Mark 11:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when evening came they went out of the city.

NIV: When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

NASB: And whenever evening came, they would leave the city.

CSB: Whenever evening came, they would go out of the city.

NLT: That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city.

KJV: And when even was come, he went out of the city.

NKJV: When evening had come, He went out of the city.

Those mentioned in this verse aren't the chief priests and scribes of Mark 11:18, but Jesus and the disciples. During the time between the triumphal entry and the Passover, they stay on the Mount of Olives during the evening and return to Jerusalem each day (Luke 21:37–38). Bethany sits on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives, a two-mile or three-kilometer walk to the Temple Mount. The text doesn't say that they see Mary, Martha and Lazarus every evening, but it's likely. The group does eat with them at least the night they first arrive in Bethany (John 12:1–2).

Soon, Jesus and the disciples will eat dinner in Jerusalem and then go to the Mount of Olives, to the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus will be arrested (Mark 14:13–14, 32). Until then, it seems Jesus spends evenings with close friends including a group of women from Galilee who see to His more practical needs (Matthew 27:55).

Out of all these people, it may be that only Mary of Bethany even remotely understands what is going on. She anoints Jesus with perfumed ointment, preparing Jesus' body for burial (Mark 14:3–8). Mary has paid very close attention to Jesus' teaching (Luke 10:38–42). As a woman, she has little hope of a prominent place in any kind of earthly kingdom, so it may be her understanding is not clouded by personal gain as the disciples' is (Mark 10:35–37). Jesus is God and doesn't need human support, but He is also a man with emotional distresses, through which His friends can encourage Him (Mark 14:34). As He faces an increasingly antagonistic group of religious leaders and a death on a cross, He consistently returns to the company of His friends and, possibly, the only one who understands what He will face.

Mark 11:15–19 is one account of Jesus driving corrupt merchants out of the temple grounds. Matthew, Mark, and Luke's accounts of Jesus' ministry are in harmony, but they vary on which details are mentioned, and in what order. John's Gospel was written much later and follows a separate structure. John mentions Jesus cleansing the temple three years earlier (John 2:13–17). Matthew and Luke infer Jesus cleansed the temple right after the triumphal entry, while Mark might be implying it was the next day. Scholars think John's story is an entirely separate event. Matthew's seeming discrepancy is likely because he grouped both halves of the fig tree story together. Luke doesn't mention the fig tree incident at all. Parallel passages are Matthew 21:12–17 and Luke 19:45–48.

Jesus and the disciples arrive in Jerusalem a week before the crucifixion, and Jesus begins the last days of His public ministry. They spend their nights on the Mount of Olives and their days in Jerusalem (Luke 21:37). Jesus accepts the accolades designed for a king (Mark 11:1–11), attacks materialistic tradition that keeps people from worshiping God (Mark 11:15–19), gives an object lesson about the fate of fruitless Jerusalem (Mark 11:12–14, 20–25), and reveals the Jewish religious leaders' hypocrisy (Mark 11:27–33). Despite the support of the crowd, Jesus is pushing the leaders toward the crucifixion.

The preceding passages included several miracles and lessons from Jesus. These set the stage for the last, dramatic days of His earthly ministry. In this chapter, Jesus enters Jerusalem to great fanfare and openly confronts local religious leaders for their hypocrisy. Over the next few chapters, Mark will continue to record controversial teachings, leading up to Jesus' arrest and early sham trials, recorded in chapter 14.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.