Encounter Jesus – Mark Week 9

Jesus the Authority

Mark 11: 27 – 12: 12

HANDOUT

Mark Week 9 – The Authority Handout

AUDIO

Lesson Notes

We continue with the events of the Passion Week – picking up on Tuesday, right after the cursed fig tree was found shriveled up. Recall Monday saw the figurative condemnation and acted out destruction of the temple for unfruitfulness.

A Secondary Lesson from the Fig Tree – Tuesday (Read Mark 11: 22-25)

  • Verses 22-25 – Presents a second application of the fig tree (1st was condemnation)
    • Jesus used the opportunity to teach on effective prayer
    • Prayer deserves far more time than we can devote in this session, so this is a summary
    • Pray in faith, without doubt, and with forgiveness toward all, and great things will happen
      • James 4: 3 – Ask with right motives
      • 1 John 5: 14-15 – Ask according to God’s will and He hears
      • Not “name it and claim it” – confidence in God and submission to His will, as Jesus models in Mark 14: 36

Leaders Question Jesus’ Authority – Tuesday (Read Mark 11: 27-33)

  • On Monday, Jesus had put on quite a “display” in the temple.
  • He took dramatic action that could be described as “prophetic”
  • Verses 27-28 – Chief priests, scribes, and elders come and ask Jesus His authority for this
    • They don’t just arrest Him, so they are concerned about Him and His authority
    • Authority was a major theme in Matthew – he uses the word often, in anticipation of this question
    • While the word isn’t used often by Mark, we’ve seen Jesus’ authority over demons, nature, disease, and death.
    • The authority question is a trap – they want Him to commit blasphemy
    • In verse Mark 11: 18 they are already planning to destroy Him, but were afraid of the crowd
  • Verses 29-33
    • Jesus reverses the trap – asking them to explain John’s authority to baptize
    • If they can’t recognize God’s authority in John, He knows they can’t see it in Him
    • John’s Baptism & Teaching
      • Mark 1: 4 – a baptism of repentance from sins
      • Luke 3: 7-14 – Extended details of John’s message
    • They can’t answer the truth (from heaven) – because their hypocrisy would be exposed. PLUS, John endorsed Jesus as the Messiah. To acknowledge John’s authority would be to acknowledge Jesus’ authority.
    • They can’t answer man because the crowd would riot
    • They choose status and political position over convictions. They claim ignorance
    • Jesus refuses to answer
      • He knows they aren’t sincerely asking, because they lied about John
      • They just want to trap Him

The Parable of the Tenants – Tuesday (Read Mark 12: 1-12)

  • Amongst other things, this parable actually answers the authority question
  • Verse 12 – the chief priests, scribes, and elders understood this was against them and wanted to arrest Him, but couldn’t because of crowd support
  • Jesus had previously been telling parables so they wouldn’t get the point, but this one He intended for them to get, and they got it!
  • Re-read verse 1 – The Vineyard
    • Read Isaiah 5: 1-7
    • Everyone likely knew this parable from Isaiah, which was about Israel, the Vineyard of God
    • Jesus subtly changed it by introducing the tenants who were the problem
    • God is the owner
    • The leaders of Israel are the tenants who are supposed to be producing fruit for the owner
    • Once again – producing fruit is emphasized
  • Verse 2 – God sends an agent to collect the rent – a portion of fruit
    • Remember, Jesus just condemned a fig tree for being unfruitful
  • Verse 3 – The tenants beat up the agent and send him away with no fruit
  • Verses 4-5 – Some others sent, all are mistreated
    • These are the prophets – mistreated and killed by the leaders of Israel over the centuries.
    • This was a theme Jesus referenced often – the killing of the prophets in Jerusalem.
    • The leaders prevent the nation of Israel from giving fruit to its master, to God
    • Reminiscent of God’s indictment of the bad shepherds in Ezekiel 34
  • Verses 6-8 – Killing the Son
    • This is the answer to the authority question – Jesus is the Son
    • He is predicting they will kill Him, which they are already planning to do
    • Verse 6 – “Beloved Son” – this is the same phrase used twice by God in Mark
    • Verse 7 – “Come let’s kill him” – this is the same phrase used by Joseph’s brothers
    • What will happen when they kill Him?
  • Verse 9 – God will destroy the tenants – the leaders of Israel
    • And give the vineyard – His love, His covenant, His blessing, the Promised Land – to Gentiles
    • Remember, Israel will be destroyed in 70AD
    • The blessings of Israel were given to believers in Jesus Christ
  • Verses 10-11
    • Psalm 118: 19-24 – gates of righteousness, stone rejected by builders is cornerstone
    • This psalm was understood to be messianic, same Psalm as the “Hosanna”
    • Jesus is the fulfillment of this  Scripture – He is rejected by the builders (leaders) and is the cornerstone of righteousness, the New Israel, the church
  • Closing Thoughts
    • We have seen over and over the importance Jesus and God place on being fruitful
    • Being fruitful doesn’t save us – only faith in Christ saves us by God’s grace
    • But if we are saved and are taking our faith seriously, there should be some fruit – Jesus clearly expects it
    • There should be some evidence of change in our life and character. There should be some impact on the lives of others.
    • If this is not present at any point in our life, then something is probably missing from our discipleship and we need to find what it is

Next Week: Mark 12: 13-34 (Jesus Tested by Opponents)