Mark 11: 1-11 HCSB
1 When they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples 2 and told them, "Go into the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a young donkey tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here right away.' " 4 So they went and found a young donkey outside in the street, tied by a door. They untied it, 5 and some of those standing there said to them, "What are you doing, untying the donkey?" 6 They answered them just as Jesus had said, so they let them go. 7 Then they brought the donkey to Jesus and threw their robes on it, and He sat on it. 8 Many people spread their robes on the road, and others spread leafy branches cut from the fields. 9 Then those who went ahead and those who followed kept 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 heaven! 11 And He went into Jerusalem and into the temple complex. After looking around at everything, since it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
It is quite possible that some of the same people who were shouting "Hosanna" here were shouting "Crucify Him!" when his trial happens a week later. Many of these people were following Jesus because of this popularity and the "show" he puts on. Many of those who did believe he was the Messiah were looking for a political and military leader who would overthrow Rome and restore Israel as a nation. Every few a charismatic leader wold declare himself the Messiah and start a small insurgency, which Rome would immediately destroy. Jesus Has come to be something totally different, but even the disciples don't fully understand this.
Mark 11:12-26 HCSB
12 The next day when they came out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 After seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, He went to find out if there was anything on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" And His disciples heard it.
15 They came to Jerusalem, and He went into the temple complex and began to throw out those buying and selling in the temple. He overturned the money changers' tables and the chairs of those selling doves, 16 and would not permit anyone to carry goods through the temple complex. 17 Then He began to teach them: "Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations ? But you have made it a den of thieves !" 18 Then the chief priests and the scribes heard it and started looking for a way to destroy Him. For they were afraid of Him, because the whole crowd was astonished by His teaching. 19 And whenever evening came, they would go out of the city.
20 Early in the morning, as they were passing by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. 21 Then Peter remembered and said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that You cursed is withered." 22 Jesus replied to them, "Have faith in God. 23 I assure you: If anyone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore, I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for-believe that you have received them, and you will have them. 25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing. [ 26 But if you don't forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your wrongdoing."]
These passages tie closely together. Jesus does not do things arbitrarily, including this episode with the tree. If Jesus just wanted a piece of fruit, he could have performed a miracle to receive it. He is trying to teach the disciples something here. Next they go to the temple, which is also not producing fruit that God desires. Just as he cursed the tree, he puts a stop to the thievery going on there This is not a proclamation against capitalism, or the church raising money for ministry purposes, but against the thievery and greed that had had crept in and taken over, and the focus on profit instead of worship. Then as they leave they see that the fig tree has withered because of Jesus' curse. Jesus uses this to tell them about the powers of faith and forgiveness. This ties back to what happened at the temple. Just as the fruitless tree, the Jewish temple has not produced the desired fruit and garnered God's wrath. The believer in Christ, who can do all things through him, is the new temple, where God's ministry will happen now.
Also notice verse 19, they do not stay in the city at night, probably so the Pharisees will not spring their trap till it is time.
Mark 11: 27-33 HCSB
27 They came again to Jerusalem. As He was walking in the temple complex, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came and asked Him, 28 "By what authority are You doing these things? Who gave You this authority to do these things?" 29 Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 Was John's baptism from heaven or from men? Answer Me." 31 They began to argue among themselves: "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' 32 But if we say, 'From men' "-they were afraid of the crowd, because everyone thought that John was a genuine prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."
The Pharisees are really becoming concerned, they can no longer pass Jesus off as a charismatic fringe teacher or popular charlatan, they see he has true power from some source. Once again, he turns it around on them, asking a hot button question that will turn the crowd against them if they tell the truth.
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