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.

The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

1
As they were approaching Yerushalayim, near Beit-Pagei and Beit-Anyah, by the Mount of Olives, Yeshua sent two of his talmidim ​
2
with these instructions: "Go into the village ahead of you; and as soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden. Untie it, and bring it here. ​
3
If anyone asks you, `Why are you doing this?' tell him, `The Lord needs it,' and he will send it here right away." ​
4
They went off and found a colt in the street tied in a doorway, and they untied it.
5
The bystanders said to them, "What are you doing, untying that colt?"
6
They gave the answer Yeshua had told them to give, and they let them continue.
7
They brought the colt to Yeshua and threw their robes on it, and he sat on it.
8
Many people carpeted the road with their clothing, while others spread out green branches which they had cut in the fields.
9
Those who were ahead and those behind shouted, "Please! Deliver us!"m "Blessed is he who comes in the name of ADONAI!" ​
10
"Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our father David!" and, "You in the highest heaven! Please! Deliver us!"
11
Yeshua entered Yerushalayim, went into the Temple courts and took a good look at everything; but since it was now late, he went out with the Twelve to Beit-Anyah. ​

The Cursing of the Fig Tree

12
The next day, as they came back from Beit-Anyah, he felt hungry.
13
Spotting in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came up to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it wasn't fig season. ​
14
He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" And his talmidim heard what he said.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

15
On reaching Yerushalayim, he entered the Temple courts and began driving out those who were carrying on business there, both the merchants and their customers. He also knocked over the desks of the money-changers, upset the benches of the pigeon-dealers, ​
16
and refused to let anyone carry merchandise through the Temple courts.
17
Then, as he taught them, he said, "Isn't it written in the Tanakh, My house will be called a house of prayer for all the Goyimp But you have made it into a den of robbers!" ​
18
The head cohanim and the Torah-teachers heard what he said and tried to find a way to do away with him; they were afraid of him, because the crowds were utterly taken by his teaching. ​
19
When evening came, they left the city.

The Lesson on Faith and Forgiveness

20
In the morning, as the talmidim passed by, they saw the fig tree withered all the way to its roots.
21
Kefa remembered and said to Yeshua, "Rabbi! Look! The fig tree that you cursed has dried up!"
22
He responded, "Have the kind of trust that comes from God! ​
23
Yes! I tell you that whoever does not doubt in his heart but trusts that what he says will happen can say to this mountain, `Go and throw yourself into the sea!' and it will be done for him. ​
24
Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, trust that you are receiving it, and it will be yours.
25
And when you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive your offenses." ​
26
But if you do not forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your offenses."

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

27
They went back into Yerushalayim; and as he was walking in the Temple courts, there came to him the head cohanim, the Torah-teachers and the elders;
28
and they said to him, "What s'mikhah do you have that authorizes you to do these things? Who gave you this s'mikhah authorizing you to do them?" ​
29
Yeshua said to them, "I will ask you just one question: answer me, and I will tell you by what s'mikhah I do these things.
30
The immersion of Yochanan -- was it from Heaven or from a human source? Answer me." ​
31
They discussed it among themselves: "If we say, `From Heaven,' he will say, `Then why didn't you believe him?'
32
But if we say, `From a human source, . . . '" -- they were afraid of the people, for they all regarded Yochanan as a genuine prophet.
33
So they answered Yeshua, "We don't know." "Then," he replied, "I won't tell you by what s'mikhah 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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