MRK 11

The Triumphal Entry

Matt. 21:1-11; Lk. 19:28-40; Jn. 12:12-19

1 When they drew near to Jerusalem, approaching the villages of Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of His disciples ahead

2 and said to them, "Go into the village ahead of you. Immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it to Me.

3 If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say to them, 'The Lord has need of it, and He will send it back here as soon as possible.'"

4 So the two disciples departed and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, exactly as Jesus had said. They untied it.

5 But some of those who were standing there began to say to them, "What are you doing, untying that colt?"

6 The disciples spoke to them just as Jesus had instructed, and the people granted them permission to take it.

7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their outer cloaks over it as a saddle. Jesus sat on it to ride into Jerusalem.

8 Many people in the crowd spread their cloaks on the road as a carpet of honour, while others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields, creating a royal pathway.

9 Those who went ahead of Jesus and those following behind were crying out loudly, "Hosanna!"—meaning "Save us now!" "Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!

10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and proceeded into the temple courts. After looking around carefully at everything, observing the corruption in God's house, He went out to Bethany with the twelve since the hour was already late in the evening.

The Cursing of the Fig Tree

Matt. 21:18-19

12 On the next day, having departed from Bethany in the morning, Jesus was hungry.

13 Seeing from a distance a fig tree that had leaves—suggesting it should have fruit—He went to see if perhaps He might find anything on it. But when He came to it, He found nothing except leaves, for it was not yet the season for figs to be ripe.

14 Jesus responded to the tree as a symbolic act, saying to it, "May no one eat fruit from you anymore forever!" His disciples heard this unusual statement.

The Cleansing of the Temple

Matt. 21:12-17; Lk. 19:45-48; Jn. 2:13-22

15 Then they came to Jerusalem. Jesus entered the temple courts and began to drive out forcefully those who were selling animals for sacrifice and those who were buying in the temple. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves for offerings.

16 He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise and goods through the temple courts, treating God's house like a marketplace or shortcut.

17 Jesus was teaching the people and saying to them, "Is it not written in Scripture, 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers and a hideout for thieves!"

18 When the chief priests and the scribes heard what Jesus had done, they began to seek how they might destroy Him and put Him to death. They were afraid of Him because all the crowd was struck with amazement at His teaching and authority.

19 When evening came, Jesus and His disciples would go out of the city to spend the night in Bethany.

The Significance of the Withered Fig Tree

Matt. 21:20-22

20 Now as they went along the road in the morning, returning to Jerusalem, they saw the fig tree completely withered and dried up from the roots.

21 When Peter remembered what had happened the day before, he said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered!"

22 In response, Jesus said to them, "Have faith in God—constant, unwavering trust in His power.

23 Truly, I say to you that whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart with uncertainty, but believes with confidence that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.

24 Therefore, I say to you, everything that you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it from God, and it will be done for you.

25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive others if you have anything against anyone. Do this in order that your Father who is in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”*

Jesus' Authority Questioned

Matt. 21:23-27; Lk. 20:1-8

27 They came again to Jerusalem. While Jesus was walking in the temple courts teaching, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders approached Him in a delegation.

28 They began to say to Him in challenge, "By what authority are You doing these things—cleansing the temple and teaching the people? Who gave You this authority to do these things?"

29 But Jesus responded with His own question, saying to them, "I will ask you one question. Answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

30 The baptism that John performed—did it originate from heaven as divine authority, or did it come from men as merely human activity? Answer Me."

31 They began to reason and debate this among themselves privately, saying, "If we say 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him and accept his message?'

32 But if we say, 'From men'"—they hesitated, for they were continually afraid of the crowd and public opinion, because all the people held firmly that John really was a prophet sent from God.

33 So they answered Jesus, saying, "We do not know the answer." They refused to commit themselves. Then Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

Notes

25 A variant reading attested in part of the manuscript tradition adds verse 26, which states: " But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father, who is in heaven, forgive your trespasses."

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