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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Mark Chapter 11

 Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: John Mark
Date Penned: (55-65 AD)
Overview: Mark Records the 1st Gospel Written (c 1-16)
Theme:  The Message and Ministry of Jesus, The Servant (c 1-13)
Message: Jesus Enters into Passion Week  (v 1-33)

Mark 11 Commentary

(11:1-11) Jesus Rides Into Jerusalem on a Donkey - As in the other Gospels, the story slows now, from Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem until his resurrection a week later. Until this point, the Gospels present a sampler of Jesus’ life and ministry. But the closing chapters of each account present powerful details. The crowd that accompanied the Lord into Jerusalem was made up of Jesus’ followers and pilgrims on their way to Passover. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. The crowd joyfully escorted Jesus into Jerusalem, perhaps hoping that this would be the time when he would declare his political intentions and expel the Romans.

(11:12-19) Jesus Clears the Temple Again - Jesus was patient with ignorance, but he confronted arrogance. He was in constant conflict with those who knew better but did wrong. Jesus once again faced the desecration of the Temple by the peddlers and parasites he had expelled during a previous visit had returned (see John 2:12-25). When a cleansed Temple isn’t filled up with goodness, it is soon restocked with evil. Mark bracketed this account of the Temple cleansing with the cursing of a fig tree. Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple and cursing of the fig tree both demonstrate divine judgment on the apostasy of Israel.

(11:20-26) Jesus Says the Disciples Can Pray for Anything - Mark split his account of Jesus cursing the fig tree into two parts: the curse itself as an acted-out parable about God’s judgment of fruitless Israel, and the disciples’ response. Our perspective tends to be different than that of the disciples. They accepted the cursing of the fig tree, but wondered how Jesus had caused the plant to wither. We take Jesus’ power for granted but want to know why Jesus did it. The parallel between Jesus cursing the tree and cleansing the Temple reveals his motive. The power of faith and prayer can make us effective. For our prayers to be effective, we must have faith and we must forgive others.

(11:27-33) Religious Leaders Challenge Jesus' Authority - At this point, Mark began an extended section (11:27–12:34) that shows Jesus under constant attack yet emerging victorious over his opponents. With the one exception of the teacher who asked Jesus about the greatest commandment (12:28), Jesus’ opponents tried desperately to catch him in a wrong answer. In each case, Jesus turned their question around with a question of his own. He showed that their motives were evil and their premises were wrong.

 


Dave Burnette's Life Application

Your Prayers Can Move Mountains

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue in the book of Mark with Chapter 11. In our text today we see Jesus' Ministry in Jerusalem before palm branches and praises of the Jews, He clears the temple of money changers, rebukes the Pharisees, and teaches on faith explaining how it can move mountains. In making application we see that our faith and prayers can still move mountains. How about you? Are you facing a Mountain? Let us learn from our text today and the Ministry and Words of Jesus who instructs us to pray by faith and if we do our prayers will have the ability to Move Mountains.

 

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Mark 11

Mark 11

 1And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples,

 2And 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.

 3And 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.

 4And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.

 5And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?

 6And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.

 7And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.

 8And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

 9And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

 10Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

 11And 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.

 12And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

 13And 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.

 14And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

 15And 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;

 16And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

 17And 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.

 18And 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.

 19And when even was come, he went out of the city.

 20And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

 21And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

 22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

 23For 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.

 24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

 25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

 26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

 27And 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,

 28And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

 29And 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.

 30The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

 31And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?

 32But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

 33And 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.