance to the new king; so they did that.
Spiritual Revelation
A wave of power and glory from another world must have swept over that company of believers as they descended the Mount of Olives. The same spirit that inspired the angelic host that night when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judæa and they sang "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14), must have filled that multitude of believers, for they rejoiced and praised God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying, "Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest."
In this Latter Rain Gospel we have seen waves of power sweep over a congregation; and with one voice praises would ascend to the God of Heaven for His mighty works to the children of men. This triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem was only a foretaste or shadow of the great coronation day when Jesus will be crowned "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
This time, He came meek and lowly, riding on a colt; the next time He will be riding on a white horse, with a sharp sword proceeding from His mouth, and accompanied by a great army of saints riding on white horses. This time He was soon to bow His head to an angry mob and give His life's blood for the sins of the whole world. The next time He will ride triumphantly over every power of the enemy and hold full sway over a conquered world, ruling the earth with a rod of iron.
Weeping Over Jerusalem
Right in the midst of their great rejoicing, when the multitudes were crying out, "Hosannah to the son of David," the heart of Jesus was breaking. He looked over the city of Jerusalem and could not keep back the emotion of His heart. He wept. He could see the awful calamity that awaited that city for their rejection of Him. He would have gathered them together as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings -" but they would not. Now their house was left unto them desolate. The peace that could have been theirs was gone. Now their eyes were blinded to the truth.
Because they knew not the day of their visitation, Jesus prophesied that the day would come when Jerusalem would be levelled to the ground: not one stone would be left upon another. That prophecy was fulfilled in A. D. 70 when the Roman leader, Titus, besieged Jerusalem and left it in ruins. The suffering the Jews went through at that time was terrible. Because the Roman did not have crosses enough on which to crucify the Jews, they crucified several on one cross. At the trial of Jesus, when those Christ rejecters cried out: "His blood be on us, and on our children," they never dreamed of the awful calamites that would befall them. The Jews today are still suffering for their rejection of Christ. In our own day we have beheld what they went through during the Nazi regime.
Are you resisting the pleadings of Jesus today? Are you turning aside His great offer of mercy? Remember God's judgments are just as sure as His mercies.
Ruling with a Rod of Iron
We are told that this triumphant entry took place on Sunday -" another point to show us that the "Lord's Day" is Sunday.
When Jesus entered the Temple He showed His power and authority by driving out those who were defiling the house of God -" an indication of what will take place when He takes over the governments of this world and rules with a rod of iron ([REV:2:27]; [REV:12:5]).
The people had desecrated the Temple of God by buying and selling their sacrifices in the Temple. How many places today, that are supposed to be dedicated to the worship of God, are desecrated by the bazaars, the raffles, the box-suppers, and the dance halls!
God is a Holy God. He dwells in a holy place. He wants to be worshiped by a holy people. He said, "My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves."
Questions
1. On what day of the week did this triumphal entry take place?
2. What have we in this lesson that proves the divinity of Jesus?
3. Why did the people spread their garments in the way?
4. Give an instance when they did that in the days of the kings of Israel.
5. When the people were crying out: "Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord," what did the Pharisees want Jesus to do?
6. What did Jesus say the stones would do if the people did not praise Him?
7. What did Jesus do when He entered the Temple?