Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:
(Mark 11:1) And when they came near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent forth two of His disciples.
In the last chapter and post, Jesus and His disciples had been on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus boldly leading, and the disciples fearfully following, knowing what fate awaited Jesus in Jerusalem. They came near to Jerusalem at Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives. The limits of Bethany reached to the Mount of Olives, and Bethphage bordered Bethany and was a suburb of Jerusalem. From there Jesus sent out two of His disciples.
(2) And said to them, "Go your way into the village opposite you and as soon as you have entered it, you will find a colt tied, on which no man ever sat; loose him and bring him."
Jesus gave directions to the two disciples that they were to go into the village directly opposite them. As soon as they entered the village they would find a colt, the colt of a donkey, according to the account in Matthew 21:2, tied and one that had never been ridden or even sat upon by any man. They were to untie it and bring it to Jesus. The animal used for Jesus's purposes was not to have already been used for domestic or agricultural purposes. The account in Matthew said that they took the colt and its mother, but as it was the colt only used for Jesus's purposes, Mark just spoke of the colt.
(3) "And if any man says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say that the Lord has need of him, and immediately he will send him here."
Jesus told them that if anyone questioned why they were taking the colt, they were to tell them that the Lord had need of it, and they would allow them to immediately take the colt.
(4) And they went their way and found the colt tied by the door outside in a place where two roads met, and they loosed him.
The two disciples went forth and indeed found the colt as Jesus had said, tied by the door on the intersection of two roads. They untied the colt.
(5) And certain of them who stood there said to them, "What are you doing loosening the colt?"
Just as Jesus had said might happen, some people there who saw the disciples untying the colt asked what they were doing.
(6) And they said to them just as Jesus had commanded and they let them go.
They answered just as Jesus had told them to, that the Lord had need of the colt, and surely, they let them go just as Jesus had said they would.
(7) And they brought the colt to Jesus and cast their garments on it, and He sat upon it.
They then brought to colt to Jesus. They threw their outer garments on the colt to act as a saddle, and Jesus sat upon it.
(8) And many spread their garments in the road, and others cut down branches off the trees and strew them in the road.
Many of the people who were there spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road, also.
(9) And those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"
The people who went ahead of Jesus and those who followed Him shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" That exclamation of adoration and a wish for prosperity was a prophetic quote from Psalms 118:26.
(10) "Blessed be the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest!"
The people continued crying out that this kingdom of their father David came in the name of the Lord. The Jews generally spoke of their father as Abraham, but by calling out David as their father, they acknowledged that Jesus was the expected Son of David, the Messiah. They cried out "Hosanna" again, and this time adding "in the highest." It was a term of adoration, but also a wish of prosperity, so it was if they were praising God in the highest heavens and wishing that His kingdom greatly flourish and prosper.
Many things can be noted about Jesus's triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit of God had to be moving among the people who just let the disciples take the colt. Likewise, the Spirit was moving among all the people who threw their garments and branches along the road and cried, "Hosanna!" Those same people might include some who would soon afterward cheer at His crucifixion. However, Jesus was indeed king, and this represented that. However, this king did not go into Jerusalem in a royal carriage with six white horses. He came very simply on a donkey! And a borrowed donkey at that! With borrowed garments for a saddle! His pomp and circumstance consisted of borrowed garments and branches off trees. He came simply to save His people, not to rule over them. The colt Jesus chose to make His entry into Jerusalem was one that had never been ridden, was not broken, yet it allowed Jesus to ride with no problem. Jesus had dominion over all. Matthew Henry, in his Commentary on the Whole Bible, added some insights. He suggested that perhaps the choice of the colt of a donkey or ass as it is written in KJV, might signify His power over the spirit of man who is born like a wild ass's colt (Job 11:12). Was it a mere coincidence that the colt was brought from a place at a crossroads where two roads met? Mr. Henry also suggested that this might signify the fact that man has two choices about which way to go, and Jesus came to direct him toward the right road.
(11) And Jesus entered into Jerusalem and into the temple; and when He had looked around on all things, and now the eventide had come, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple and looked all around it. He may have spent a good bit of time there as it might have been evening when He left Jerusalem with His disciples and went to Bethany. Evening is the meaning of eventide in our time. However, the prominent meaning and translation used almost 100% of the time in scripture is "hour." The hour had come for Jesus's suffering and death, and He had looked around His temple, as He was Lord of the temple, and then left and went to Bethany with His disciples.
(12) And on the next day when they had come from Bethany, He was hungry.
The next day they left Bethany where they had stayed the night and went back to Jerusalem, and Jesus was hungry.
(13) And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He came if perhaps He might find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season of figs.
Jesus saw a fig tree from afar having leaves and He went to it to see if perhaps He might find any figs on it, but He found nothing but leaves. Then comes the phrase "for it was not the season of figs." Why would Jesus expect to find figs if it wasn't the season for them? And of course, Jesus would have known without going to the tree whether or not it had fruit, so He was obviously using the fig tree as a lesson. After much study, I think I understand why Jesus expected fruit even though it wasn't the season yet. The tree was flourishing with leaves which was indicative of an early bloomer which would indicate fruit. And it was not yet the time for harvesting the fruit, so it would not be that all the fruit had been gathered from it. One other possibility is that it was not a good season for figs. But this tree had all the flourishing outward signs that it had figs.
(14) And Jesus answered and said to it, "No man will eat fruit of you hereafter forever." And His disciples heard.
Jesus spoke to the fig tree and actually cursed it, saying that no man would ever eat fruit from it again. His disciples heard Him say it. That great showy fig tree that was fruitless was an illustration of the Jewish church at the time of Jesus that was full of outward shows of religion but was fruitless when it came to the real things of God. Jesus had just been to the temple and looked all around it. Perhaps He was contemplating all the outward signs of religion and piety, but knowing from His experience with the scribes and Pharisees, that the temple was fruitless and therefore useless. If a church was not going to produce fruit for God, then it might as well be destroyed, never to deceive people again.
(15) And they came to Jerusalem and Jesus went into the temple and began to cast them out who bought and sold in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers and the seats of them who sold doves.
The fig tree had evidently been on the way to Jerusalem, as Jesus and His disciples then entered Jerusalem. Jesus went into the temple and it seems immediately began to cast out people who were buying and selling there. He had been in the temple the day before looking around and observing all. He had now come to clean it out. He overthrew all the tables and chairs of those who sold merchandise in it. The fact that they sold doves there looks as if they were selling souvenirs or relics of the temple. They had turned the sacred temple of God into a commercial enterprise. The account in Luke said that Jesus had even made a scourge of small cords to drive the merchants and buyers out of the temple. We don't ever see Jesus really angry, but that time He was full of righteous anger.
(16) And He would not allow any man to carry any vessel through the temple.
Additionally, Jesus would not let anyone carry any vessels through the temple. These could have been other wares that were sold or perhaps vessels for carrying merchandise.
(17) And He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called for all nations the house of prayer'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"
Jesus began to teach them the prophetic words in the scriptures. He quoted Isaiah 56:7, "...My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people." However, Jesus said that they had turned it into a den of thieves, which was also a prophetic statement from Jeremiah 7:11, "Is this house which is called by My name become a den of robbers...?"
(18) And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him, for they feared Him because all the people were astonished at His doctrine.
The chief priests and scribes heard Jesus teaching and took counsel together discussing how they might destroy Him. They feared Jesus because all the people were awestruck by His teaching, His doctrine which was the true doctrine of God. The people had never been taught these things before, and the chief priests and scribes did not want to lose their gig.
(19) And when evening had come, He went out of the city.
In the evening Jesus and His disciples again left the city to spend the night elsewhere, probably in Bethany again.
(20) And in the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
In the morning as they were on their way back, they passed by the fig tree Jesus had cursed the day before, and it was all dried up.
(21) And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Master, behold, the fig tree which you cursed is withered away."
Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree the day before and pointed out to Jesus that the tree He had cursed had withered away.
(22) And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God."
Jesus spoke to all His disciples as they had all heard Him curse the tree and now observed in one day it had withered and dried up. He told them to have faith in God.
(23) "For verily I say to you that whoever shall say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things which he says shall come to pass, he shall have whatever he says."
With that faith in God's word, even they could move mountains, if they did not doubt, and believed that what they said would come to be, they indeed would have whatever they said. The key is having faith in God to do what God says and believing that any obstacles in the way of achieving that purpose can be removed with a word, and it will. The faith is in God's word and in His will. It does not mean that we can say to a tree, "Drop a million dollars from your branches," and it will happen if only we truly believe. I believe this scripture has been taken out of context by many. It must be within God's will, and also note Jesus's example was about moving mountains, moving obstacles in the way. It was not "Give me."
(24) "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them."
Note that it's in prayer and communion with God, and knowing God's purpose, when we can confidently ask for what we need, believe that we will receive it, and we will.
(25) "And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, that your Father in heaven also may forgive you your trespasses."
Jesus added that when they prayed, they should also forgive anyone who had done anything to them that caused them to hold anything against them, for bitterness in the heart would surely be a hindrance to prayer and confidence that they might receive that for which they prayed. It's what Jesus told us when He taught us how to pray in the Lord's prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). In verses 14 and 15, He added that if we forgave others, our heavenly Father would forgive us our sins; however, if we did not forgive others, neither would our heavenly Father forgive us.
(26) "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses."
Indeed, Jesus did confirm that if they refused to forgive others, God would likewise not forgive them.
(27) And they came again to Jerusalem, and as He was walking in the temple, there came to Him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders.
Jesus and His disciples then came to Jerusalem and Jesus went into the temple. It seems that immediately the chief priests, scribes, and elders confronted Him.
(28) And said to Him, "By what authority do you these things? And who gave you this authority to do these things?"
It was indeed a confrontation. The chief priests, scribes, and elders demanded to know by what authority Jesus did the things He did, perhaps most pressing on their minds was His most recent act of cleansing the temple. There was also the preaching and teaching in "their" temple and the miracles He performed. They also wanted to know who gave Him that authority.
(29) And Jesus answered and said to them, "I will also ask of you one question, and answer Me and I will tell you by what authority I do these things."
Instead of answering them, Jesus told them that He wanted to ask them a question first, and if they answered Him, then He would tell them by what authority He did the things He did. Jesus so often answered a question with a question.
(30) "The baptism of John, was it from heaven or of men? Answer Me."
It was a simple question designed to make them think about the absurdity of their question to Him. The correct answer to His question would naturally lead to the correct answer to theirs. The preaching and teaching of John's doctrine, calling for repentance and the coming of the Messiah, and the baptizing of souls for the Lord; did that all come from heaven or from men?
(31) And they reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we shall say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'"
The chief priests, scribes, and elders reasoned among themselves about how they should answer Jesus, which proved they weren't interested in truth; they only wanted to entrap Him. Amazingly, they actually knew that John had prophesied and taught about the coming of Jesus. They knew the truth about Jesus! Yet, their lust for power and for things the way they always were trumped their desire to know the Messiah! They reasoned what Jesus would rightly say and knew that would convict them because they had not believed John.
(32) "But if we shall say, 'Of men;'" they feared the people for all men counted John to have been a prophet indeed.
On the contrary, they reasoned that if they said John's baptism and teaching was merely an invention of men, they would be ostracized by the people who all considered John to be a prophet of God.
(33) And they answered and said to Jesus, "We cannot tell." And Jesus answering, said to them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things."
Knowing they had been boxed into a corner, that neither answer would entrap Jesus, but only serve to convict themselves, they told Him they didn't know the answer. Jesus told them, knowing that both sides knew full well the truth, that as they had not answered His question, He would not answer theirs.
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