Mark 11 - What Made Jesus Really Mad?
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King
11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”
Today we begin to see the events leading to the cross. Jesus sent two disciples, we don't know which ones, to get a young colt that had never been ridden before. If anyone asked why they were taking the colt, they were to say, "the Lord needs it and will return it asap". If I were a disciple, I might have been a little skeptical of Jesus' request. It is not every day you walk up and take someone's colt and give the reason for taking it,"Lord needs it!".
With this, Jesus established that He would enter Jerusalem riding on a colt. He deliberately chose a young donkey, not a stallion, not a horse, and not coming on foot. This is because in that day, to come riding a colt – as opposed to a mighty war-horse – was to come as a man of peace. Jesus didn’t come to Jerusalem as a conquering general, but as a suffering (though triumphant) servant. (Guzik)
4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.
The fact that the colt was sitting there waiting to go seems to show that everything was divinely orchestrated. When the people questioned them, they did as Jesus told them and said and the people let them have it. Again these events did not happen by accident.
Though Jesus came humbly on a donkey, the crowds recognized he was something special. They spread their spread their cloaks with palm branches, which was there of preparing the way for a king.
On this day, they lavished attention and honor on Jesus. They used their clothes as a saddle for Jesus and as a red carpet for the colt He rode on. Considering the expense and value of clothing in that day, this was generous praise. (Guzik)
9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna![a]” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[b] 10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 11 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 crowds were following and shouting words that related to Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah from Psalm 118:25,26 "Hosanna" means "God saves".
For most of His ministry, Jesus did everything He could to discourage people from publicly celebrating Him as the Messiah. Here Jesus went out of His way to invite public praise and adoration as the Messiah. - Guzik
Finally, Jesus entered the temple courts and he mused on what he saw. He would have more to say about it later but not tonight.
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
The fig trees had leaves, which meant they should have been ripe with fruit but they weren't. Jesus was the fruit of the Vine from the Old Testament. When Jesus looked for fruit in the Jewish leaders and in the temple it was barren as well.
There were many trees with only leaves, and these were not cursed. There were many trees with neither leaves nor fruit, and these were not cursed. This tree was cursed because it professed to have fruit, but did not. (Guzik)
Jesus' judgment of the fig trees ("may you never bear fruit") would soon be the message he came the religious leaders of the temple.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.”
Not only were the people not ready for the Messiah, but they were making a mockery of the temple. In God's name they were profiting off of those who had to exchange money, as they came for the Passover festival. Jesus made quite a scene in the temple courts. This one of the first times Jesus was demonstrably angry. His anger is what we would call "righteous indignation".
Jesus was not mad for himself but for God the Father. Another Old Testament prophecy was, "Zeal for your house consumes me." Psalm 69:9
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
The religious leaders saw the handwriting on the wall. Their "gig" was up! So they wanted to eliminate Jesus, who was a threat to their power and control which they loved to use for their own benefit.
19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples[e] went out of the city. 20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” 22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[f] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” [26] [g]
The next day Peter saw that Jesus literally cursed the fig tree, which had withered over night. Jesus used it as an opportunity to teach him about the power of faith. The power of faith which was available through prayer. When they prayed, faith meant believing they received what they prayed for. This is not the first time Jesus emphasized when we pray we should expect to see God answer our prayer. It doesn't mean God is going to answer every prayer we make, but it shows we have the faith to believe He can. This is why we pray in Jesus' name and say "Your will be done on earth as it is heaven."
When we pray it is also important for us to be in a right relationship with God and others. If we are bitter or resentful toward a brother or sister in Christ, we need to release it and forgive them just as we have been forgiven.
This promise of God’s answer to the prayer made in faith was made to disciples, not to the multitude. “Nor should we interpret Mark 11:24 to mean, ‘If you pray hard enough and really believe, God is obligated to answer your prayer no matter what you ask.’ That kind of faith is not faith in God; rather it is nothing but faith in faith, or faith in feelings.” (Wiersbe)
The Authority of Jesus Questioned
27 They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28 “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?” 29 Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!” 31 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.) 33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Once again the religious leaders were trying to trap Jesus, when they asked him where he was getting the authority to do the things he was doing. Jesus answered their question by asking them a question. He promised to answer them if they answered his question which was, "Where did John the Baptism get his authority to baptize?"
John the Baptist clearly recognized Jesus' power and authority, so the leaders were in a pickle. If they denied John's authority, they could have a riot on their hands, because of John's high standing with the people. If they accepted John's authority, they would have to acknowledge Jesus' power, which they now were questioning.
Jesus, never the pawn of men, refused to answer their question because they wouldn't answer his.
What do we do in the church or in worship that might bring the same type of reaction from Jesus? How do we make a mockery of God's temple? Do we ever try to use God or our religious platform for personal gain or influence?
For instance if we preach politics from the pulpit, is that the right thing to do, especially if we are preaching our own political point of view?
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