CHAPTER 11
JESUS’ TRIUMPHAL ENTRY
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly’” Mark 11:1-3
As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem they ushered in a momentous hour, a time that Israel had anticipated through the ages, a time of which the prophets had spoken. The long-awaited Messiah of Israel was about to make his formal public appearance in Jerusalem. Centuries before, Zechariah had spoken of his coming saying, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech. 9:9).
God had prepared his Messiah for this hour and God had also prepared the donkey. Jesus knew that in the village ahead the little animal was waiting. Bible commentators and scholars try to say that the donkey was awaiting Jesus because of some prearranged signal, but we must remember that this was the day before cell phones. Prearranging a signal would have been quite difficult. Sometimes these folks forget that God is Lord of all creation. He can speak to a total stranger in the night and command him to tie his choice donkey out front in the morning. He can speak to the donkey and the beast will obey his voice. He once spoke to a fire-worshipping king by the name of Cyrus and commanded him to send the people of Israel back to their land. God is God and he can do anything!
In order to fulfill prophecy Jesus sent two of his disciples to the village ahead telling them exactly what they would find there. They would find a young donkey all tied up and ready to go. The donkey would have never been ridden before by anyone. Jesus told them what the bystanders would say and he told them what they were to answer. The operative words were “The Lord needs it.” This was a rare occasion in Mark where Jesus referred to himself as “Lord.”
“They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, ‘What are you doing, untying that colt?’ They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go” (11:4-6). We can only imagine what the disciples thought as they untied a colt that did not belong to them. It was no doubt a little like someone trying to hotwire a new Mercedes belonging to a total stranger and then driving it off. People could probably have gotten stoned for stealing a donkey in those days, so no doubt the two disciples were a little shaky. Matthew gives us some extra information on the donkey. Apparently, the mother followed along after the colt (Matt. 21:2).1 So, there were really two animals involved and this seems to be indicated in the Zechariah passage. Regarding Jesus and the little animal the ancient writer Ephrem the Syrian (c. 363-373) quipped, “He began with a manger and finished with a donkey.” 2
Mark tells us where this incident occurred. It was near the small cities of Bethany and Bethphage. These small towns were both located on the backside (East side) of the Mount of Olives. They were very near the pilgrim road coming up from Jericho to Jerusalem. The names of these villages are very descriptive of their settings. Bethphage meant “house of figs” or “place of unripe figs.” Bethany meant “house of dates.” 3 Of course, the latter location was the home of Jesus’ dear friends, Lazarus, Mary and Martha. Bethphage was one of the villages that marked a Sabbath’s day’s journey (Acts 1:12) from Jerusalem, since it was less than a mile away.4
In reading Mark’s abbreviated and fast-moving account it would seem that Jesus had not been to Jerusalem before in his ministry. From the other gospels we realize that he had been to Jerusalem several times. John’s gospel indicates that Jesus was frequently in the city (2:13, 5:1, 7:10). The Bible in other places indicates that Jesus kept the feasts and went up to Jerusalem to do so. In Matthew 23:37, Jesus indicates that many times he would have gathered the people of Jerusalem together but they would not cooperate.5
It is also interesting that so much of the gospel account is focused on the last few days of Jesus’ life. About a third of Mark’s gospel is focused on his passion and about half of John’s gospel.6 Of course, that is what the gospel is all about, Jesus suffering and dying for our sins and then being gloriously resurrected.
“When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it” (11:7). The people willingly donated their garments to make a sort of saddle for Jesus. “Nowdays the donkey is an animal of amused contempt, but in the time of Jesus it was the animal used to bear kings.” 7 We remember in 1 Kings 1:33-48, how Solomon was placed on King David’s mule when he was anointed to rule over Israel. The rabbis had a teaching that if Israel was worthy even for a day, the Messiah would arrive on the clouds of glory, but if not he would come to them on a donkey.8 We know from scripture that Jesus came first in great humility on a donkey but his second appearance will be on a white charger to declare war on his enemies and to take his place as Judge of the universe (cf. Rev.19:11-16).
“Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” (11:8-10). “We like this slice from the life of Jesus because it simply feels so right. For much of Jesus’ ministry, he was despised and rejected of men. Often the adoring crowds followed him only for what they could get from him, and most of his audience rejected any kind of personal commitment to Jesus. It was all different on this day.” 9
As this procession began people willingly spread their garments on the road before him. In those days clothing was very expensive and quite limited for the average person. We can just imagine the damage caused to a cloak by the sharp hoofs of a loaded donkey and on a hard road to boot.10 Other people went into the fields to cut reeds or shocks of grain or small leafy branches (Gk. stibadas), laying them in the road before Jesus.11 The shouts of praise filled the air, shouts of “Hosanna!” and “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” These shouts were no doubt taken from the messianic Psalm 118:25-26. Hosanna simply means “Save now!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” is the very phrase all Israel will someday shout as Jesus returns to the earth in glory (Matt. 23:39).
Something within us makes us want to jump through the pages of history and join in this triumphal welcoming of Jesus to Jerusalem. Luke tells us that the whole multitude of disciples began to praise him for all the mighty works they had seen (Lk. 19:37-38). Surely there were many in the crowd who had just witnessed Lazarus being raised from the dead. Well, we cannot join that happy group but perhaps we can just praise him where we are. As once spoke the ancient church father Methodius of Philippi: “Instead of our garments, let us spread our hearts before him.” 12
“Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve” (11:11). Soon the festivities were over and Jesus found himself inside Jerusalem and no doubt looking at the goings on in the temple. Jesus may have been the only one present that day who realized that the words of Malachi 3:1 were now fulfilled: “‘I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
As the King of the Universe stood in the temple we might wonder, where was the large welcoming committee of rulers, officials, priests, and Levites? They were all strangely absent. Later Jesus would say of the Jews and of Jerusalem, “…you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you” (Lk. 19:44). He would further say, “…If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace— but now it is hidden from your eyes” (Lk 19:42).
The King left the city of Jerusalem to a place where he was welcome, to Bethany, and no doubt to the wonderful home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. It was simply not safe for him to spend a night in the walled city of Jerusalem.13
JESUS CLEANSES THE TEMPLE
The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Mark 11:12-13
Jesus was a man, fully identified with the human race, therefore he got hungry. Perhaps he had arisen early that morning and spent a long time in prayer as he often did.14 In the process he may have missed breakfast. In the distance he saw a fig tree in full leaf and went to it expecting to find fruit. Instead he found nothing but leaves.
Commentators have had difficulty with this enacted parable. Some look at Jesus’ action as peevish, selfish and below his character. Scholars have blamed Jesus for cursing the poor little tree for its fruitlessness when the text says plainly that it was not the season for figs to get ripe. As usual, when we have a problem with scripture it is because we do not have full information on the situation.
In recent years a lot of light has been shed upon this verse. It appears that one of the first people to begin unraveling this mysterious passage was a certain W. M. Christie, a Church of Scotland minister who lived in the Holy Land under the British mandatory regime. He noted that the local fig trees began to put forth leaves by the end of March. Shortly after, or even before the leaves in some instances, the trees brought forth small knobs that were a sort of forerunner of figs. These grew to the size of green almonds and were eaten by the peasants who called them in Arabic, taqsh. He noted that if this early fruit failed to appear there would likely be no fruit crop later that year.15
In our day of vast information via the Internet we know from fruit farmers that this account is factual. Fruit growers call this early fruit the breba (breva) crop, and unlike the later crop, that comes in the heat of summer, it appears early on last year’s growth.16 So Jesus really did have a reason to check out the fig tree that was in full leaf. The leaves advertised that there would likely be an early breba crop on the tree. These early figs (Hos 9:10) are today called paggim by the modern Israelis.17
“Then he said to the tree, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard him say it” (11:14). Here we have no indication that Jesus was angry or vindictive. He was merely bringing judgment on a fruit tree that advertised its fruit but was fruitless. We should note that the fig tree was often a symbol of Israel.18 It was also a symbol of God’s judgment (cf. Isa. 34:4; Jer. 29:17; Hos. 2:12). New Testament Professor Craig Evans adds that the judgmental thrust here and in the next verses was not so much against Israel as it was against the religious leaders and caretakers of Israel. This will be made especially clear in chapter 12:1-12 by the Parable of the Wicked Tenants.19
“On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area 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, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts” (11:15-16). Jesus’ main focus was not on the city of Jerusalem but on the temple. It represented the heart and soul of Israel. It is clear in scripture that Jesus had cleansed the temple on an earlier occasion but somehow his message did not get across. This previous incident is recorded for us in John 2:14-17. The first cleansing must have happened in the very early ministry of Jesus. On this occasion Jesus took a whip and drove the merchandizers out of the temple.
It is thought that Jesus’ action took place in what is called the Court of the Gentiles. It must have been frustrating for God-fearing Gentiles to come long distances to this most holy place seeking the true God, only to find a greedy bunch of merchandizers. We can only imagine the haggling, noise and confusion that must have prevailed in the court.
Jesus was no doubt aghast at such a desecration of God’s temple. He began driving out the merchants and overturning the tables of the money changers and those selling doves. He stopped those who were making the temple courts merely a byway. In order to understand the wrath of Jesus we must understand some of the practices going on in the temple.
The whole temple operation was run by the family of Israel’s high priest, who had purchased the right from the Romans. The temple authorities would not allow normal coins with images to be used in paying the temple tax. This amount was ½ shekel (about a day’s wage) as we see in Exodus 30:13. The temple leaders required that it be paid with the Tyrian shekel. While this coin was 94 percent silver it also had images on both sides. It had the laureate head of the pagan deity Melqarth-Herakles on the obverse and an eagle engraved on the reverse. Nevertheless, the rabbis had determined that the purity of the coin was more important than the fact that it had forbidden images on it.20 Pilgrims were charged 1/24th of a shekel to exchange their currency.
The doves were allowed as a sacrifice for the poor, for lepers and for women. The normal price was often tripled at these booths. We can imagine the excesses that happened with such merchants. A person might bring in a perfect sacrificial lamb but these bandits at the temple would surely find some flaw in it and force the pilgrim to buy another at very inflated prices.21
Jesus became enraged at these abuses. This episode tells us something of the personal authority Jesus radiated. People normally do not let go of their money and products so easily unless they are very much afraid. The fact that Jesus could totally disrupt this whole bazaar is testimony to the great force of his personality. The merchants seem to have slunk away before the blazing eyes of the Master.
Jesus not only totally disrupted the temple merchants but he also refused to allow people to use the Court of the Gentiles as a short-cut to and from the city to the Mount of Olives. We may see some continuing reference to this in the Mishnah. In this later work it is written that “A man may not enter into the temple mount with his staff or his sandal or his wallet, or with the dust upon his feet, nor may be make of it a short by-path.” 22
“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’” (11:17). Here Jesus is quoting from two Old Testament passages. In Isaiah 56:7 it is written, “… for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Also, the prophet Jeremiah (7:11) had said, “Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD.”
“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. When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city” (11:18-19). “For Jesus to have both ruling priests and scribes seeking how they might destroy him was to be in serious trouble indeed.” 23 We realize that this was not a new decision, for we saw in Mark 3:6 that such a choice had been made early in Jesus’ ministry. We see that the chief priests were in collusion with the teachers of the law (Gk. grammateus) or scribes. The priestly and scribal families were wealthy people who controlled activities around the temple. The priesthood was severely compromised in Jesus’ time. It was no longer related to Aaron but was simply a cheap political office sold to the highest bidder by the
Romans. 24
THE WITHERED FIG TREE
In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” Mark 11:20-21
No doubt Peter remembered this incident well, since he was the one who noticed the withered fig tree and called it to the Master’s attention. We see here that the tree was withered not just in the leaves but in the roots. Fig leaves are prone to wither quickly when removed from the tree (by this we could understand that they would have made very poor coverings for naked Adam and Eve in the Garden). However, this tree was totally dead from the roots up, and that was a little strange.
We cannot remove this incident from what had just happened in the cleansing of the temple. Jesus had encountered a God-ordained temple and a religious system that looked good on the outside. It had leaves and those leaves indicated there should be fruit. However, Jesus had found that there was no fruit there. It was a system filled with hypocrisy and corruption. Edwards remarks about this saying: “Mark portrays the clearing of the temple not as its restoration but as its dissolution…the temple is fundamentally – from the roots- replaced by Jesus as the center of Israel.” 25 Many months before John the Baptist had cried out, “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Lk. 3:9). Now the tree is finished. In a mere generation the temple would be destroyed and the Jewish nation would be scattered. Many of those greedy priests, scribes and Pharisees would be destroyed with the temple.
“‘Have faith in God,’ Jesus answered. ‘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’” (11:22-23). Here Jesus seems to move from the theme of the destroyed tree and temple to the subject of faith. Of course, faith is one of the three pillars of Christianity (1 Cor. 13:13).
Here Jesus is saying that if we really believe in God we can move mountains. Jesus and his disciples were standing on the Mount of Olives and this mountain provides many clear views of the Dead Sea. This is another example of ancient Middle Eastern hyperbole. We would of course not want to move a literal mountain. It would be horrendously damaging to both life and ecology. As we say, the mountain Jesus was standing on at the time was none other than the Mount of Olives, probably the second most important mountain on earth and the mount from which Jesus will soon ascend to heaven. It is also the mountain to which he will return at his Second Coming. Of course, the most important mountain on earth was and is the Temple Mount. Some commentators think that Jesus may have even had it in mind.
What in the world is Jesus saying here? He is essentially repeating what he said to the bewildered man earlier in Mark 9:23: “…Everything is possible for the one who believes.”
In Jewish imagery a mountain signifies something really strong and immovable. It represents a problem which is too big for everyone and stands in the way.26 In Zechariah 4:7 God said to Zerubbabel: “What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground….” God was saying that all the impossible problems of the Jews resettling the land and rebuilding their temple were as nothing to God.
True and powerful faith is based on God’s word – what God says (Rom. 10:17; Jn.15:7). It is not just a faith in faith. It is not based on how we feel or what we think or understand. Some people do not exercise their faith in God, giving the excuse that they do not fully understand. If we believe we will understand. Long ago Augustine said, “Credo ut intelligam” (“I believe in order that I may understand”).27
This is an astounding saying of Jesus. There is really nothing impossible to those of us who believe in God because there is nothing impossible to God. If we are lined up with God’s word we can do anything and everything. In this verse we are given amazing and almost bewildering spiritual authority. The secret to this authority is that we must believe.
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” (11:24). This verse really stretches our faith. Jesus is saying that if we can believe as if it were done, then it is done. We must remember that true faith is based on the word of God. We must see it in the word for it to become reality. Jesus is not in any sense speaking of our wants, desires or lusts. James 4:3 warns us, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (11:25). God is not giving an absolutely free rein so that we can ask for any foolish thing and receive it. Nor is he suggesting that we can pray and receive if we have obvious sin in our lives. Here we see another requirement of real, powerful prayer. We must forgive others (Matt.6:12, 14-15).28 Pastor Don Finto says, “Refusing to forgive is like drinking poison and hoping the other person will die.” A lot of people today are inwardly wounded by parents, by spouses, and by dozens of other things. We cannot pray the faith prayer with such bitterness in our lives. Actually, relationships are key in our spiritual progress. We may not get much closer to God than we are to others who are our relationships.
Here we need to remember the almost immortal lines of Alfred Lord Tennyson in his play The Promise of May:
O man, forgive thy mortal foe,
Nor ever strike him blow for blow;
For all the souls on earth that live
To be forgiven must forgive.
Forgive him seventy times and seven:
For all the blessed souls in Heaven
Are both forgivers and forgiven. 29
THE JEWS QUESTION JESUS’ AUTHORITY
They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?” Mark 11:27-28
The Jewish leaders were considerably galled by Jesus’ audacity in clearing the merchants from the temple. After all, these leaders were no doubt getting a substantial income from all this buying and selling. The three groups represented here, ruling priests, teachers or scribes and elders likely represented the groups that constituted the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jews. This meeting has the appearance of an informal query by that body.30
It was likely that this event took place in what was called the Royal Cloister or Solomon’s Porch. This was a common place for rabbis to teach.31 These leaders no doubt thought they could catch Jesus on the horns of a dilemma by questioning him about his authority. As we can see, it did not turn out that way.
“Jesus replied, ‘I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism— was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!” (11:29-30). As was customary with the rabbis, Jesus answered a question with a question. His question placed these Sanhedrin representatives on the horns of a worse dilemma. Today we might call their situation a “catch—22.”
“They discussed it among themselves and said, ‘If we say, From heaven, he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet)” (11:31-32). They immediately perceived that if they said John’s baptism was from men, the people around them might riot. Many of those folks had been baptized by John because “all Jerusalem” had gone out to him. On the other hand, if they said his baptism was from heaven the people would wonder why they themselves did not believe and obey him.32 They were stuck! No doubt a very embarrassing silence ensued while these leaders stumbled and fumbled.
“So they answered Jesus, ‘We don’t know.’ Jesus said, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things’” (11:33). Obviously, the Jewish leaders were afraid of the crowd. “They were not asking ‘What is true?’ or ‘what is right?’ but ‘what is safe?’ This is always the approach of the hypocrite and the crowd-pleaser.” 33 As Augustine said many centuries ago, “Since they answered the truth with a lie, Jesus did not force open the doors they themselves had barricaded.” 34