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
And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, ​
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And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. ​
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And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. ​
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And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.
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And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?
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And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.
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And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.
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And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.
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And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: ​
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Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
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And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve. ​

The Cursing of the Fig Tree

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And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
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And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. ​
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And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

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And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; ​
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And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
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And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. ​
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And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. ​
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And when even was come, he went out of the city.

The Lesson on Faith and Forgiveness

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And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
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And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
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And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. ​
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For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. ​
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Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
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And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. ​
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But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

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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,
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And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things? ​
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And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
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The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me. ​
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And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
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But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.
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And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell 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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