Mark 11, Verses 1-33
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Jesus comes to Jerusalem
Jesus comes to Jerusalem
Welcome
Prayer
Announcements.
Today we are closing in on the end of Jesus ministry, as we see His entry into the great city of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is the home of the Temple and it was truly the capital of the nation at that time, Now it has been and will continue to be an important city across the years.
In the days of Abraham, the city had a different name, it was called Salem. This is important because of the king and priest that Abraham encountered, Melchizedek. If you remember he was king and priest of Salem… this is special.
For Jesus would be a king and priest unto the Father like Melchizedek, and I really think Melchizedek was a type of Christ, a picture of Jesus in flesh in the OT. But here Jesus is coming into the city.
So lets start with the first 3 verses… Mark 11:1-3
1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’ ”
So we see right off the bat they, referring to Jesus and the 12, they are coming close to the city. How close? they are about only 2 miles from the city…
And they are at the towns or villages of Bethphage and Bethany, by the Mount of Olives. Now these are all special places, Bethany is the town where Mary, Martha and Lazarus lives and where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in John chapter 11.
The Mount of Olives is a large Olive garden, where many, many olive trees were growing and in the center of the area was a Olive press where they fruit would be crushed and the oil extracted for many different purposes.
We know also that Jesus would also visit this place to pray with this disciples and they place of His betrayal by Judas.
And it is here that Jesus speaks to two of his disciples and tells them to go on ahead of them and retrieve a young donkey. One that is tied up and had never been ridden by anyone.
This young donkey they were to bring to him, and the instruction was simple, if anyone asks what are you doing, they were to simply say the Lord needs it and will bring it back shortly.
When you think about how special this is, Jesus in his perfect wisdom and knowledge knew this young donkey was there, it has been placed there just for Him.
Now lets move on… verses 4-6 Mark 11:4-6
4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.
So these disciples, strangely we are not told who these two disciples are, I guess that is not really important. But in obedience they go and do just as the Master has told them.
And as they enter the city they find the young donkey just as the Lord had told them, and when those there saw them coming to take the animal, they did inquire.
Now the disciples spoke just as they were told and those there let the donkey leave with the disciples just like the Lord told them .
Now lets move forward and look at verses 7-10 Mark 11:7-10
7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
So they brought the colt to Jesus ad they threw their cloaks on his back and Jesus sat on it.
This is parallel of that the people did in the Old Testament, in 2 Kings 9:13
13 Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”
And as the Jesus rode forward, many were spreading the garments under a person to travel upon was an indication and recognition of royalty.
Then they began to spread leafy branches out and palm branches from the fields, and as they people went ahead of them they began a chorus of praise as Jesus is nearing the entrance of the city.
Look at verses 9-10 again. Mark 11:9-10
9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
Those are quotes again from the Old Testament from passages such as Ps 118:25-26 and others… The Word Hosanna literally means to save us or we pray for help..but later it becomes a shout of praise.
But here the Messiah is coming, so He who comes is really a messianic title. Now we know Jesus is not known or declared as the coming Davidic king, but the Kingdom is what is being pushed here. The Kingdom of God is coming near to people that they might come and know God and of course the one whom He sent into the world.
Now look at verse 11. Mark 11:11
11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Jesus entered not just the city, but he entered the temple as well. And it was late, understand it seems that Jesus and his disciples have traveled from Jericho uphill in elevation to the city of Jerusalem in one day, a little over 20 miles in a single day.
Now lets look at verses 12-14 Mark 11:12-14
12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
Leaving the temple (v 11) we see them coming back to Bethany, about 2 miles from Jerusalem. And now verse 12 picks up on the following day.
It says here that Jesus was hungry. Remember he is fully God and fully man, so he needed food just like us. And we see verse 13 that He saw a fig tree in the distance.
The fig tree was in leaf, meaning is was at a point in the season where it has given forth leaf and this means it should also have fruit to eat.
Now I’ve never had a fig, I’ve had a fig newton. LOL
But Jesus being hungry was looking in the tree hunting for it s food. But Jesus upon examination found only its leaves and it was bare of fruit. The tree here is deceiving, understand even though it was not the season of figs, the free made the appearance as if it did…
Now this tree represents more than just itself here, it is a picture of the nation of Israel who without fruit. They looked good on the outside but were dead on the inside, not capable of producing fruit.
Now look at verse 14 Mark 11:14
14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
Jesus cursed it since it appeared to be well, healthy but was not…the curse was that it would never bare fruit again. And the disciples heard this, and I am sure they wondered about this, for this is like a teaching point none the less.
What or who does the fig tree represent?
It represents the nation of Israel, They were a fruitless people, They worshipped God, but it was a empty, ritually legalistic form of worship that had no meaning, no fruit in it.
Here is a word for you , if you are ever worshipping for the sake of worshipping, stop and check your heart and your spiritual health before God. Sin is probably in the way.
Now lets look at verses 15-19 Mark 11:15-19
15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. 19 And when evening came they went out of the city.
Now this is one of the events we are well aware of.. The day after the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus comes again and entered the Temple.
And Jesus began to drive out the people who bought and sold, who changed money and sold pigeons to those need of a sacrifice.
Jesus comes as Lord of the Temple and seeks to purify it. It is a reference to Mal 3:1-4
1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
The people who changed money, they did not give a fair return. So why change money at all? You could not give offerings with a coin with Caesar's face on it. They would have to use Jewish coins that simply had a tree on it.
But they did not give a fair return and thus they made a profit on those seeking to worship the Lord.
They sold pigeons, oil, flour and many such things to use for sin offerings, but again, sold them at a high price, making money on the people and so forth.
Jesus told them they had made the house of prayer a den of robbers and when the chief priests and other leaders heard this, they sought to destroy him.
Why.. he was interfering with their business.
And the last part of verse 19 says they left the city at the end of the day.
Now we move forward to verses 20-26 and it is the lesson of the fig tree.
20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Now as they came by the fig tree again, the disciples noticed that the tree Jesus cursed was withered and dead all the way to its roots.. Peter astonished by this called for Jesus to see the tree.
They couldn’t believe it had happened at Jesus word, and likewise Jesus said to them ...have faith in God.
Now remember it represents God’s judgement on Israel. It speaks to Hos 9:16 The nation is the tree..
16 Ephraim is stricken;
their root is dried up;
they shall bear no fruit.
Even though they give birth,
I will put their beloved children to death.
And while Peter is astonished by what he saw, the tree completely dying in 24 hours or less.… Jesus words to him speaks to the idea of faith.. Have faith in God
Jesus steps it up in what he says in verses 23-26. Peter trust God to remove what ever it is in your life that hinders you from bearing fruit for God.
The moving of a mountain may seem impossible but living by faith, those who believes in God can have the confidence that he will accomplish even the impossible according to the sovereign will of God.
Whatever you ask, by faith asking in line with the will of God will see the good things of God granted to them.
I may want this or that or to do this or that, but does it align wit hthe will of God.
But If I am living, walking in step with the Lord and his Spirit can have the confidence so seeing his prayer answered. Listen to Paul in Philippians 4< verse 19
19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Now these verses get misused a lot, we must have the perspective that Jesus had… Ultimately, are you seeking the mind and will of God in all that we do..
Someone said faith is an indispensable element in answer to prayer.
Now the final section, verses 27-33 Mark 11:27-33
27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, 28 and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” 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. 30 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” 31 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
As jesus came to the temple area, he is met but the chief priests and the elders and they want to know by what authority he did those things.. namely they are speaking of the previous day where by Jesus cleaned the temple.
And Jesus responded to them with a question.. if they could answer him, he would tell them.. so the question is found in verse 30
30 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.”
It seems like such a simple question. John’s baptism had with it the prerequisite of repentance,. which is the call to change one’s mind, to turn and walk the other way, to walk to life. But the rest of John’s message was one of getting ready, for the one coming after him was one whose sandal he wasn’t worthy to tie.. It was the messiah..
In all this John’s message was from God And if John’s message is divinely authorized then Jesus and his message had the authority o the Father as well.
For the religious leaders if they said from heaven, they why didn’t they follow His message which pointed to the Christ?
They did not believe John but they refused to say so publically because John was held in high esteem.
for them the only way out of the question was to play dumb… I don’t know..
So Jesus answered them neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things
His message is clear, his purpose is clear, but yet they cannot see him...
