Encounter Jesus – Mark Week 8

Jesus the Judge

Mark 11: 1-25

HANDOUT

Mark Week 8 – The Judge Handout

AUDIO

Lesson Notes

Turning to the momentous events of the Passion Week – when Jesus came to Jerusalem to die. Tonight – the first 36 hours or so – the Triumphal Entry, Cursing of the Fig Tree, Cleansing/Condemnation of the Temple, and Revisiting the Fig Tree.

Triumphal Entry – Sunday (Read Mark 11: 1-11)

  • The intentional fulfillment of prophecy, the entrance of a king, and the public declaration He is the Messiah.
  • Read Zechariah 9:9 – Rejoice, shout aloud – the king is coming – He is righteous and has salvation
  • Verse 1 – Bethany/Bethphage/Mount of Olives – coming from the east
    • Possibly significant (pure speculation here) – in Old Testament, God enters/exits on east side of Jerusalem. Tabernacle entrance was always on the east. Entry/exit of Eden is on the east.
    • Zechariah 14: 14 – At the end times, God will stand on the Mount of Olives and judge/conquery
  • Verses 7-8
    • Spreading cloaks under Him and on road so He doesn’t touch the ground – how you welcome a king = rolling out the red carpet
    • Palm branches = symbol of Israel and victory (e.g. 1 Maccabees 13: 51)
  • Verses 9-10 – Hosanna = “O Save”
    • Read Psalm 118: 25-26 – Save us O Lord, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord
    • People are clamoring for the messianic kingdom
  • Verse 11 – He went into the temple – Malachi 3:1 – “And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple”
    • He looked at everything – studying it as its owner and master
    • Is it fulfilling its purpose?
    • Preparing for the judgment and condemnation of the next day
    • Return to Bethany for the night – Jerusalem is so packed for Passover most people spend nights outside of the city

Cursing the Fig Tree – Monday (Read Mark 11: 12-14)

  • Very odd story – it’s an intercalation (“an oreo”) – a single story split in two with a story in the middle that is related
  • So we must consider how they are related – the cleansing/condemnation of the temple and the cursing of this fig tree
  • He’s hungry, and sees a fig tree in full leaf
  • This isn’t the season for regular figs, but bland “green figs” should have started appearing when the leaves first budded out.
  • If there were no green figs at this time of year, there would be no figs later in the year.
  • This fig tree looked healthy and full, but was completely unfruitful, just like Jerusalem/Israel.
  • So Jesus condemns it and we pause the story…
    • Fig trees are a common symbol of Israel in the Old Testament
    • This is an acted out parable
    • Jesus is seeking genuine godly fruit in Israel and finds nothing other than a healthy appearance of religiosity
    • And He will utterly curse Israel, judging and condemning it forever

Cleansing/Condemning the Temple – Monday (Read Mark 11: 15-19)

  • Jesus comes as master of the temple to purify it and/or condemn it
  • To end commerce, particularly any shady commerce, and make it a house of prayer for all the nations – Isaiah 56: 6-8
  • Rather than a den of robbers – Jeremiah 7: 11-12
  • The Jeremiah prophecy is one of judgment and destruction – Shiloh was destroyed for sin
  • Jesus is challenging the chief priests (who He earlier predicted would kill him)
    • Previous run-ins were with the scribes/Pharisees, not the priests, who are Sadducees and tight with the Romans
    • Challenges their authority and character for permitting the temple to be overrun by merchants
    • Challenges their financial interests for profiting on these exchanges
    • Challenges their political interests by disturbing the peace and risking a Roman crackdown
  • This is likely more than “cleansing” and instead is acting out the coming destruction of the temple
    • Consistent with the cursing of the unfruitful fig tree to utter destruction
    • The issue isn’t really the money changing and selling, which were needed to comply with the Law
    • But it didn’t belong in the temple
    • It should have been a place of worship, not a place of business
    • Some evidence this was a recent development under Caiaphas
    • With Court of the Gentiles serving as a market, there was no place for foreigners to worship, which was one of the purposes of the temple
    • It robbed them of their ability to worship the Lord

Revisiting the Fig Tree – Tuesday Morning (Read Mark 11: 20-25)

  • Verses 20-21 – Fig tree utterly withered away, down to the root. There will be no restoration, no remnant, no recovery
    • Just like Israel – Jerusalem destroyed, temple destroyed in AD 70
  • Verses 22-25 – A second application of the fig tree (1st was condemnation)
    • Used the opportunity to teach on effective prayer
    • Deserves far more time than we can devote tonight
    • 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

Next week: Mark 11: 27 – 12: 12 (Authority Question and Parable of the Tenants)