SECT. II. TRIUMPHANT ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM.* (MATT. xxi. MARK XI. LUKE xix.) JERUSALEM. And it came to pass on the next day when they drew nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway at your entering ye shall find an ass tied and a colt with her, whereon yet never man sat, loose them and bring them hither. And if any man ask you, Why do you loose them? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of them, and straightway he will send them hither. And they that were sent went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without, in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. And as they were loosing the colt the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? And they said unto them as Jesus had commanded, The Lord hath need of him. And they let him go. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and they cast their garments upon the colt and they set Jesus thereon. All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken Zech. ix. 9. by the prophet saying, Tell ye the daughters of Zion, Behold, thy king cometh unto thee meek and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. These things understood not his disciples at the first; but when Jesus was glorified then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him. And much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem went forth to meet him. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees and strawed them in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the * We have here the public recognition of Jesus as the long expected King of Israel. From the place where the boundaries of Bethany were contiguous to those of Bethphage, two disciples were deputed to bring the colt on which the triumphant entry was to be made. It is supposed that Peter and John were the two appointed, and that from the former Mark received his minute information. The ass was no doubt brought as well as the colt, but Mark and Luke mention the latter only. descent of the mount of Olives, the multitudes that went before and that followed began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, and they cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, Blessed Ps. cxviii. 25. is the King that cometh in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven and glory in the highest. The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that if these should hold their peace the stones would immediately cry out. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him. lamentation lem. And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept Christ's over it, saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in over Jerusathis thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.* For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and encompass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was. moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus entered into the temple, and the blind and the lame came to him and he healed them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, The hour of Christ's great triumph was an hour of touching tenderness, and, forgetful of the joy and adulation of the multitude, his eyes filled with tears as Jerusalem, beset, beleagured, and doomed to a terrible destruction, rose before his mind. How truly was this prophecy fulfilled when Jerusalem, 40 years after, was surrounded with the Roman hosts, when a great wall was drawn round the city, to cut off all hope of escape, when the city and the temple were consumed with fire, and their foundations were levelled with the ground! Ps. viii. 2. Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple : and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve, and lodged there.* Deut. xiv. 24, 26. Isa. lvi. 7. SECT. III. THE BARREN FIG TREE.-THE TEMPLE Monday, the fourth day before the Passover. (MATT. xxi. MARK XI. LUKE xix.) Now in the morning, as they returned into the city from Bethany, he hungered. And seeing a fig tree afar off, having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon. And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And his disciples heard it. And presently the fig tree withered away.† And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went unto the temple of God, and cast out all them that bought and sold in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; and would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.‡ But the chief priests, and the scribes, and the chief of the people, though they sought to destroy him, could not find what they might do, for they feared him because all the * On the evening of his triumphal entry, Jesus seems only to have looked round on all the things he saw in the temple courts, then to have retraced his steps, and retired to the quiet home of Bethany. The mercenary desecration of the sacred place, to which the needs of the festal season had given a fresh impulse, must have greatly offended him. Frequently in sheltered spots of Palestine figs may be found ripe even in the month of April. The one here referred to displayed premature foliage, and was doomed to perpetual barrenness on account of its unfruitfulness. We have here a repetition of what Christ had done three years before. The vindication of the sanctity of his Father's house was one of his latest, as it had been one of his earliest, public acts. people were very attentive to hear him, and were astonished at his doctrine. And when even was come, he went out of the city, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives. SECT. IV. THE FIG TREE WITHERED AWAY. PARABLES.* Tuesday, the third day before the Passover. (MATT. xxi. MARK Xi. and xii. LUKE XX.) And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! And Peter, calling to remembrance, saith unto him, Master, behold the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, it shall be done. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. And they come again to Jerusalem. And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple for to hear him. And as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people came unto him, and spake unto him, saying, Tell us by what authority doest thou these things; Christ's or who is he that gave thee this authority?† And Jesus questioned. *This day, the last of the active ministry of Jesus, was marked by rapidly changing incidents, by insidious inquiry and stratagem on the part of his enemies, by solemn warnings, stern denunciations, and momentous prophecies. + Permission to teach in the temple, and to drive out the buyers and sellers, could only be given by the priests, scribes, and elders; and, seeing they had not authorized him, Jesus was, in their opinion, acting in an arbitrary and illegal manner. authority L Parable of the two sons. Parable of the wicked husbandmen. answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward that ye might believe him. Then began he to speak to the people this parable: A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the wine-fat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some. Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, |