Chapter 11

In chapter 11 we start the Passion Week; Enter Jerusalem as a King, then betrayed, arrested, crucified and ending in glorious resurrection.

Read Mark 11:1-11; The Triumphal Entry

Fulfilling prophecy, Jesus has two disciples go into town, find the colt He told them would be there and bring it back. Then Jesus rode the colt through the crowd greeting Him. In verses 8-10, Jesus is received as King…

⁸ Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. ⁹ Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

“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 heaven!”

Recognizing all the miracles, all the wisdom in teaching, the crowd honors their coming King.

Read Mark 11:12-26; Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts

They stayed overnight in Bethany, where Lazarus and his sisters lived. In chapter 11 of John’s Gospel, John tells us the story of the death of Lazarus and Jesus calling him out of his tomb. As they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Jesus saw a fig tree without any fruit and cursed it. Later He will use this cursed fig tree as a teaching moment.

Once in Jerusalem they went to the temple. When Jesus saw it was being used as a marketplace, He cleared the temple in verses 15-17…

¹⁵ On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, ¹⁶ and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. ¹⁷ And as He taught them, He said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Then verse 18 tells of the tipping point for the chief priests and teachers…

¹⁸ The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill Him, for they feared Him, because the whole crowd was amazed at His teaching.

Why would they fear Him? Because He was destroying their religious system and their power.

Verses 20-25 finish the teaching about the withered fig tree…

²⁰ In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. ²¹ Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree You cursed has withered!”

²² “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³ “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ²⁵ And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Read Mark 11:27-33; Jesus Authority Questioned

In verses 27-33 once again the teachers of the law try to trap Jesus. Even though they had witnessed miracle after miracle, they challenged His authority to do the things He was doing. However, Jesus knowing their hearts made them a bargain in verses 29-33…

²⁹ Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ³⁰ John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell Me!”

³¹ They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ³² But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)

³³ So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

My mind flashes back to Peter telling Mark this story. I think Peter had a smile on his face while telling it to Mark.