" [Footnote: St. Matt. xxi. 5] And now they cry, "Hosanna"--He
is come, He is come! and the children's voices ring out with praise. But
this proclaiming Him as King aroused the enmity of some of the rulers and
they stirred up the people against Him. Here was the opportunity, the
golden opportunity, for accepting or rejecting the Son of God. They had
listened to His teaching, they brought their sick to Him for healing, they
appreciated the benefits of His ministry, but they refused to submit to
His authority, so they were determined to silence His Voice. Sin shows
itself in the rebellion of the _will_ against God, and so they lost the
opportunity, and instead of accepting Him, they crucified their King.
The words are still true: "Behold, thy King cometh," He comes to set up
the Kingdom of God in our hearts, so the opportunity is given to you now
to accept Him as your King.
We listen to the good news about peace and forgiveness, but are we willing
to make Jesus King in our hearts? Here is the great test, it is here that
the opposition of man's _will_ begins to show itself, because if He is to
be our Lord and Master He claims all we are and all we have. He must be
Lord of _all_ or He is not Lord at all; nothing less will do. There is no
real union with Him by faith until we say in our hearts, "My Lord, and my
God." [Footnote: St. John xx. 28.] It is impossible to accept Christ as our
Saviour without also yielding to Him as King, and proclaiming Him as King.
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