Mark 11

The Triumphal Entry

11:1 Now as they approached Jerusalem, near Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples 

 

The Bible never recorded that Jesus slept in Jerusalem. He often slept in Bethany, as he had many friends in the city. Lazarus, Martha, and Mary lived in Bethany.

 

11:2 and said to them, “Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 

 

This could have been a miracle, but it was most likely an appointment made by Jesus from an earlier visit. Notice that the colt is unbroken.

 

11:3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here soon.’” 

 

Kings ride donkeys into cities as a symbol of peace. Generals ride horses into cities in order to conquer.

 

11:4 So they went and found a colt tied at a door, outside in the street, and untied it. 11:5 Some people standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 11:6 They replied as Jesus had told them, and the bystanders let them go. 

 

The disciples were given permission to take the donkey to Jesus.

 

11:7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 

 

Jesus sat on an unbroken donkey. The donkey recognized and obeyed his Creator.

 

11:8 Many spread their cloaks on the road and others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 

 

Jesus rode into Jerusalem as a King. The people spread branches on the road in front of him, accepting him as their Messianic King.

 

11:9 Both those who went ahead and those who followed kept shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 

 

The people were chanting Psalm 118. Psalms 113-118 were chanted on Passover. This chant was proclaiming that Jesus was the Messianic King. Hosanna means “Save us now”. 

 

11:10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” 

 

The people were expecting Jesus to save them from Rome and establish the Messianic Kingdom.

 

11:11 Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. And after looking around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the twelve since it was already late.

 

Jesus usually spent the night in Bethany.

 

Cursing of the Fig Tree

11:12 Now the next day, as they went out from Bethany, he was hungry. 

 

Jesus was also human, so He experienced hunger. A God who hungers was an unnatural teaching to first century Greco-Roman religions.

 

11:13 After noticing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit on it. When he came to it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 

 

If a fruit tree does not possess fruit, then it is useless. The Judaism of Israel was not producing any fruit, so they were useless.

 

11:14 He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

 

Jesus cursed the fig tree. Judaism was dead. Jesus was about to expose and kill their unfruitfulness.

 

Cleansing the Temple

11:15 Then they came to Jerusalem. Jesus entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying in the temple courts. He turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 

 

Jesus was not a seeker-friendly teacher. The Caiphas family was making a large profit on the money exchange system established in the temple. This was the second time that Jesus overturned the tables. Jesus may have turned over the money exchange tables on each of His visits. Notice that the temple police never arrested Him, even though they were controlled by Caiphas.

 

11:16 and he would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 

 

Jesus shut down all of the temple businesses. This had to make Caiphas very angry, because Jesus was shutting down his family business.

 

11:17 Then he began to teach them and said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have turned it into a den of robbers!” 

 

Jesus quoted from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. Caiphas was using the temple to steal from the people.

 

11:18 The chief priests and the experts in the law heard it and they considered how they could assassinate him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed by his teaching. 

 

Jesus was beginning to win the crowd. The chief priests saw this as a great threat, so they began to plan His assassination. 

 

11:19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

 

Jesus slept outside of the city of Jerusalem, usually in Bethany.

 

The Withered Fig Tree

11:20 In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 

 

The fig tree was completely withered in just one day.

 

11:21 Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered.” 

 

Peter pointed out the tree to Jesus.

 

11:22 Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God. 

 

Jesus was God. The disciples were to believe what He said, even if it required a miracle.

 

11:23 I tell you the truth, if someone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 

 

God has the power to accomplish whatever He wishes. Prayer is an important part of the believer’s life. Effective prayer in the will of God can accomplish miracles.

 

11:24 For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 

 

God can accomplish miracles through prayers, so obedient believers need to ask and expect Him to do so. Believers must be obedient to the Word of God.

 

11:25 Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your sins.”

 

Before asking God for miracles in prayer, believers need to forgive those who have sinned against them.

 

11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

 

This verse is not found in the Westcott-Hort manuscripts, but it is found in the Textus Receptus.

 

11:27 They came again to Jerusalem. While Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the experts in the law, and the elders came up to him 11:28 and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?” 

 

Jesus performed miracles, taught against Judaism, insulted the religious leaders, and overturned the moneychanger table. The Jewish leaders wanted to know on what authority did Jesus do these things.

 

11:29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: 

 

Jesus was a rabbi talking to rabbis, so He answered their rabbi question with a rabbi question.

 

11:30 John’s baptism – was it from heaven or from people? Answer me.” 

 

Jesus asked them a tough question in front of the people to reveal their hypocrisy.

 

11:31 They discussed with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 

 

If John the Baptist was a prophet from heaven, then the Pharisees should believe John. John taught that Jesus was the Son of God.

 

11:32 But if we say, ‘From people – ’ (they feared the crowd, for they all considered John to be truly a prophet). 

 

If the Pharisees answered that John was not a prophet, then they would lose the support of their congregation. Most of their congregation believed that John was a prophet.

 

11:33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

 

 

The Pharisees would not answer the question, because they could not win either way. Instead of stating the truth, they became politicians.