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

1
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two of His disciples ​
2
and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and as soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. ​
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If anyone asks, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it shortly.’” ​
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So they went and found the colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. They untied it,
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and some who were standing there asked, “Why are you untying the colt?”
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The disciples answered as Jesus had instructed them, and the people gave them permission.
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Then they led the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, and He sat on it.
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Many in the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut from the fields.
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The ones who went ahead and those who followed were shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” ​
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“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest!”
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Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, He went out to Bethany with the Twelve. ​

The Cursing of the Fig Tree

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The next day, when they had left Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
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Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if there was any fruit on it. But when He reached it, He found nothing on it except leaves, since it was not the season for figs. ​
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Then He said to the tree, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again.” And His disciples heard this statement.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

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When they arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began to drive out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. ​
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And He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.
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Then Jesus began to teach them, and He declared, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” ​
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When the chief priests and scribes heard this, they looked for a way to kill Him. For they were afraid of Him, because the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching. ​
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And when evening came, Jesus and His disciples went out of the city.

The Lesson on Faith and Forgiveness

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As they were walking back in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from its roots.
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Peter remembered it and said, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree You cursed has withered.”
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“Have faith in God,” Jesus said to them. ​
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“Truly I tell you that if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and has no doubt in his heart but believes that it will happen, it will be done for him. ​
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Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
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And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well.” ​
26
Not present in the manuscripts this translation follows.

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

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After their return to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in the temple courts, and the chief priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him.
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“By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You the authority to do them?” ​
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“I will ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
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John’s baptism—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me!” ​
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They deliberated among themselves what they should answer: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
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But if we say, ‘From men’...” they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John truly was a prophet.
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So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing 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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