Mark 11:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.

NIV: They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.

NASB: And they told them just as Jesus had said, and they gave them permission.

CSB: They answered them just as Jesus had said; so they let them go.

NLT: They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it.

KJV: And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.

NKJV: And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go.

Two disciples have come to a village on the Mount of Olives, possibly Bethphage, to retrieve a donkey jenny and her colt that are tied up in the street. Jesus warns the two that they will be challenged by men who are watching over the animals, and that they are to respond that the Lord needs the donkeys and will return them shortly (Mark 11:3). We aren't told who "the Lord" is. Some scholars think he is the owner of the donkey and her colt. Several people who know Lazarus and know he was raised from the dead have been coming to see Jesus (John 11:38–44; 12:9), so it's possible the owner is with Jesus in Bethany and gives his permission to use his animals. It's also possible that Jesus simply knew the donkey would be there, and that the owner would be willing to loan the animal.

We don't know if the men are in Bethphage, where Jesus will pass with the crowd shouting "Hosanna," or if the men know of Lazarus and that Jesus raised him from the dead. Undoubtedly, they will learn of the procession to Jerusalem, where branches and cloaks provided a path for the Messiah. And they will hear of the crucifixion. What these men do know is that two men have come to collect the donkeys, and they let Jesus' disciples do just that.

These puzzled men have a significant role in Jesus' triumphal entry not because of anything they do but because two disciples are obedient to Jesus' instruction. There is no telling how others could be invited into Jesus' story because we stepped out in faith and obeyed.

Mark 11:1–11 records an event included in all four Gospels: that several days before the crucifixion, Jesus enters Jerusalem, welcomed by the people as the Messiah who will free them from Roman rule. Jesus enters on a donkey, fulfilling prophecy and symbolizing the peaceful nature of His first coming. Matthew 21:1–11 ties the triumphal entry to Isaiah 62:11. Luke 19:29–44 records that the Pharisees demand Jesus silence His followers and that Jesus weeps, knowing what happen when the Romans destroy Jerusalem in AD 70. John 12:12–19 goes into more detail about how the disciples don't realize Jesus is fulfilling prophecy (Zechariah 9:9) until after the ascension (Acts 1:6–11).

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.