Mark 11 - Printer Friendly

What does Mark 11 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

For the final time Jesus goes to Jerusalem, and He will not be ignored. His first three acts are disruptive; He asserts His authority (Mark 11:1–11), curses a fig tree—a symbol of Israel—(Mark 11:12–14, 20–25), and attacks the temple money-making industry (Mark 11:15–19). Once He has everyone's attention, He engages the religious leaders in a series of debates that reveal their conflation between godliness and nationalism and their rejection of the true worship of God (Mark 11:27–12:44).

Jesus has left Galilee and traveled to "the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan" (Mark 10:1), returning to the teaching ministry He had suspended in His home district (Mark 8:11–13). He probably kept the typical Galilean custom of avoiding Samaria by crossing the Jordan River south of the Sea of Galilee, going south through Decapolis to Perea (Matthew 19:1), and crossing west again near the northern edge of the Dead Sea, where the road went through Jericho (Mark 10:46) to Bethany and Bethphage (Mark 11:1), and eventually Jerusalem.

Jesus' first task is to display His identity as the Messiah and the King of the Jews by riding a donkey colt (Zechariah 9:9) down the Mount of Olives toward Jerusalem. People who are going to Jerusalem, many of whom have heard that Jesus raised Lazarus, take leafy branches and their cloaks and lay them on the ground for Jesus to ride on. The crowd declares that He has come in the name of the Lord to return the kingdom of David. This event is referred to as His "triumphal entry" into the city. Jesus arrives at the temple late in the day, looks around the courtyard, and returns to Bethany (Mark 11:1–11).

Mark likes to pair related stories around a third event, and he does so again here. The morning after the triumphal entry, Jesus is headed back to Jerusalem and notices a fig tree has no fruit. Despite the fact it isn't the season for figs, such trees were supposed to produce small, edible buds in preparation for later fruits. This tree has no such buds—which means it provides no food now, and won't produce figs later. Jesus curses it, declaring no one will ever eat from it again. When He reaches the temple, He sees money-changers and bird merchants have set up shop in the temple courtyard, where the Gentiles are meant to worship God and pray. Jesus turns over their tables and stops the people from using the courtyard as a shortcut between Jerusalem proper and the Mount of Olives (Mark 11:12–19).

The next morning, as Jesus and the disciples again travel from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem, the disciples realize the fig tree is withered and dead. The fig tree, Jerusalem, and the Jewish nation do not produce the fruit they were created for, so they must be judged (Mark 11:20–25).

When Jesus and the disciples arrive at the temple courtyard, the religious and civil leaders ask Him who gave Him the authority to chase out the vendors the day before. He counters by asking them if they believe John the Baptist was a God-ordained prophet. If they answer yes, they lose the people's respect by displaying their theological hypocrisy. If they answer no, they lose the people's respect by slandering John. This reinforces the leaders' resolve to destroy Jesus secretly, where the crowd cannot defend Him (Mark 11:27–33).

Throughout the rest of the Passion Week—the final few days prior to the crucifixion—Jesus will engage in many debates and teach many truths, not all of which are recorded in Mark 12—13. It is His last chance before the crucifixion to get people to think about worship as God designed it to be, and reject the worldly nationalist fervor. His words and actions remind us to keep our eyes on God, not the things God has blessed us with.

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).

Mark 11:12–14 is another example of Mark's habit of placing two related stories around a third, subtly related idea. These connections become clear when the stories are seen together, such as Jairus' sick daughter wrapped around the ''daughter'' with an issue of blood (Mark 5:21–43). Jesus approaches the fig tree and finds it unfruitful, so He judges it (Mark 11:12–14). He then finds the temple corrupt and judges it (Matthew 11:15–19). The next morning, the disciples find the fig tree is dead (Mark 11:20–25), a fate Jerusalem will share in AD 70. Matthew joins both parts of this story of the fig tree in Matthew 21:18–22.

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.

Mark 11:20–26 is the conclusion of the story started in Mark 11:12–14. The fig tree Jesus cursed is found to be withered to its roots, truly dead, the next morning. The fig tree represents Jerusalem and, to an extent, Judaism, which has ceased to worship God and bless the people. In a few days, at the Last Supper, Jesus teaches the disciples that they cannot bear fruit unless they are dependent on Him, just as a vine is useless unless it is connected to the branch. Fruitless vines will wither, then be tossed into the fire, and burned (John 15:1–11). This half of the story of the fig tree is also found in Matthew 21:20–22. Verse 26 is not found in most modern translations.

Mark 11:27–33 is the first of four stories of religious leaders challenging Jesus. The others are found through verse 27 of chapter 12. First is a confrontation with the chief priests, scribes, and elders. Next, Jesus' parable about farmland tenants solidifies the authorities' desire to kill Him (Mark 12:1–12). The Pharisees and Herodians try to trap Jesus with a question about taxes (Mark 12:13–17). And, finally, the Sadducees challenge Jesus with a question about the resurrection (Mark 12:18–27). Eventually, Jesus can have a friendly conversation about the greatest commandment with a scribe (Mark 12:28–34). This first story is also in Matthew 21:23–27 and Luke 20:1–8.

Chapter Summary:

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.

Chapter Context:

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.

Accessed 4/28/2024 3:50:29 AM