Chapter 11
Verse 1-11.
Now[a] as they approached Jerusalem, near Bethphage[b] and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives,[c] Jesus[d] sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go to the village ahead of you.[e] As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden.[f] Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it[g] and will send it back here soon.’” 4 So[h] they went and found a colt tied at a door, outside in the street, and untied it. 5 Some people standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They replied as Jesus had told them, and the bystanders[i] let them go. 7 Then[j] they brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks[k] on it, and he sat on it.[l] 8 Many spread their cloaks on the road and others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Both those who went ahead and those who followed kept shouting, “Hosanna![m] Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord![n] 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” 11 Then[o] Jesus[p] entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. And after looking around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the twelve since it was already late.
Notes. The exact location of the village of Bethphage is not known. Most put it on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives and northwest of Bethany, about 1.5 miles (3 km) east of Jerusalem.
“Mountain” in English generally denotes a higher elevation than it often does in reference to places in Palestine. The Mount of Olives is really a ridge running north to south about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) long, east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. Its central elevation is about 30 meters (100 ft) higher than Jerusalem. It was named for the large number of olive trees which grew on it.
The custom called angaria allowed the impressment of animals for service to a significant figure.
“garments”; but this refers in context to their outer cloaks.
The expression (hōsanna, literally in Hebrew, “O Lord, save”) in the quotation from Ps 118:25-26 was probably by this time a familiar liturgical expression of praise, on the order of “Hail to the king,” although both the underlying Aramaic and Hebrew expressions meant “O Lord, save us.” In the Fourth Gospel the author adds for good measure καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ (kai ho basileus tou Israēl). In words familiar to every Jew, the author is indicating that at this point every messianic expectation is now at the point of realization. It is clear from the words of the psalm shouted by the crowd that Jesus is being proclaimed as messianic king. Hosanna is an Aramaic expression that literally means, “help, I pray,” or “save, I pray.” By Jesus’ time it had become a strictly liturgical formula of praise, however, and was used as an exclamation of praise to God.
Swaggart. Jesus was born of a young girl who had never known a man. He was buried in a tomb where no one else had ever lain. He rode into Jerusalem on a colt which had never been ridden.
Smith. So, this is on a Sunday. And Jesus makes His entrance into Jerusalem riding the colt. Matthew's gospel and Luke's gospel gives us more details. They tell how the Pharisees objected to the cries of the disciples, saying that it was blasphemous because they were acknowledging Him as the Messiah. This is the first time Jesus had allowed any public proclamation of Himself as the Messiah. They were crying forth a Psalm that was definitely a prophetic Psalm of the Messiah: Psalm 118 . "Behold the stone that was set of not you builders, the same has become the chief cornerstone. This is marvelous; it is the work of God, it's marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" This is Psalm 118 , and they are quoting from this Messianic Psalm. And so that is why the Pharisees said, "Lord, you better rebuke them; you better stop them. That's blasphemy." And Jesus said, "I'll tell you the truth. If I would stop them, these very stones would start crying out." And so Jesus, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 ,"Rejoice, O daughters of Jerusalem! Shout for joy! For your King cometh unto thee. But He is lowly; He is sitting on a colt." And here He comes riding in on a colt, just as the scriptures predicted. He looks around the temple, and then He leaves with His twelve disciples, as they go back over to Bethany to spend the night.
TPT. Note on v. 9. Hosanna is an Aramaic word that means “O, save us now” or “bring the victory.” The crowds recognized Jesus as Yahweh’s Messiah. The people expected Jesus to immediately overthrow the Roman oppression and set the nation free. Many want victory before the cross, but true victory comes after resurrection.
Womack.
This is the gift of the Spirit called a word of knowledge, and this gift worked through Jesus quite often. Jesus hadn’t been in Jerusalem in quite a while, and there is no indication that He had made any previous arrangements with anyone in Jerusalem about this ass and her colt. This was supernatural knowledge imparted to Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Not only was it a miracle that Jesus knew about the ass and her colt and where they would be, but God had also worked some kind of miracle in the owner of these animals so that he would be willing to release them. It is possible that the Lord had also revealed to this man that Jesus would need his animals, or perhaps he was just a devoted follower of Jesus who gladly surrendered them when he knew Jesus was the one wanting them. Either way, it was just as much a miracle that the owner was willing to surrender them as it was that Jesus knew exactly where they would be.
Not only was there a miraculous manifestation of God’s power in Jesus knowing where these animals were and that their owner would be willing to release them, but it was also a miracle that Jesus was able to ride upon a colt that had never been broken. This is an example of how Jesus is Lord over creation (Colossians 1:16-17). He certainly has the same authority over mankind because we also are His creation, but one of the main differences between us and His animal creation is our free will. The Lord does not violate our free will except in judgment. These “dumb” animals submitted to Him, but those made in His own likeness and image didn’t (John 1:11).
This would be comparable to someone taking a car. Donkeys were valuable.
Luke 19:33 says that it was the owners of this ass and colt who asked why the disciples were doing this.
Although this ass and its colt were valuable, their owners (Luke 19:33) let them go when they knew it was Jesus who wanted them. This shows their devotion to Jesus. I imagine these owners took great satisfaction in knowing it was their animals that fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah (Zechariah 9:9).
Although all four Gospel writers recorded Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, only Luke recorded the Pharisees’ attempt to silence the people and Jesus’ subsequent response (Luke 19:39-40). Matthew 21:14-15 records the Pharisees chiding Jesus about His followers praising Him, but this happened after Jesus had entered into the temple and cast out the money changers (Matthew 21:12-13). Matthew 21:15 mentions that Jesus’ followers were praising Him in the temple. This instance recorded in Mark 11:7-10 was as Jesus entered Jerusalem (Luke 19:37).
So, there were two similar instances in which the Jews tried to silence Jesus’ followers from praising Him on the same day. One instance was as Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on this donkey, which is what Mark was relating here. Jesus said that if the people quit praising Him, the very rocks would cry out (Luke 19:35-40). But later this same day, when Jesus had cast the money changers out of the temple and healed many, the Pharisees criticized Him again for receiving the people’s praise (Matthew 21:15). Jesus responded differently this time, quoting from Psalms 8:2 (Matthew 21:16).
It’s possible that some of these people realized Jesus was fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. At any rate, their actions showed they believed Him to be the Christ. John related this to Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 12:17-18).
Wouldn’t it have been silly if this donkey had spoken and said that it was wrong to praise him! No one was praising the donkey. They were praising the one who was riding the donkey. Likewise, when people direct praise towards us, they aren’t praising us, they are praising the One we are carrying. It’s humility to just keep our mouths shut and let them praise.
This was a fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy in Luke 13:35 and a fulfillment of Psalms 118:26-27. In Psalms 118:27, after the praise of the people during Jesus’ triumphant entry, the psalmist said, “Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.” This is exactly what happened with Jesus, the Lamb of God (John 1:29), a few days later when He was crucified for the sins of the world.
These people saw Jesus as the promised Son of David. This fulfills Zechariah 9:9.
Only Luke’s account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem records Jesus lamenting Jerusalem’s rejection of Him (Luke 19:41-44).
Three years earlier, Jesus had cast the money changers out of the temple (John 2:14-17). However, they went back to their practices of selling animals and cheating the people, as can be seen by Jesus’ second cleansing of the temple, which happened just a few days after this triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, and Luke 19:45-48).
So, I’m sure part of what Jesus noticed was their return to the practices He had so violently reproved nearly three years before. Yet He didn’t take action that day. His second cleansing of the temple took place the day after this record of Him taking notice of what was going on in the temple (Mark 11:12 and 15-17). The anger expressed when He drove the money changers out the second time was premeditated, yet it wasn’t sin (Hebrews 4:15 and 7:26).
Verse 12-14.
12 Now[a] the next day, as they went out from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 After noticing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit[b] on it. When he came to it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it,[c] “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.[d]
The incident of the cursing of the fig tree occurs before he enters the temple for a third time (11:27ff) and is questioned at length by the religious leaders (11:27-12:40). It appears that Mark records the incident as a portent of what is going to happen to the leadership in Jerusalem who were supposed to have borne spiritual fruit but have been found by Messiah at his coming to be barren. The fact that the nation as a whole is indicted is made explicit in chapter 13:1-37 where Jesus speaks of Jerusalem’s destruction and his second coming.
TPT. The fig tree is first mentioned in Gen. 3:7, with it leaves being a “covering” for fallen Adam and Eve to hide behind. It also became a hiding place for Zacchaeus, who climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Jesus. The tree with leaves but no fruit can also be a symbol of Israel’s religious system of that day (Jer. 8:13; 24: 1-10). Jesus next drives out the money changers from the temple, who were rotten fruit. The frist fruits of the harvest Jesus was looking for came on the day of Pentecost, at the end of the Feast of First fruits. See Acts 2.
“Answering (the fig tree), he spoke to it.” The text does not say that Jesus cursed the tree, only that he “answered” and spoke to the tree. Peter’s interpretation of this was that Jesus cursed the tree (v. 20-21).
Swaggart. Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the first day of the week – Sunday. It was now early Monday morning. The fourth watch would be before 6:00 a.m. They were coming from Bethany and Jesus was hungry. It was not the season for figs. The tree appeared that it should have fruit, but it didn’t. Jerusalem’s religious and Temple structure and system was such that no true fruit came forth. A Christian might have the trappings of Christianity. They may go to church, they may be born-again, they may be filled with the Holy Spirit, but they may not be bearing fruit. This is dangerous territory.
Smith. And on the morrow [that would be Monday], when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves [on it], he came, if haply [by chance] he might find anything thereon: and when they came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet ( Mark 11:12-13 ).
Of course, this would have been in April, and figs generally do not become ripe until summertime. However, over there they have a first ripe fig. And when we go over there in February/March, you will see these large first ripe figs on the tree. And usually, they precede even the leaves, so that by the time the leaves come on the tree, these figs are pretty well developed. So, seeing this fig tree with leaves, He figured there might be some of these first ripe figs on it.
Womack. Jesus was God, yet He was hungry. He took on Himself the frailties of the flesh and suffered things like hunger. What an awesome God we serve. Between Mark 11:11 and 12, John recorded the Greeks seeking Jesus (John 12:20-22) and then Jesus’ discourse about His death (John 12:23-50). The type of fig tree that grows in Jerusalem produces figs before it produces leaves. It wasn’t time for figs yet, but it wasn’t time for leaves either. This fig tree was a hypocrite; it professed something that it didn’t possess. As its Creator, Jesus had every right to destroy this fig tree that had perverted His command on how to bear fruit.
See also Matthew 21:18-22. Matthew 21:19 says that this fig tree died immediately but what happened below the surface wasn’t visible until the next day.
Jesus “answered” this fig tree. The tree had not spoken to Him verbally, but it had communicated that it had figs by the leaves on the tree. Not only plants, but other things can communicate with us too. Circumstances can tell us that we have failed. Our bodies can tell us that our prayers didn’t work, the Lord didn’t heal us, etc. We need to follow Jesus’ example and answer these things with a positive statement of our faith.
God created the heavens and the earth and everything that is in the earth by His words (Hebrews 11:3). The whole creation was made by and responds to words. Our words, when spoken in faith, release either life or death (Proverbs 18:21) and will affect people, things, and circumstances. We can release the power that is in faith by our words, as Jesus went on to explain to His disciples.
Verses 15-19.
15 Then[a] they came to Jerusalem. Jesus[b] entered the temple area[c] and began to drive out those who were selling and buying in the temple courts.[d] He turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 16 and he would not permit anyone to carry merchandise[e] through the temple courts.[f] 17 Then he began to teach[g] them and said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’?[h] But you have turned it into a den[i] of robbers!”[j] 18 The chief priests and the experts in the law[k] heard it and they considered how they could assassinate[l] him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed by his teaching. 19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples[m] went out of the city.
Matthew (21:12-27), Mark (here, 11:15-19), and Luke (19:45-46) record this incident of the temple cleansing at the end of Jesus’ ministry. John (2:13-16) records a cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.
TPT. Temple courts: This was also known as “court of the gentiles,” the only place where non-Jews were allowed in the Temple complex.
House of prayer? See Is. 56:7; Jer. 7:11
Swaggart. The moneychangers changed the coins of Greece and Rome into Jewish half-shekels. Some of the people came from Passover from other countries and needed to change their money to pay the Temple tax. The moneychangers made a profit from the exchange. Also, people coming to the Temple to offer sacrifice could not bring their animal if they were coming from a long distance. One tendency was that the sellers would sell imperfect animals at high prices. Because of this, the poor could not offer sacrifice of “good” animals. The money-changers business at Passover would have been very heavy. The priest often found fault with the sacrificial animal brought by the people and then required them to purchase another animal (perhaps inferior) from a seller connected to the priest. Jesus also stopped traffic through the Temple- using it as a shortcut between the city and the Mount of Olives. This had been forbidden by Jewish law but never enforced.
Smith. Now, this was Monday, the day after the triumphant entry.
and [he] began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and [he] overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And he would not suffer [allow] that any man should carry any vessel through the temple ( Mark 11:16 ).
They were using the temple for a shortcut to get from one side of the city to the other, and they were carrying their things through the temple. And He stopped that. He was taking control. Now, this is the second time Jesus cleansed the temple. At the beginning of his ministry, John records how He cleansed the temple. Now this is at the end of the ministry, and again He is cleansing the temple. The thing that He is striking out against is those who are making merchandise of the things of God. And He has a real thing against mercenaries, those who would make merchandise of the things of God.
In the temple they were changing money, because the priest would not accept Roman coinage in the temple treasury. When you dropped your offering in, it better not be Roman coins, because they are unclean. That's Gentile money. "The only money we will accept are the Jewish sheckles." So, when you got paid, you got paid in Roman coins. You want to give to God your tithes, so you have to change your Roman coins for the Jewish sheckles so that you can give God your offering. So, these fellows, the moneychangers, were sitting there in the temple. They had their tables all out, and they would change money for you at exorbitant rates. So, they would really rip you off. "You want to give to God?" Well, they'll get their ten or fifteen percent by changing the money for you. "You want to offer a dove to God? We have kosher doves, guaranteed to be accepted by the priests." Because you could get a dove outside of the temple, out on the streets of Jerusalem. You could buy a dove for fifteen cents. But you buy one of those doves out on the street, and the doves were for the poor people who needed to make an offering to God. If you couldn't afford to offer a lamb or an ox or whatever, offer the dove. It's for the poor people. And out in the street, you buy one for fifteen cents. But you bring one in off the street and the priest would examine it carefully until he found a blemish and he said, "You can't offer this thing to God. Take it out of here." But these that were sold in the temple precincts at the priest's little booths, no questions asked. But you had to pay five bucks for one. So, they were ripping people off. And it angered Jesus that they would take advantage of people who were wanting to come to God, ripping them off for their desire to come to God. And so, "He overthrew the tables of the money changers and the seat of those that were selling doves."
And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves ( Mark 11:17 ).
Boy! I wonder what Jesus would say about some of the churches today, with all their rip off schemes. I wonder what he would say about a lot of these letters that are sent out by many of these famous evangelists, letters that are filled with lies and deception. I get so upset when they write me these letters. I better not get on that. They listen to my tapes too. Maybe I will say something!
And the scribes and chief priests [when they] heard it, and [they] sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people were astonished at his doctrine. And when even was come, he went out of the city ( Mark 11:18-19 ).
Monday evening, He exits the city.
Womack. This wasn’t spur-of-the-moment. Jesus saw all of this the day before. This was His second cleansing of the temple. Jesus cast out the buyers as well as the sellers.
Only Mark points out that Jesus would not allow people to carry vessels through the temple. No explanation was offered by Mark as to why Jesus would not allow this. It is probable that Jesus wanted His Father’s house to be dedicated completely to prayer and the ministry of God. Also, as with the Sabbath, work symbolizes our own effort, and our own effort will always fall short of what God demands for salvation. Therefore, anything that resembles work was inappropriate in the house of God.
See Isaiah 56:7; I Ki. 8: 41-48; Jer. 7:11.
The chief priests sought to assassinate Jesus because He cleaned the temple. They were getting rich from graft in Temple business, and Jesus stopped their stream of revenue. See 1 Timothy 6:10.
It wasn’t just Jesus’ miracles that astonished people; His teaching was radically different from the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 7:29 and Mark 1:22). But Jesus gave his life; no one took it. John. 10: 17-18.
Verses 25-26.
25 Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will[a] also forgive you your sins.
Smith. That is heavy duty. You say, "What, does He mean what He said? Yes, but then, where is grace?" I don't know. "Isn't that then works?" Hey, don't ask me to change the words of Jesus. You say, "Well, how do you reconcile that with grace?" I can't. "Well, what do you do about it?" I forgive, like Jesus said. The forgiveness shows that Christ truly dwells in me. "For he who says abides in Him ought also to walk even as He walked." And as they were nailing Him to the cross, He said, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." If I walked as He walked, I too must forgive. And Jesus said, "If you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." Forgiveness is one of the signs, that forgiving spirit is one of the signs that I am truly a child of God.
Womack. See also Matthew 6:12, 14-15, 18:23-35; and Luke 6:37.
Qualifications for believing and receiving are mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. This verse and Mark 11:26, which follow the often quoted Mark 11:23-24, also give restrictions on receiving answers to prayer. Un-forgiveness in our hearts will keep our prayers from being answered. We should forgive others as quickly as it takes to make the decision to pray. The Greek word for “when” in this verse is “HOTAN,” and it means “whenever” (Strong’s Concordance). When we stand praying, we must forgive if we have “ought” “if any” [Strong’s Concordance]) against anyone. When we are offended or hurt, we often feel justified in holding a grudge. The Old Testament Law expressed this when it stated, “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth” (Exodus 21:23-25). Until the offense was paid, those offended did not feel free to forgive. However, God dealt with everyone’s offenses by placing sin upon the perfect Savior who was judged in place of every sinner of all time. To demand that others now earn our forgiveness is not Christlike. Jesus died for every person’s sins (1 John 2:2), extending forgiveness to us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8), and we should do the same (Ephesians 4:32). It is doubtful that those who refuse to forgive have ever experienced forgiveness themselves. That would be comparable to the servant who was forgiven over $3 billion and yet refused to forgive his fellow servant who owed him $3,000 (Matthew 18:23-34). The forgiveness that we have received from the Lord is infinitely greater than any forgiveness we could ever be asked to extend toward others.
The Amplified Bible put this verse in italics, implying that it is not in the original manuscript. The New International Version, The Message, The Living Bible, Weymouth New Testament, and the Wuest translation eliminate this verse altogether. But this same point is made in Matthew 6:12, 14-15, 18:23-35; and Luke 6:37, and these verses are included in those translations.
Verses 27-33.
They came again to Jerusalem. While Jesus[a] was walking in the temple courts,[b] the chief priests, the experts in the law,[c] and the elders came up to him 28 and said, “By what authority[d] are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?” 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 John’s baptism—was it from heaven or from people?[e] Answer me.” 31 They discussed with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From people—’” (they feared the crowd, for they all considered John to be truly a prophet). 33 So[f] they answered Jesus,[g] “We don’t know.”[h] Then Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you[i] by what authority[j] I am doing these things.”
Very few questions could have so completely revealed the wicked intentions of the religious leaders. Jesus’ question revealed the motivation of the religious leaders and exposed them for what they really were—hypocrites. They indicted themselves when they cited only two options and chose neither of them (“We do not know”). The point of Mark 11:27-33 is that no matter what Jesus said in response to their question they were not going to believe it and would in the end use it against him.
Neither will I tell you. Though Jesus gave no answer, the analogy he used to their own question makes his view clear. His authority came from heaven.
Swaggart. This is the third consecutive day that Jesus visited the Temple. Day one he confronted the moneychangers. On Day two, he drove them out. Jesus asked the religious leaders where John was of heaven of from man. John has proclaimed Jesus to be God. If they acknowledged the divine source of John’s ministry, they would have to accept his testimony about Jesus. John had proclaimed Jesus as the Lamb of God.
Womack. See Matthew 21:23-27 and Luke 20:1-8.
Jesus had just cast the money changers out of the temple for the second time a day or two before (Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, and Luke 19:45-48). This was pure hypocrisy. They had already come to the conclusion that Jesus acted by the power of Beelzebub (Matthew 12:24-28, Mark 3:22-27, and Luke 11:15-19). These Jewish leaders could not compete with Jesus on many levels, but certainly, their fear of man crippled them in this contest.
The fact that Jesus said, “Answer me,” implies that they were not forthcoming with an answer. They were probably stunned and weighing how they could get out of this mess they created. If the chief priests, scribes, and elders could have reasoned with God instead of with themselves, they might have seen the obvious and believed in Jesus. The fear of man brings a snare (Proverbs 29:25). They hoped to trap Jesus, but He trapped them because He knew they were man pleasers. They had an opinion on this. The truth was that they wouldn’t tell, because they feared the people. It wasn’t that they couldn’t tell. Likewise, Jesus chose not to tell them again where His authority came from. He knew they weren’t sincere, so He didn’t answer their question.