Mark - Lesson 11A

• Last week, we went through what I called a “book-end” moment.

  • This consisted of Jesus’ healing of blind Bartimaeus as He and the disciples are making their way to Jerusalem for Passover.

    • And we discovered that through reading the other synoptic accounts, that there were two blind men seeking to be healed.

    • However, Mark’s focus is more centered towards Bartimaeus’ healing, especially his response after the fact.

  • It was this healing of blind Bartimaeus that was completely different from the healing of the blind man of Bethsaida.

    • The two-stage healing with the blind man in Bethsaida reflected the need of spiritual clarity for the disciples concerning Jesus' mission.

    • Whereas Blind Bartimaeus, tossing aside his cloak to respond to Jesus, “Son of David”, is an action of spiritual clarity from faith provided.

    • And immediately after he is healed, the text told us that Bartimaeus began to follow Jesus as a disciple.

    • After this healing, the crowd continued following Jesus amongst the other pilgrims as they made their way to Jerusalem for Passover.

  • Tonight, we make our way to the point of our text known as the "Triumphal Entry".

    • It is here in Mark's gospel that Chapters 11-16 mark what is known as the “Passion week”.

    • This will be where Jesus prepares for His suffering and death just as He foretold to His disciples.

  • However, before His entrance into Jerusalem, there was another miracle that took place and that was the raising of Lazarus. (John 11:45-46)

    • This miracle garnered even more popularity for Jesus upon the ascent to Jerusalem amongst the people, as well as hostility from the religious leaders.

    • This triumphal entry would mark a major highlight in human history, fulfilling a prophecy of old which led to Messiah’s death.

  • If I were to outline our time tonight, we will see the following:

    • 1. Preparation for a fulfillment of Prophecy (v. 1- 3)

    • 2. Providence of the Sovereign (v. 4-6)

    • 3. A Visual Proclamation of an “un” Triumphal Entry (v.7-11)

  • If I were to put a tag on tonight's text it would be: “The Arrival of the Peaceful King!”

    • With that being said I invite you to meet me in Mark 11:1-11.

Mark 11:1 As they *approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He *sent two of His disciples, 
Mark 11:2 and *said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. 
Mark 11:3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ you say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he will send it back here.” 
Mark 11:4 They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they *untied it. 
Mark 11:5 Some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 
Mark 11:6 They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission. 
Mark 11:7 They *brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it. 
Mark 11:8 And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. 
Mark 11:9 Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:
“Hosanna!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
Mark 11:10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;
Hosanna in the highest!”
Mark 11:11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.

• Let’s Pray.

Mark 11:1 As they *approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He *sent two of His disciples, 
Mark 11:2 and *said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. 
Mark 11:3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ you say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he will send it back here.” 

• It’s here that Mark sets up our scene geographically as the Passover week approaches.

  • Jesus and His disciples began the journey in the Galilee in Capernaum, moving south then east across the Jordan river to Perea.

    • From Perea they journeyed to Jericho, and they continued their ascent up towards Jerusalem.

    • This sort of advance travel to Jerusalem for Passover was common for many as thousands of people journeyed on the narrow roads to Jerusalem.

  • Verse 1 begins by saying “As they approached Jerusalem”, meaning they had not entered through the eastern gate and are therefore on the "outskirts" of the city.

    • The "outskirt towns" coming up from the east were Bethphage and Bethany.

    • And, like a typical “Markan” move, Mark provides us with big picture clues.

    • In this instance, he does so geographically by mentioning that these locations were near the Mount of Olives.

  • The town of Bethphage was located on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives between Bethany and Jerusalem.

    • And the town of Bethany was located on the southern slope of the Mount of Olives, about 2 miles outside Jerusalem.

  • Bethany was known as the "house of the poor" and this was the village which Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.

    • You can imagine, with Jesus having done such a miracle, as raising a dead child, it would have garnered much attention from the traveling crowds.

    • Not only that but it would have caused animosity amongst the religious leaders, looking to protect their religiosity.

  • The name of Bethphage means "house of unripe figs”.

    • And as I mentioned earlier, Bethphage was considered an "outskirt town” of Jerusalem.

    • And according to the Talmud, the town was regarded as an extension of Jerusalem.

    • This detail plays a huge role in biblical prophecy, as you will see later tonight.

  • Edersheim, in his book “The Temple”, mentions that the citizens of Bethany and Bethphage were quite “hospitable towards pilgrims" traveling for the Passover feast.

  • As we look at the towns mentioned in Mark’s account, geographically, we can't help but recognize the huge theological matter at play.

    • In one case, we know eschatologically that it will be upon the Mount of Olives that Jesus will make His glorious return and split the Mount of Olives in half.

    • His very return will cause cosmological and geographical changes, universally.

  • We will also see, prophetically, that the location of Bethphage, plays a huge role Christologically in understanding Jesus' mission and purpose as Messiah, redemptively.

    • I mention this because within rabbinical tradition, they discuss the significance of Bethphage.

    • It is stated that Messiah would ride into Jerusalem from city limits of the eastern side of the city.

    • The Mishnah concludes that the city limits on the eastern side of Jerusalem was the small town of Bethphage.

  • In verses 2-3, Mark tells us that Jesus sends two of His disciples out to a village, opposite of them with detailed directives, to gather a colt.

    • What an interesting set of directives given to these two disciples as a means of a "divine errand". (We will review this soon.)

  • One question that some would ask is: “With such detailed instructions, how could Jesus have known exactly where to go?”

    • And for that matter, “What they would find as requested, so perfectly?”

    • Secondly: “Why would Jesus need a Donkey to enter Jerusalem for the Passover feast anyway?”

    • For the text does not mention His need of a donkey in His prior pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

  • Let’s address the first question: These detailed instructions in which Jesus has provided them is based upon the Father's Sovereign plan, by which He has given the Son to instruct the disciples for such a time as this.

    • Consider in verse 3 the details provided:

      • where to go,

      • what to find,

      • who will ask,

      • what to say,

      • what to do,

      • and what’s this for.

    • If we see anything in verses 1-3 alone, we can establish a theological truth and that is: God is sovereign.

  • For God's word to go forth to be accomplished, being that He is Lord of all, He can use all means, people, and processes to accomplish His plan.

    • As we move to verses 4-6 we will see everything that Jesus told His disciples to do on this "Divine errand" was accomplished to the "t".

  • The Second question that we must ask is: "Why would Jesus need a donkey/colt to enter Jerusalem for the Passover feast? And why a colt that has never been sat upon?

    • This answer is twofold.

  • On one hand, it was not unusual for someone to borrow a donkey as a means of transportation.

    • And contrary to popular belief, a donkey was not associated with poverty in the 1st century.

    • Where some would expect horses for transportation (used for war), donkeys were of common use at that time and demonstrated peace.

  • So, what was Jesus doing having His two disciples gather the donkey and her colt to ride into the Holy City?

    • Friends, Jesus is preparing to make an emphatic statement by demonstration, pointing to who He is, the Jewish Messiah.

  • This demonstration of riding on a colt into the Holy City was a means of prophecy in the Hebrew scriptures and would be, a fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9.

    • Check out the text with me:

Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
He is just and endowed with salvation,
Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

• Now, there is another question that we have not answered, and it pertains to verse 2:

  • "Why did Jesus request a colt that had not been sat upon?"

  • For us to round out this detail, we need to look at Matthew's gospel and in doing so we see that what is requested is both a donkey and her colt, and the colt is to be "unbroken".

    • Having a colt that was “unbroken” could cause one to become seriously injured.

    • It’s like a woman who purchased some new high heel shoes.

    • She must break them in by wearing them around the house in an effort to get them to feel comfortable.

  • So, the fact that Jesus is requesting an unused, untrained colt speaks to His very power and control over the animal Kingdom.

    • Let’s keep moving. Check our Mark 11:4-6.

Mark 11:4 They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they *untied it. 
Mark 11:5 Some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 
Mark 11:6 They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission. 

• It's in complete obedience to Jesus' instructions that the two disciples, whose names aren't provided, follow His instructions to a “t"!

  • Imagine being given instructions to go somewhere to retrieve something that was not previously arranged or purchased, to your knowledge.

    • This request from Jesus, at first ask, would seem like a weird request.

    • However, with hindsight, we see that these provisions were arranged by the Father through means of preparing the hearts of those at play within history.

    • All the two disciples needed to do was have faith in knowing that what Jesus said was true and trust that what He sent them to find they would find.

  • Interestingly enough, the owners of the donkey and the colt have never met the two disciples and yet they make their way to untie the donkey and the colt.

    • And they let the owners know that “The Lord has need of it.”

  • This word "Lord" in Greek is Kyrios which means Master or owner.

    • However, Jesus is speaking in Aramaic and within the Septuagint translation it translates as Yahweh.

    • So, they tell the owners, “Yahweh has need of it.”

  • Friends, this was yet another indicator of Jesus making known to His disciples and those around that He is the God-man (Messiah).

    • So just like that, the owners release the animals into the care of the disciples for Jesus' entry into Jerusalem as their true king.

    • Even if it meant that the people were not fully grasping the full sense of this “appointed time”.

  • And what I pray you are seeing is that God's plans are perfect, and His word will not return unto Him void.

    • Let’s move to our last few verses 7-11.

Mark 11:7 They *brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it. 
Mark 11:8 And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. 
Mark 11:9 Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:
“Hosanna!
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
Mark 11:10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;
Hosanna in the highest!”
Mark 11:11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.

• Mark tells us that upon Jesus receiving the donkey and the colt, that the disciples began to put their coats (outer garments) upon the back of the colt.

  • We can assume this was done as a means of cushioning Jesus’ ride upon the colt.

    • Once Jesus sits upon the colt, notice that the crowd gives two separate responses before the shouts proceed.

    • Some spread their coats on the road while others laid "leafy branches”!

    • This moment marked a critical point in Jesus' ministry. This was the moment that is known in church history as the Triumphal Entry.

  • This type of welcome was one of a royal welcoming in the first century.

    • As a matter of fact, in the ancient east, this type of greeting was given to royal dignitaries and was customary for that day.

    • An example of this royal welcoming is found in 2 Kings 9:13.

2 Kings 9:13 Then they hurried and each man took his garment and placed it under him on the bare steps, and blew the trumpet, saying, “Jehu is king!”

• So, in response to the visual that is seen, the text mentions that people are laying down coats and leafy branches.

  • We are provided with details in John's gospel as to what the “leafy branches” are in John 12:13.

John 12:13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.”

• • The leafy branches are palm branches.

  • So, it is these 2 distinct items that provide us with a contrasting group that see Jesus as king in two different lights. (We will expound later)

    • We also got a clue from last week's teaching on Blind Bartimaeus regarding what the cloaks represent.

  • If you recall, Bartimaeus, acknowledged Jesus as the "Son of David!

    • Meaning that he viewed Jesus as Messiah who would sit upon the Davidic throne and usher in the Kingdom.

  • So those who are throwing down their cloaks identify Jesus as their Messiah who will defeat Satan's Kingdom and in turn establish the Messianic Kingdom.

    • So, what about the Palm branches? What did those signify and why were they being laid down before Jesus, riding up towards Jerusalem?"

  • Palm branches earned a distinct meaning for Jews in that day. It was a symbol of national liberation.

    • So, with that in mind, those in the crowd laying down Palm branches were indicating their desire for Messiah to liberate them from Gentile rule (i.e. Roman Government)

  • History shows us that the Jews first used this symbol to greet the Macabees after they defeated the Greeks in an effort to liberate Israel in the 2nd century.

    • In 1st Maccabees, we see a historical account that speaks to that period and the use of Palm branches.

On the twenty-third day of the second month, in the one hundred seventy-first year, the Jews entered it with praise and palm branches, and with harps and cymbals and stringed instruments, and with hymns and songs, because a great enemy had been crushed and removed from Israel.

• So when we consider what “Palm” Sunday is truly about, we can see that the naming of this day is very misleading.

  • For Jesus moving towards Jerusalem on a colt on the 10th of Nisan was not an entrance for political and militant conquering, but rather a means of making known the peace that is found in Messiah and His First Coming.

  • The fact that Jesus is riding on a donkey and not a horse speaks to the meaning of His symbolic message.

  • This further makes the point that seems to be missed by the disciples and most of the crowd – they do not understand Jesus' mission here regarding the 1st Advent.

  • So, the two groups are the following:

    • 1. One group sees Jesus as Messiah to be coronated and crowned king.

    • 2. The other group sees Messiah as a militant leader who will lead a political revolt and bring the Kingdom in Full Power and authority.

    • This moment within history was both pivotal and prophetic as we will see later tonight in verses 9-11.

  • Mark tells us that as Jesus is riding up to the gates the people are chanting several statements:

    • The first word is "Hosanna". In Hebrew this word is spelled Hoshia' na, which means "save us, we beseech you!"

  • Secondly, we see the phrase “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”

    • This very statement of exultation comes from Psalm 118:26

    • It is a Messianic Psalm speaking of the "One" coming in the name of the Lord and it is anticipatory in nature regarding the expected arrival of Messiah.

  • Thirdly is the phrase "Blessed is the coming Kingdom of our father, David".

    • It was this cheer for the coming Kingdom that was promised long ago. It would be this Kingdom that would have no end. (2 Samuel 7:16)

  • And lastly was the statement, "Hosanna in the Highest!

    • So, it becomes a clear indication of Jesus' identity being understood yet there is a struggle with understanding the timing of His mission.

    • It’s almost as if it’s the right acknowledgement yet wrong timing or shall I say “missed” timing.

  • For this Passover would not be the indication of Jesus’ coronation and Triumphal Takeover, for they had already rejected the offer of the Kingdom and their King.

    • The point that the disciples were missing was the fact that rather than a coronation, there would be a crucifixion – a “cutting off” of Messiah.

  • This very expectation of Messiah being “cut off” was Sovereignly set by God over 450 years prior.

    • It was Daniel, who in Daniel 9:24-27 prophesied a particular coming time that Messiah would be “cut off”.

    • So, as Jesus is coming from the east riding on a colt, He fulfills Zechariah 9:9 and we see the people shout of this kingly act.

  • Yet, the disciples are struggling with Jesus’ reminders of His death.

    • This celebratory and triumphal moment seems to be what they were anticipating for Jesus.

  • The rabbis of that day taught upon the coming of a mighty militant Messiah, yet they seemed to forget about the scriptures which speak of the suffering servant.

    • It becomes plain that, in their confusion, there weren’t two Messiahs, but rather One Messiah with two separate comings.

  • It’s at this point that, in verse 11, Mark states that Jesus entered Jerusalem on the day we know in Church History, today, as Palm Sunday.

    • And the very first thing that Jesus does, upon entry into Jerusalem, is go to the Temple.

    • And while in the temple, Jesus was “looking around at everything”.

  • The word for “looking” in Greek is the word periblepo. This word is used seven times in Mark’s gospel, and it speaks to looking about in various directions intently.

    • I find it interesting, the anticlimactic moment here in Mark’s gospel.

    • Jesus, after having been praised and revered by the people is now in the Temple alone because the crowd has faded off.

    • Talk about fanfare with no substance!

  • You would think that with this anticipation built up that questions would be asked, or teaching would take place – not just Jesus alone in the Temple.

    • Perhaps Jesus was looking for a response from the people, most especially His own disciples.

    • This moment reminds me of the disconnect between the disciples and Jesus after Jesus tells them a third time that He is headed to die.

    • Jesus, in this last leg, has a sense of determination to get to Jerusalem as if there was an appointment for Him, up ahead – in fact there was.

  • According to the text, Jesus must have been there for a while scouting the temple in a survey-like fashion, because the end of verse 11 says “He left for Bethany, with the twelve, since it was already late.”

    • I believe this moment here was to examine the temple to see if the temple was being used according to its purposed intent.

    • For as we will see in our next teachings, there will be several instances where Jesus is going to have issue with the corruption and evil of the religious leaders and their use of the Temple.

    • And because of the corruption that is going on there, we will see in Mark 13 that Jesus will foretell the destruction of the Temple that will come.

  • What began as a moment of celebration concludes in a time of sadness for Jesus.

    • For the people had eyes but could not see. They had ears but could not hear.

    • For what could be deemed as Jesus’ self-disclosure as Messiah was completely missed, because people wanted to see what they wanted to see.

  • Isn’t that what becomes of us even as followers of Christ, we want Jesus to fit our particular boxes of interest.

    • Yet it is God who wants us to see who He is and what He has done the way He designed it.

  • And in this case, as Jesus is inspecting the Temple, He is actually inspecting the hearts of the people of Israel.

    • And as He is looking and examining everything, we will see that the people’s spiritual condition is corrupt and darkening.

  • It would be this day, the tenth day of Nisan in which the righteous Lamb arrived, to be set aside, and ultimately killed for the sins of the people.

    • The people missed their spiritual deliverer presented before them all to seek a physical deliverance right then and there.

    • However, before there could be glory admonished to the King, He would have to suffer for the sins of His people.

    • This would only be accomplished by the Lamb of God.

    • Let's Pray.

Citations:

• Edersheim, The Temple, p. 168, referencing Pes. 53

• Charles R. Page II, Jesus & the Land (Nashville, Abingdon Press, 1995), pp. 114-115)

• 1 Maccabees 13:51