Mark 11_1_11 EXEG

Mark 11:1-11 Exegetical “Save Us Please”

Most likely the events of Mark 10:46-52 and 11:1-11 take place in the same day. It was about 22 miles by foot uphill to Jerusalem from Jericho. The disciples along with the pilgrims and possibly those from Jericho (Bartimaeus for sure) followed Jesus. As they came to the villages on the Mount of Olives Jesus directs two disciples to get a colt of a donkey (Matt. 21:2) that had never been rode upon and bring it to Him. Once the disciples brought the colt they spread their outer garments on the colt serving as a saddle for the Messiah, other followers laid their cloaks and palm (John 12:13) leaves before Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem. The followers and perhaps a crowd (John 12) shouted Hosanna blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. As Jesus entered into Jerusalem He travels up the temple mount entering into uncertain parts of the temple inspecting it before returning to Bethany (2 miles) for the night.

I believe Hosanna is the most important word in this text, it means “Save us please!” I intend to show that the people were asking for Salvation yet the kind they asked for was far inferior to the kind Jesus had come to bring. They wanted political salvation from the rule of Rome but He came to free them of their sin. This is the ultimate salvation that all mankind stands in need of and it is only offered to us by the Son of God who is the 2nd person of the Godhead who is in fact God come in the flesh.

His deity 1-7

From the opening verses of Mark we see that Jesus is deity; meaning He is God, in fact Jesus alone is prophet, priest, and king. Mark’s doesn’t bog his roman readers down with genealogies because Romans don’t care where servants come from. This is the great paradox in Mark, Jesus is the servant God or Servant King who came to give His life a ransom for the many, instead Mark simply writes, “Jesus the Son of God.” As God and doing only the things God can do we can get the picture that Jesus was in Sovereign control of everything that was taking place and about to take place. Isn’t it a relief for us who believe that every circumstance and every situation is in the control of God! As the old song goes, “He’s got the whole world in His hands!” Jesus was riding to His death but even that was under His sovereign control.

As He enters near Bethpage He sends two disciples on an interesting task, we must note the authority of Jesus to send and the obedience of the disciples to go even when the task set before them leaves them asking questions. Verses two through six reads, “Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man has sat; loose Him and bring him. And if any man say unto you, why ye do this? Say that the Lord hath need of him; and straight way he will send him hither. And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. And a certain of them that stood there said unto them, what do ye, loosing the colt? And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded, and they let them go.”

First we see His deity via His omniscience nature. Jesus is all knowing, He told the disciples what to do and they found what Jesus described exactly as He said it would. Jesus is all knowing, the beginning, middle, and the end is clear to Jesus who sees all and knows all. In this we see His sovereignty, when asked what they were doing they simply said the Lord hath need of it. Jesus is the creator of all things and is the owner of everything, Hag.2:8 “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts,” Ps, 50:10 tells us “for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.” That colt just happened to be on a hill called the Mount of Olives that day. By saying “the Lord needs it” Jesus enacts the prerogative of king, impressing into official duty the property of private citizens and the fact that the colt had never been sat upon (rode) shows us that this beast was appropriate for His sacred mission. (Numbers 19:2, Deut. 21:3, 1 Sam 6:7).

This may be over reaching but I can’t help but see an illustration of what Jesus had planned to do for all those who believe upon Him. The disciples came upon the colt tied by the door. The Greek verb tied is deō which means to be bound, this word is used again in Mark 15:7 but translated “bound” or imprisoned describing Barabbas. At Jesus command the disciples they untied the colt (VERB) (luō) or loosed him from his ropes or straps, setting the captive free! What a glorious savior we serve!

In this text we also see an Old Testament Allusion of the Kingship of Jesus, Verse 7 tells us that they brought the colt to Jesus and then placed their garments upon the back of the colt and Jesus sat upon it. This in comparison with what was done for Jehu according to 2 Kgs 9:13 suggests that spreading garments under a person was recognition of royal dignity. “Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king.”

This text is loaded with observations pointing to the deity of Jesus, He is king, all knowing God, who owns earth and all that in it, yet He came to die for our sins that we who are His enemies may become His friends through reconciliation. All this is the sovereign will of God. Jesus had been rightly called the Messiah and treated as much as He entered Jerusalem but the people including His disciples still didn’t understand what kind of Messiah He was. He is the suffering King who loves His people and came and identified with them and offered His life in there stead.

His Humility 7-10

The was excitement in the air, after all this centuries the Messiah had come to deliver the people. How perfect that it would take place during Passover. The all important festival celebrating the passing over of the Hebrews by the death angel while in captivity to Egypt and their deliverance from their taskmaster.

They wanted a king who would fight their battles for them, which was the reason they asked for a king in the first place. God was their king but they wanted a man liked the kingdoms around them, they had rejected God then (1 Sam. 8,7, 20) and they were rejecting God now. They thought Jesus had come to rule and serve them as the king who would save Israel from Roman Rule but He did not come in His glory instead He came in His humility offering peace and in a display of peace.

This must be understood in the context of Zechariah 9:9, before the day of the Lord the king will come bringing salvation riding on the colt of a donkey. This text is a picture of Zech. 9:9, but Mathew’s account quotes it. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: Behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; Lowly, and riding upon an ass, And upon a colt the foal of an ass. Jesus didn’t come in His glory riding a horse of war but on a humble young donkey. Jesus is rich but became poor for our sake. This sight would have been interesting to the Romans who occupied Jerusalem. Their Idea of a triumphal entry was the official welcoming parade given to a victorious Roman general whose armies killed at least 5,000 enemy soldiers, gained new territory for Rome, and brought home rich trophies and important prisoners. The general rode in a golden chariot, surrounded by his officers; and in the parade, he displayed his treasures and prisoners. EXPOUND FURTHER

The Donkey may have seemed pale in comparison to the Roman warhorse but according to Israel’s history, it was a beast fit for a king. “The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: 34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon” (1Kings 1:33-34)

There was the humble servant king riding into Jerusalem, His prize was those who would believe in Him, His prisoners those who would reject Him. The People sang Hosanna, which means “Save us Please!” and that is exactly what Jesus had come to do! Mark quotes Ps. 118: 26, Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. This is a Psalm of praise that exhorts people to give thanks to the Lord for His deliverance, perhaps the deliverance was a great military victory over a surrounding foe, we cant be certain but regardless the people thank Jesus for the deliverance He is about to bring. By stating “the one who comes in the name of the Lord is the same as calling Jesus, God’s representative wielding His authority. They cry out “SAVE US PLEASE” then recognized God’s ability to save through Jesus and thank Him for it.

Verse 10 clarifies that the people thought Jesus came to take up David’s throne and praises Jesus for the coming re-establishment that kingdom again they shout Hosanna (“SAVE US”) in the highest. Highest is the Greek Adjective, hypsistos in means the word above or in the heavens. This is a declaration that salvation is of God. The people certainly thought that Jesus was on His way to the temple mount to claim His kingdom, but He came to suffer the sins of man so that man can be saved from God’s wrath which is the greater need for His people.

His Sincerity 11

Jesus Sincerely Cares about His People Luke 19:41

Imagine the excitement as they watched Jesus continue into Jerusalem and up the temple mount, He would enter the temple take inspection then return to Bethany. This was a day of excitement foe the God fearing Jews and pilgrims, but I wonder how many people paid close attention to Jesus as descended from the Mount of Olives and laid His eyes on Jerusalem. Luke account tells us that when Jesus saw Jerusalem He cried over it and its inhabitants. Wept is the Greek verb klaiō it means to weep or wail, this is not the same word used in John 11:35 as Jesus wept with Mary just before He raised her brother from the grave. That word means a single tear, but here Jesus was in anguish and tars rolled down His holy cheeks. He sincerely wanted peace for His people in the city that God’s name rests upon, destruction was coming and many would perish because they missed their visitation (episkopē) of God. Simply put, they missed Jesus’ coming.

Jesus cares about His people, He sincerely cares about you and doesn’t want you to perish but instead come to the knowledge of truth, repenting of sin and turning to Him through faith. The people shouted save us and Jesus desperately wanted to do so but they didn’t understand though John the Baptist had warned them and Jesus had told them through the signs that He had performed. On this day Jesus openly proclaims to the people that He is their Messiah coming in peace so that they can be at peace with God.

He Sincerely cares for righteousness (Inspected the Temple) 11

The religious of the city put on a persona of righteousness, they had strict laws and check lists that they thought made them God’s holy people but they were far from God’s people. As we will see later in Chapter 11 they trusted in the temple of God but they misused and abused the temple. The place where righteousness was imputed by grace through faith in the continual offering of that day had become a den of thieves and was used as a place of enormous profit for the high priest and leading members of the Sanhedrin and when Jesus took inspection He was furious however He returned to Bethany giving tem one more day to repent because the next day He would cleanse the temple an pronounce judgment upon it.

Jesus cares about you, He cares about the condition of your heart and the worship that you offer, thus He entered Jerusalem that day, as sovereign God coming in humility offering peace with God. Woe towards those who rejected Him because He will return soon not in humility but in glory and power to wage war and conquer those who oppose Him.

1st coming

2nd coming

He came to die.

He will come to reign.

He came on a little donkey.

He will come on a warrior horse.

He came as a humble servant.

He will come as an exalted King.

He came in weakness.

He will come in power.

He came to save.

He will come to judge.

He came in love.

He will come in wrath.

He came as deity veiled.

He will come as deity revealed.

He came with 12 disciples.

He will come with an army of angels.

He came to bring peace.

He will come and make war.

He was given a crown of thorns.

He will receive a crown of royalty.

He came as the Suffering Servant.

He will come as the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

JESUS SAVE US PLEASE!