LESSON XXIX.
JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM.
Matthew, xxi. 1-11, 14-17.
Which was the greatest miracle that Jesus ever did? It was making Lazarus alive again; because he had been dead four days.
Many of the wicked people who hated Jesus heard of it; but they only hated him the more. They said, We must kill him soon, or everyone will believe that he is the Son of God.
Jesus knew that they wanted to kill him, and so he went again and hid himself in a place they did not know of. They looked for him, but they could not find him.
But could Jesus always stay in that little quiet place, where he was hid with his disciples? No. He came down to die for us. He only waited till the time came for him to die. Then he said to his disciples, We must go to Jerusalem, and I shall be laughed at, and beaten, and killed; but I shall come out of my grave after three days.
The disciples did not like to hear this; but they chose to go with Jesus wherever he went.
Jesus walked fast along the road; at last he came near Jerusalem. Then he stopped and said to his disciples, I shall ride into Jerusalem upon an ass. Jesus had no ass of his own; he always walked from place to place. But Jesus could put it into a man’s heart to lend him one.
He said to two of his disciples, Go along the road a little way, and you will see an ass and a young ass tied, and a man standing near; bring the ass and the young one to me, for I know that the man will let them come.
So the two disciples went: when they had gone a little way they saw an ass tied up, and a young one. They began to untie the ass; but a man standing near said, Why do you untie the ass?
They said, The Lord hath need of them; and then the man let them go.
I suppose that man loved the Lord Jesus, and liked to lend him his things.
The two disciples brought the two asses to Jesus. They took off some of their clothes, and put them on the young ass, and Jesus sat upon it.
A great many people came out of Jerusalem to see Jesus, for they had heard of his making Lazarus alive again. The people began to praise Jesus, and call him king. They took off some of their clothes, and laid them down upon the road for the ass to tread upon; and they picked branches off the trees that grew near, and laid them too on the road.
So Jesus came to the great town of Jerusalem: all the people came into the streets to look at him, and even the little children began to praise him, and to call him King. The proud men, that hated Jesus, were very angry at hearing all these praises. They did not like to hear Jesus praised. They came to him and said, Why do you let these children call you king?
But Jesus liked to hear the children sing his praise, and he would not tell them to be silent.
Jesus loved little children, and these little children loved Jesus.