Hosanna!

Hosanna!

(No. 2196)

A SERMON DELIVERED ON LORD'S-DAY MORNING, MARCH 22, 1891,

BY C. H. SPURGEON,

AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON.

"And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried saying,
Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is He that comes in the name of
the Lord; Hosanna in the highest" Matthew 2:19.

AFTER the miracle of the raising of Lazarus, a great fame went abroad
concerning our Lord. He still rested at Bethany and the people came up
to the feast in great number–an easy walk from Jerusalem to
Bethany–to see Jesus and to see Lazarus, who had been raised from the
dead. These people, on a certain day, formed a company and marched with
Jesus towards Jerusalem. On the way our Lord sent two of His disciples
to fetch a donkey and its colt–and upon this last He rode into the
city. Another crowd, coming out of Jerusalem, met the company attending
upon Jesus and, forming one great procession, the whole multitude
marched into the city escorting the Lord Jesus in humble state and
paying Him honor as King in Zion. Upon no stately warhorse, but riding
upon a colt, the foal of a donkey, the meek and lowly King entered the
city of David attended by vast and enthusiastic crowds who strewed the
fronds of palms, the branches of trees and their own garments in the
way along which He rode. Our Lord thus received a right royal and
popular reception to the metropolis of His nation. This was a strange
event, so very different from anything else that happened to our
Savior, that one wonders at it with great wonderment. That it is to be
viewed as an important event is clear, since every one of the four
Evangelists takes pains to record it (see Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19
and John 12). Even of certain of the greater events of our Lord's life
the Holy Spirit has not preserved us four accounts, but since He has
done so in this case, He thereby calls us to give the more earnest heed
to it. Herein is a mine of teaching–let us dig into it.

Assuredly, this honor paid to our Lord was passing strange–a gleam of
sunlight in a day of clouds, a glimpse of summer in a long and dreary
winter! He that was, as a rule, "despised and rejected of men," was,
for the moment, surrounded with the acclaim of the crowd. All men
saluted Him that day with their Hosannas–and the whole city was moved.
It was a gala day for the disciples and a sort of coronation day for
their Lord.

Why was the scene permitted? What was its meaning? The marvel is that
nothing like it had occurred before, for our Lord had healed many sick
folk and these and their friends must have felt favorably towards Him.
He had fed thousands at a time with the bread of this life and hosts
had been cheered and comforted by His teaching. The common people heard
Him gladly and were ready to gather around Him. Among an excitable
people it was a wonder that they had not long ago taken Him by force
and made Him king. No one had yet appeared so like the Messiah of their
Prophets–no one had so well deserved the people's gratitude. If they
had, from the first, accepted Him as their monarch, and if they had
watched every opportunity of doing Him homage, nobody would have been
surprised. The marvel is that the popular enthusiasm had been repressed
so long.

It was the Lord Himself who had suppressed the popular enthusiasm. With
great skill He had succeeded in bridling a dangerous fanaticism. He
"did not strive nor cry, nor cause His voice to be heard in the
streets"–and with such a cry, and such a voice as He had–the marvel
was that He preserved quiet and kept the nation from revolt. Had He
withdrawn His hand, the people would have been eager to assail their
foreign rulers. Had this been the errand on which He came, He might at
any moment have been saluted as, "the King of the Jews." He, with a
masterly art, repressed everything that would have made Him a popular
hero. He uttered unpalatable Truth, or He stole away from the scene of
His miracles, or He kept Himself in obscure villages–and thus He
eluded their honors.

When He had fed the multitudes, He took ship and went to the other side
of the lake that they might not follow Him. Many men live for ambitious
ends, but our Lord lived to escape the honors of men. The proud hunt
after praise, but our Lord fled from preferment, hid Himself from fame
and shunned the throne which by descent belonged to Him. He often bade
those whom He healed go home and tell no man what He had done, for the
dense throngs that gathered about Him rendered it difficult for Him to
move on His mission of mercy. "He went about doing good," and did not
wait in any place to reap the laurels which His miracles had earned
Him. No wonder that, at last, the people felt forced to surround Him
with their praises! The pent-up fires of gratitude at last had vent!
The covered flames of admiration leaped up, at last, and cast a
brilliant light over the old city! Men's hearts had been somewhat worse
than diabolical if they had not felt a grateful enthusiasm for so grand
a benefactor. No one before had ever so greatly blessed
Judea–thousands of voices felt it joy to cry, "Hosanna," before such a
One!

It came at last, you see–I have read you the story in John and in
Matthew. They saluted Him with their shouts of loyal welcome. But there
was little in the acclamation when it did come. There was great
shouting for the while, abundant strewing of branches and lining of the
road with garments–but there was little else. Remember what happened
less than a week afterwards? If not the same individuals, yet people of
the same city cried, "Crucify Him, crucify Him." The Hosannas may be
very loud, but they will not be long. "Blessed is He that comes in the
name of the Lord" sounds very sweet, but how much more vehement will be
the cry, "Let Him be crucified"? Everything which comes to Jesus and
His cause by popular acclamation requires to be duly weighed–and when
weighed it will be found wanting. "Vox populi, vox Dei," they used to
say, but the saying is false–the voice of the people may seem to be
the voice of God when they shout, "Hosanna in the highest"–but whose
voice is it when they yell out, "Crucify Him, crucify Him"?

"Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lie."
So little value did our Lord place on popular applause that He
repressed it! And when it did burst forth, so little did it elevate His
spirit that we find Him in the midst of it, gazing upon the city with
tears in His eyes. While others were glad, He was weeping for the woes
which His prophetic eye foresaw! The throng was carried away by the
present moment and the enthusiasm of the hour, but His heart was
anticipating that dreadful day when they would find His blood upon them
and upon their children–and the Romans would utterly destroy their
city and quench the light of Zion in rivers of blood! It may be well
that an enthusiastic admiration of religion should be professed by the
multitude, but it is no more stable than smoke! It may seem good that
the Christian minister should be popular, but popularity is lighter
than vanity! Once the Savior rides in state as a King, but soon He
walks down those very streets bearing His Cross like a criminal! How
soon is the public voice purchased for evil! What dependence can be
placed on the clamor of the streets?

We, however, have the story placed before us four times by the
Evangelists and, therefore, let us now give it our attentive
consideration. May the good Spirit impart instruction to us by this
strange stir and singular scene! May some Divine impulse come to us out
of this riding of our lowly King into Jerusalem!

First, I shall ask you to think of Christ triumphant in Jerusalem.
Secondly, I shall bid you see herein Christ glorified in His Church.
And then, thirdly, we will think of Christ entering into the heart.
Under these three divisions we may arrange our thoughts and, God
helping us, we may meditate to profit.

I. First, I ask you to view CHRIST TRIUMPHANT IN JERUSALEM. Why this
procession? Why these shouts of

homage? Our Lord always had a reason, and an excellent one, for all
that He arranged or permitted. What die He mean by this? How shall we
interpret the scene?

I think it was, first, that He might most openly declare Himself. He
had frequently avowed His mission in plain speech. He had told them who
He was and why He came, but they would not hear, so that they dared to
say to Him, "If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." He had plainly
told them times without number. Now He will assure them still more
positively of His Kingdom by openly riding into the city of Jerusalem
in state. Now shall they see that He claims to be the Messiah, sent of
God, of whom the Prophet said, "Say you to the daughter of Zion,
Behold, your salvation comes." Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings
shall His fame be proclaimed–multitudes of people shall acknowledge
with loud voices that, "He comes in the name of the Lord"–until the
envious Pharisees shall be driven to ask, "Do you hear what these say?"

You will remember that our Lord rode into Jerusalem as a King, but He
was also brought there as the Lamb of God's Passover, whose blood must
save the people. It was not meet that the Lamb of God should go to the
altar without

observation. It was not fit that He who takes away the sin of the world
should be led to the Temple unobserved. The day was near when He was to
be offered up and all eyes were called to look on Him and know who and
what He was. Therefore He permitted this great gathering and this
honorable attention to Himself that He might say to Israel, by deeds as
well as by words, "I am He that should come. I am He who of old had
said, Lo, I come: in the volume of the Book it is written of Me, I
delight to do Your will, O My God." Thus He, beyond all question,
manifested Himself to the people. When they crucified Him, the rulers
knew what He professed to be. Albeit many of them were in ignorance as
to the truthfulness of His claims, yet they knew right well that they
were crucifying One who professed to be the Lord of Glory–One who was
acknowledged to be the Son of David–One who had publicly avowed
Himself to be King in Zion. I think this was one reason for the joyous
entry into the city of God.

Next, it was our Lord's public claiming of authority over Israel. He
was the Son of David and, therefore, He was, by natural right, the King
of the Jews. If He had taken possession of His own, He would have been
sitting on the throne of the chosen dynasty of David by right of birth.
He was, moreover, as the Messiah and Christ, the King of His people,
Israel. Concerning Him it had been said by the Prophet, "Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold,
your King comes unto you: He is just and having salvation; lowly and
riding upon a donkey, and upon a colt the foal of a donkey." Our Lord
Jesus literally came to Zion in this manner. As King, He rode to His
capital and entered His palace. In His priestly royalty, the Son of God
went to His Father's House, to the Temple of sacrifice and sovereignty.

Among the tribes of Israel He is seen to be "One chosen out of the
people," whom the Lord had given to be a Leader and Commander for the
people. Although they might afterwards choose Barabbas and cry that
they had no king but Caesar, yet Jesus was their King, as Pilate
reminded them, when he said, "Shall I crucify your king?"–and as His
Cross declared, when it bore the legal inscription, "This is Jesus the
King of the Jews." Before His trial and His condemnation, He had put in
a public claim to the rights and prerogatives of Zion's King, whom God
has set upon His holy hill. Would to God all my Hearers fully
recognized our Lord's Kingdom and yielded to His sway! Oh, that you
would bow before Him and put your trust in Him! Part of His intent in
riding through Jerusalem was that we, also, who dwell in the isles of
the sea might know Him and reverence Him as King of Kings and Lord of
Lords. Let each one cry in His inmost soul–

"Great King of Grace, my heart subdue, I would be led in triumph, too.
A willing captive to my Lord, To sing the victories of His Word."

Possibly our Savior intended, also, by this singular procession, to let
His enemies know His real strength among the people. If He could gather
so great a crowd of adherents without any summons or prearrangement,
surely the whole population must have been, to a large degree, in His
favor. If such an enthusiastic reception was spontaneously given Him,
how many would have gathered if a plan had been arranged? Had He agreed
to lead them against the Romans, thousands of fanatics would have
followed His banner! If He had designed to make Himself a king and had
permitted His servants to fight, the old fierce courage of the Jewish
race would have burned like a flame of fire and His enemies would have
fled before Him. He came not with war in His heart, but He would let
the foeman see the hilt of the sword which He might have drawn from its
sheath–He would let scribe and Pharisee bite their lips while they
said, "Perceive you how you prevail nothing? Behold, the world is gone
after Him."

If the Savior had willed to use the baser methods that men, nowadays,
would freely employ, by asking the world's alliance, He might have made
Himself a King at once. Had He blended politics with religion and
yielded something to general prejudice, He might at once have set up a
worldly kingdom! But no, He knew no selfish ambition–His kingdom was
not of this world! He came not that He might be honored, here, but that
He might be put to shame for our redemption! The diadem to which He
aspired was a crown of thorns–yet He lets His adversaries see that He
was not lowly because He was weak, nor gentle because He was feeble!
They might, if they would, have seen by that day in Jerusalem, the
greatness of the self-denial which abstained from earthly honors.

Nor have I exhausted the Savior's reasons. We are told by the
Evangelist that He did this that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by the Prophet. I have just now quoted the text from Zechariah 9:9–our
Lord was always careful and earnest to fulfill each Prophecy of Holy
Scripture. He held the Inspired Word in high esteem and was careful of
each letter of it. You never hear a word from Him derogatory of the
Inspiration, authority, accuracy, or Infallibility of the Law

and the Prophets! He fulfils the Word of the Lord even to its jots and
tittles. He directed His life by that old chart in which the way of the
Messiah was laid down long before He came to earth! Oh, for the same
reverence of Scripture among preachers nowadays! God forbid that we
should be lowering men's ideas of Inspiration, as some are fond of
doing. May we value every Word which came from the Lord in old time!
May we willingly change the course of our thought and teaching rather
than neglect a single Word of Inspiration! When we see what the will of
the Lord is, let us follow it implicitly. Obedience to the rule of
Scripture was the way of the Head–it should also be the way of the
members. If the King, Himself, is careful in His walk towards the Word
of God, surely we ought to be!

I also think that as our Lord thus looked back and fulfilled Scripture,
He was looking forward to give us a prophetic type of the future.
Beloved, our Lord will not always be rejected. There are days of
triumph for Him. "The stone which the builders refused is become the
head stone of the corner." This is the age of iron, but there comes a
golden age of love and light. We look for His appearing and His
reign–His reign of peace and joy! There will come a day when the
kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His
Christ. He shall sit upon the Throne of His father, David, and of His
Kingdom there shall be no end. The Lord shall reign forever and ever.
Hallelujah! Has not Jehovah said to Him, "Ask of Me, and I shall give
You the heathen for Your inheritance and the uttermost parts of the
earth for Your possession"? Yes, there will come a day when He that was
the reproach of men shall be the Glory of His people! Kings shall bow
down before Him. All generations shall call Him blessed.

When I see that joyful procession going up the hill to Zion and mark
how they that went before, joined with those who followed after, while
the King Himself rode in the center, I seem to see a rehearsal of the
long succession of the faithful in all ages. The Prophets have gone
before Him–listen to their loud Hosannas! We come behind Him, even we
upon whom the ends of the earth have come, and we have our glad
Hosannas, too! Here Patriarchs join with Apostles, Prophets are one
with martyrs, and priests keep rank with pastors and deacons–all with
one voice lifting up the same note, "Hosanna! Blessed is He that comes
in the name of the Lord." We see, then, in the simple state of our Lord
in the streets of Jerusalem, a vision of the long glories which await
Him in the New Jerusalem where He shall sit upon His Throne– and His
enemies shall be made His footstool!

One thing more I cannot help mentioning. Surely our Lord allowed the
populace a vent for their enthusiasm with the desire to delight His
friends. Do you not think that the sympathetic Jesus thought it worth
while to give His little band of followers what our forefathers would
have called, "a gaudy day"–a high day–a holiday? These had been with
Him in His humiliation and He would give them a taste of His Glory.
They had seen Him despised and rejected of men–and He relieved the
monotony of His humiliation with a glimpse of His Glory. For once they
should be allowed to cast their garments under His feet and strew
fragrant branches on His path. For once their zeal should have license
to climb the trees and break down the boughs to strew His pathway.
Nothing on that day filled their ears but the praises of their beloved
Lord and honored Master! They would soon enough have sorrow when they
would see Him seized in the garden and taken away bound to Caiaphas and
Pilate to be condemned to die. He would give them a breathing space, an
interval of pleasure wherein their spirits should no longer drag on
earth, but rise on wings, into a lofty joy!

Our Lord loves His people to be glad. He kept His tears to Himself as
He wept over Jerusalem, but the gladness He scattered all around, so
that even the boys and girls in the streets of Jerusalem made the
Temple courts to ring with their merry feet and gladsome songs. Hear
how they clap their hands with delight! "Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!"
You hear it everywhere and the Lord smiles as He sees the joy which
pours in floods around Him. The Lord loves to cast into our cup, some
drops of Heaven's own honey until the bitterness of grief is sweetened
and His followers are made happy by their joy in Himself. "Let the
children of Zion be joyful in their King." I wish I could express
myself in tones more clear and musical, but though bodily weakness
compels me to be measured in my utterance, my soul does magnify the
Lord and my spirit does rejoice in God my Savior. May the Lord Himself
cast into your hearts the burning coals of joyful love to Him– and so
may your souls take fire and blaze aloft with vehement flames of
delight! May this day be to your spirits a day of palms and Psalms, of
prayers and praises, of Hallelujahs and Hosannas! Let us sing all day,
as we sung in our opening hymn–

"Hosanna to the anointed King, To David's holy Son! Help us, O Lord!
Descend and bring Salvation from Your Throne.

Blest be the Lord who comes to men

With messages of Grace!

Who comes in God, His Father's name,

To save our sinful race.

Hosanna in the highest strains

The Church on earth can raise;

The highest heavens, in which He reigns,

Shall give Him nobler praise!"

II. Secondly, my text is, to my mind, a parable of CHRIST GLORIFIED IN
HIS CHURCH. There are choice days when the shout of a King is heard in
our assemblies. We have not yet fallen to a dull monotony of
barrenness–we have hills like those of Carmel. The low water mark of
lukewarmness is covered deep beneath flood tides of holy exultation. I
am going to speak about these hallowed seasons.

I think that such days come to the Church of God after special miracles
of Grace have been worked. Lazarus is raised from the dead and when the
people see the greatness of the Prophet of Nazareth, they begin to
commend and extol Him–and this leads on to holy excitement! If the
Lord will be pleased to work remarkable conversions among us, we shall
have grand times! If special instances of His gracious power are seen
by us, we will bear our palms of victory before Him and many hearts
will enquire, "Who is this?" Our hearts shall rejoice as with the joy
of harvest when we see the Lord saving great sinners! Yes, we will
shout as victors who divide the spoil! Do you not think that when Saul
of Tarsus was converted and the Churches had rest, that they also had
great exultation in their King? Everywhere it must have been spoken of
that fierce Pharisee who had become a bold preacher of the faith which
once he sought to destroy! What joy there is in saintly hearts when
ringleaders in sin become champions for the Truth of God! Oh that our
God would work such transformations in this city! Pray, my Brothers and
Sisters, that the Lord would do the same for us–and for all His
Churches just now. Oh, for displays of His power to quicken the dead!
Oh, for Lazarus to be raised and to live among us as a wonder of Divine
Grace whom neighbors would come to see! O Lord, give us this signal of
delight! Let us see Your arm made bare in the eyes of all the people!

Next, it was a time of testimony, for those who had been present and
had seen Lazarus raised from the dead, bore witness. One stepped
forward and said, "With these eyes I saw Lazarus come forth from the
tomb of rock." "As for me," said another, "I saw him buried and I
helped to carry him to the grave. But I saw him come back to the house
alive." "Yes," said a third, "I rolled away the stone and as I stood
watching for the result, I saw the dead man come forth alive–and I
helped to loosen his grave clothes." All these bore witness to what
they had seen. You cannot tell what a joyful effect it produces and
what enthusiasm is stirred when one after another bears personal
witness. Lord, open men's mouths! Lord, make the quiet ones to tell
forth Your praise! Your silent tongues deprive us of our joy. Your
cowardly reticence robs Christ of His Glory and the Church of its
increase. If God has done anything for you, or you have seen Him do
anything for others, bear testimony to it! It is the Lord's due and
your duty, that you should speak to the glory of Christ Jesus. When
great wonders have been done and those who saw them are willing to bear
their testimony, then we may look for red-letter days wherein gladness
and praise shall be in the ascendant.

It was a good sign, too, of joy to come, that the enemies were now
raging worse than ever. They sought to kill both Jesus and Lazarus. If
the devil never roars, the Church will never sing! God is not doing
much if the devil is not awake and busy. Depend upon it, that a working
Christ makes a raging devil! When you hear ill reports, cruel speeches,
threats, taunts and the like, believe that the Lord is among His people
and is working gloriously. We look upon the "many adversaries" as one
of the tokens that a great door and effectual is set before us. When we
hear thunder, we look for rain. Wrath in the lowest Hell is a
prognostic of Hosanna in the highest Heaven!

It is also a cheering sign when there is a general eagerness among the
people concerning our Lord. When the disciples gather around their
Master and are prompt to do His bidding, then good times are come. When
all agree, it is also well. When they that go before, and they that
follow after are all of the same mind, then is it a day of joy. When
gray heads grow young and young heads grow wise, it is a token for
good. When the aged lift up their eyes to Heaven and say, "God, even
our own God, shall bless us," things look well. When our matrons and
our sires grow hopefully confident and say, "The Lord has blessed us in
days gone by and He is going to bless us yet again," then the weather
glass points to "Set fair." When the younger sort, that follow after,
who have been converted but lately, burn with a holy zeal and cry,

"We will give the Lord no rest until He blesses us," then the sun of
the Church is shining high up in the sky. When we are all ready, each
man, each woman, ready to take our share in the harvesting, then will
the sheaves be garnered! It is cheering when the congregation shares
the excitement with the Church and its ministers–and the prospect of a
Divine blessing is before the mind of all who seek better things.
Surely, the time to favor Zion, yes, the set time has come, when her
King is longed for and every heart beats high with love for Him!

The case is clear when all this is attended with an abounding
generosity. It is well when disciples are not only willing to fetch
another man's colt, but are willing to lay their own garments on
it–when they will not only gather palm fronds to strew the path, but
will take off their own coats to carpet the way of the King! When
everybody does something, or gives something, or, at any rate, joins in
the hearty Hosannas, then is the King come into our midst! Our King is
not where hearts are miserly and souls are selfish, but one token of
His Presence is that His people offer willingly unto the Lord. At such
times Believers feel that they are not their own, but are bought with a
price–and things which once looked like sacrifices too great to be
expected of them are cheerfully presented as sacrifices of joy.

Beloved, we must not forget that it is a token of God's having come to
His Church and of His having given her a joyful day when the children
share in it. Luther was greatly encouraged when he found that the
children met together for prayer. He said, "God will hear them. The
devil himself cannot defeat us now that the children begin to pray." It
is very beautiful to read Mr. Whitefield's remarks about his sermons at
Moorfields and elsewhere in London, when mud and stones were cast at
him and yet a group of children always surrounded his pulpit. And
though some of them were hurt, yet he noticed how bravely they stood by
him through the service. He thought it a token for good that children
drank in his words. When God moves the children to earnestness, He will
soon move their fathers and mothers! When boys and girls meet to praise
God, do not despise their little meetings, nor say, "It is only a
parcel of children." The children are, in God's esteem, the most
precious portion of the race! He sets high store by His little ones and
He has set a special curse upon those who offend one of the little ones
that believe in Him. Jesus, Master, come, we pray You! Come in Your
lowly pomp, in all Your gentleness and Grace, and then will the
children of these modern days sing loud Hosannas to Your name, like
those in Your Temple of old.

I want you to notice in our text that our Savior was received with the
shout of Hosanna! The best interpretation I can give is–"Save, oh,
save! Save, oh, save!" Different nations have different ways of
expressing their good will to their monarchs. A Roman would have
shouted, "Io triumphe!" We sing, "God save our gracious Queen." The
Persians said, "O King, live forever." The Jews cried, "Hosanna!"
"Save," or, "God save the King!" The French have their "Vivas," by
which they mean, "Long live the man." Hosanna is tantamount to all
these. It is a shout of homage, welcome and loyalty. It wishes wealth,
health and honor to the king. In the Saxon we say, "Hurrah." In Hebrew,
"Hosanna." That mighty shout startled all the streets of the old
city–"Hosanna, Hosanna, the King is come! Save Him, O Lord! Save us
through Him! Long live the King!" While it was a shout of homage, it
was also a prayer to the King. "Save, Lord; save us, O King! O King,
born to conquer and to save, deliver us!" It was, moreover, a prayer
for Him–"God save the King, God bless and prosper His Majesty. "Prayer
also shall be made for Him continually; and daily shall He be praised."
We never cease to pray, "Your Kingdom come; Your will be done in earth,
as it is in Heaven." Let us then cry, Hosanna, making it at once a
loyal shout! A prayer to our King and a prayer for Him. All these
things appear in the benediction which follows, "Blessed is He that
comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest."

Would it be amiss if we were to indulge in a hearty shout for our King?
May we never grow enthusiastic? May we never overleap the bounds of
prim propriety? Shall we never cry Hallelujah! Shall no Hosannas burst
from our lips? Surely, if our King will come into the midst of His
Church, again, and end these black days of doubt, we must and will
shout, or else the very stones will cry out! Yes, O Lord Jesus, You
shall have our Vivas: we will shout, "Long live the

King!"–

"All hail the po wer of Jesus 'name! Let angels prostrate fall."

Nor will we cease to pray to You! Some of you that have not yet been
saved by Him will, I trust, say, "Save me, Lord! O Jesus, save me!" You
will not disturb but delight the present meeting if you will in your
hearts cry, "Lord, save me!" Remember the cry of two blind beggars on
this very journey of our Lord–and how He opened their eyes when they
cried, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"

Will we not also put up prayer for our Lord this morning? Will not each
one in his pew now breathe a petition to God, saying, "Father, glorify
Your Son"? You have said that the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in
His hands–make it so. O Jehovah, You are well pleased with Jesus; show
Your good pleasure towards Him by giving Him to conquer ten thousand
times ten thousand hearts! Let a nation be born in a day. May He reign
forever and ever! Hosanna! Hosanna!

III. I have only a little time for my third point, and yet it is of
great importance–CHRIST RECEIVED IN THE HEART. His triumphant ride
into Jerusalem was a type of His entering the renewed heart. I pray
that you who have never received Him may listen and may, by the
listening, be led to pray for His coming into your heart.

On that day, when Christ came up from Bethany, the city gates were wide
open. We read nothing about them because they were not in the
way–there were no shut gates to Him. He rode into Jerusalem without
let or hindrance. Are your gates wide open this morning? If not, I
would say, "Lift up your heads, O you gates; and be you lift up, you
everlasting doors: and the King of Glory shall come in." He is willing
to abide in your hearts and go no more out forever–be sure that your
gates are set wide before Him! May the Holy Spirit open your hearts! Do
not tolerate the thought of shutting out your Lord. Never! Open wide
the portals of your soul. Yes, go forth by willing obedience and say,
"Come in, my Lord! Come in!"

He was cheerfully received as King. Our Lord did not come to subdue the
citizens at the point of the sword. He did not come with force of arms
to coerce the city. You must receive Jesus willingly, or not at all. He
comes to reign, but He comes in the gentleness of love. He rides on no
high-mettled charger. He lays His hand on no sharp sword which clatters
at His side. About Him are no men-at-arms. Behind Him come no heavy
guns, dragged along the trembling streets. Jesus was willingly
received–everyone exultingly welcomed Him. Will you so receive Jesus?
Has He made you willing in the day of His power? You may well salute
Him and welcome Him to your heart and your home, for you have never
before received so blessed a guest! Open wide the gates and entreat Him
to come in, for He will bring Heaven with Him. He never uses force. He
conquers only by love. The Holy Spirit works upon the will of man, but
He still leaves it a will, so that we freely choose our Lord and
delight in Him as our King!

Remember, Beloved, the coming of Christ is with gentleness and love.
Riding on a colt, the foal of a donkey, is a very different thing from
riding the fiery warhorse. I like not men who seem as if they were
converted, to hate everybody else. It is not Christ who has come unto
you if you have grown prouder, harder, more passionate than ever. No,
the Christ who enters to save is, Himself, so meek and lowly of heart
that those who take His yoke upon them learn of Him–and they become
meek and lowly, too. Admit the lowly Christ and be of one mind with
Him. He will kill your bad temper, conquer your malice and cast out
your pride! Come and be the willing subject of a King who rides forth
in lowliest guise.

His entrance caused great joy. No man's heart was made heavy that day.
The face of the King frowned on none. Other kings have found it
necessary to force their way through crowds of rebels to their capital
and wade through slaughter to a throne–but none was found to hurt or
devour in all the holy mountain when Jesus came to Zion! Women have
been ravished, men have been murdered–even babes have been massacred
when monarchs have entered cities–but when our King comes, boughs and
palm fronds, shouts and songs are the setting of a very different
scene! Instead of shrieks and groans, we hear the ringing music of
children with their glad Hosannas! Oh, will you not admit the Lord
Jesus? Who will refuse an entrance to One who brings with Him joy and
peace?–

"He shall come down like showers Upon the fruitful earth! Love, joy,
and hope, like flowers, Spring in His path to birth!"

When He comes, men feel a burning enthusiasm for Him. It should not be
necessary that I should plead for His admission. Surely you should run
down the hill to meet Him and then come back, following after Him with
glad Hosannas! Lord Jesus, we cannot be cold in Your Presence! Our
souls burn as with coals of juniper when we remember You!

But I must tell you one thing which I am sure will not dampen your
ardor if you are in a right state. If Jesus comes into your souls He
will come as a Reformer. He will make your heart a Temple and out of it
He will drive the buyers and the sellers–and all else that would
pollute the soul. With His scourge of small cords, He will whip out
many a naughty thing from the heart which He makes His Temple. Yes, let
the thieves go! If your heart has been made a den of thieves by evil
desires, should not these be chased out without mercy? So let it be.
Welcome, You great Refiner! Gladly would we lose our dross.

I feel so glad to have to add that when He comes into your heart He
will heal you. Did I not note it to you when we were reading the 14th
verse–"The blind and the lame came to Him in the Temple; and He healed
them." Dear Heart, if Jesus comes to you, all that is blind and lame
about you shall be healed! That was a singular healing, was it not?
Many of that select company came on crutches and some with legs doubled
up, or malformed. Blind men were there, with useless eyeballs or empty
sockets where eyes should have been. Into this limping, groping circle
came the King of Glory and He did not repel them, but He healed them!
Admit the Lord into your heart and the limping of your unbelief will be
exchanged for the leaps of faith! Then shall you see those things to
which your heart has long been blind. Let Him in! Let Him in! Believe
on Him! Trust Him and let Him into your heart–and you shall find Him
the Physician of your soul.

Last of all, you that have not yet received Him, we want you to join
with the rest of us in honoring Him and glorifying Him as He comes into
your heart. "Oh!" says one, "if He will only come into my heart, I
will, indeed, praise Him." Have your hosannas ready! Receive the Lord
Jesus Christ with all honors. Mention His name with rejoicing! Have
your hurrah ready to welcome the King, the Conqueror, as He enters your
soul. Be jubilant! Be enthusiastic! Rejoice that such a One as He
should come to dwell with such a one as you–and bring such blessing
with Him. Praise Him! Praise Him! Extol Him in the highest heavens!
Then pray to Him. "Save, Lord! Save, oh, save!" Then pray for others to
Him in the same words, "Hosanna; save, Lord, save!"

And when you have done with Hosannas and prayers, conclude, as the
Psalmist did, in that famous 118th Psalm, when he cried, "Bind the
sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar." Ask God of His
love, today, to bind you to Christ, THE Altar, with one of those
wreaths of love and ribbons of triumphant Grace which you now throw at
His feet. Oh, for a twisted garland of mercies, the roses of gladness
and the lilies of delight to bind our heart to Christ forever! These
cords of love may seem weak, but in very deed they hold us faster than
chains of steel. Nothing holds a man like the silken cord of gratitude!
When you know how Jesus loves you–when you see how He died for
you–then you are drawn to love Him in return and are held to serve Him
in life, in death and to eternity!

Thus do we celebrate our Lord's triumphant entrance into the City of
Mansoul, and we feel that we could prolong the celebration throughout
the whole of our lives–

"Yes, we will praise You, dearest Lord, Our souls are all on flame,
Hosanna round the spacious earth To Your adored name."