Mark11

Jesus enters Jerusalem triumphantly on a colt, acclaimed by the crowds with shouts of "Hosanna." He then cleanses the temple, overturning tables and rebuking those who made it a "den of thieves." Later, he curses a barren fig tree, which withers, and teaches his disciples about the power of faith and the importance of forgiveness. Finally, he silences the chief priests and elders who question his authority by posing a question they cannot answer.

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The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

And when they draw nigh unto Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth two of his disciples,

and saith unto them, Go your way into the village that is over against you: and straightway as ye enter into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon no man ever yet sat; loose him, and bring him.

And if any one say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye, The Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him back hither.

And they went away, and found a colt tied at the door without in the open street; and they loose him.

And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?

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

And they bring the colt unto Jesus, and cast on him their garments; and he sat upon him.

And many spread their garments upon the way; and others branches, which they had cut from the fields.

And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

Blessed is the kingdom that cometh, the kingdom of our father David: Hosanna in the highest.

And he entered into Jerusalem, into the temple; and when he had looked round about upon all things, it being now eventide, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

The Cursing of the Fig Tree

And on the morrow, when they were come out from Bethany, he hungered.

And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season of figs.

And he answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit from thee henceforward for ever. And his disciples heard it.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

And they come to Jerusalem: and he entered into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and them that bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves;

and he would not suffer that any man should carry a vessel through the temple.

And he taught, and said unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? but ye have made it a den of robbers.

And the chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, for all the multitude was astonished at his teaching.

And every evening he went forth out of the city.

The Lesson on Faith and Forgiveness

And as they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots.

And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it.

Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

And whensoever ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any one; that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

Not present in the manuscripts this translation follows.

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders;

and they said unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? or who gave thee this authority to do these things?

And Jesus said unto them, I will ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men? answer me.

And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?

But should we say, From men—they feared the people: for all verily held John to be a prophet.

And they answered Jesus and say, We know not. And Jesus saith unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

Study Notes for Mark 11

Verse 1

This event occurs on what is traditionally known as Palm Sunday, beginning the final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Bethphage and Bethany were small villages near Jerusalem, located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives.

Verse 2

Jesus’ specific instructions regarding the colt (especially that it had never been ridden) underscore his divine foreknowledge and control, symbolizing his sanctity and fulfilling the messianic prophecy of Zechariah 9:9.

Verse 3

The phrase 'the Lord hath need of him' functions as a divine command, immediately securing the cooperation of the animal’s owners and reinforcing Jesus’ sovereign authority.

Verse 9

The crowds recognized Jesus as the messianic King. 'Hosanna' (meaning 'Save, please!') became a liturgical shout of praise, paired with the greeting 'Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord' (Psalm 118:26).

Verse 11

Jesus does not immediately act, but observes the temple activity. Mark emphasizes that Jesus surveys the scene before returning to Bethany, highlighting the deliberate nature of his later judgment and cleansing.

Verse 13

Fig trees normally produced early fruit (taqsh) before the main harvest. The tree’s leaves signaled the expectation of fruit; finding none, Jesus pronounces a symbolic judgment. The fig tree often represents unfaithful Israel, which had the outward appearance ('leaves') of piety but lacked the spiritual 'fruit' (righteousness).

Verse 15

This act was a prophetic protest against the commercialization and corruption of worship. The marketplace was located in the Court of the Gentiles, impeding non-Jews from accessing the designated area for prayer.

Verse 17

Jesus quotes Isaiah 56:7 ('house of prayer for all nations') and Jeremiah 7:11 ('den of thieves'). He asserts that the temple’s purpose was to facilitate universal prayer, not to serve as a hub for financial exploitation and unjust gain.

Verse 18

The cleansing of the Temple constituted a direct challenge to the authority and revenue of the chief priests and Sadducees, solidifying their decision to seek Jesus' destruction.

Verse 22

Jesus pivots the focus from the miracle itself (the withered tree) to the source of the power: complete and unwavering reliance on God.

Verse 23

'This mountain' is hyperbole, meaning any seemingly insurmountable obstacle. The promise is conditional on belief that is absolute, without doubt in the heart.

Verse 25

Jesus links powerful faith directly to the necessity of interpersonal forgiveness. Unforgiveness acts as a barrier to effective prayer and hinders the believer's reception of God’s forgiveness.

Verse 28

The religious leaders demand to know the source of Jesus’ authority to perform the acts of a king and prophet (the Triumphal Entry and the Temple cleansing).

Verse 30

By asking about John the Baptist, Jesus forces his opponents into an impossible dilemma, exposing their unwillingness to acknowledge divine truth for fear of public opinion.

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Mark11

The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

The Cursing of the Fig Tree

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

The Lesson on Faith and Forgiveness

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

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