Mark 11

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1When they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethsphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,

2and said to them, “Go your way into the village that is opposite you. Immediately as you enter into it, you will find a young donkey tied, on which no one has sat. Untie him, and bring him.

3If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs him;’ and immediately he will send him back here.”

4They went away, and found a young donkey tied at the door outside in the open street, and they untied him.

5Some of those who stood there asked them, “What are you doing, untying the young donkey?”

6They said to them just as Jesus had said, and they let them go.

7They brought the young donkey to Jesus, and threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat on it.

8Many spread their garments on the way, and others were cutting down branches from the trees, and spreading them on the road.

9Those who went in front, and those who followed, cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

10Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

11Jesus entered into the temple in Jerusalem. When he had looked around at everything, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

12The next day, when they had come out from Bethany, he was hungry.

13Seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came to see if perhaps he might find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

14Jesus told it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” and his disciples heard it.

15They came to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered into the temple, and began to throw out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of those who sold the doves.

16He would not allow anyone to carry a container through the temple.

17He taught, saying to them, “Isn’t it written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations?’ But you have made it a den of robbers!”

18The chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him. For they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching.

19When evening came, he went out of the city.

20As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots.

21Peter, remembering, said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away.”

22Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.

23For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening; he shall have whatever he says.

24Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them.

25Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions.

26But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your transgressions.”

27They came again to Jerusalem, and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders came to him,

28and they began saying to him, “By what authority do you do these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?”

29Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30The baptism of John—was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me.”

31They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we should say, ‘From heaven;’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

32If we should say, ‘From men’”—they feared the people, for all held John to really be a prophet.

33They answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said to them, “Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Commentary

11:1-11 Christ's coming into Jerusalem thus remarkably, shows that he was not afraid of the power and malice of his enemies. This would encourage his disciples who were full of fear. Also, that he was not disquieted at the thoughts of his approaching sufferings. But all marked his humiliation; and these matters teach us not to mind high things, but to condescend to those of low estate. How ill it becomes Christians to take state, when Christ was so far from claiming it! They welcomed his person; Blessed is he that cometh, the He that should come, so often promised, so long expected; he comes in the name of the Lord. Let him have our best affections; he is a blessed Saviour, and brings blessings to us, and blessed be He that sent him. Praises be to our God, who is in the highest heavens, over all, God blessed for ever.

"\nAnd saith unto them, go your way into the village,.... Either of Bethany or of Nob. The Ethiopic version renders it "the city", and so reads a copy of Stephens's: some have thought the city of Jerusalem is intended, but without any reason;\n[See comments on Mt 21:9];\n\nover against you. The Syriac and Persic versions read, "over against us": the sense is the same; for Christ and his disciples were together: this suits with either of the above mentioned places:\n\nand as soon as ye be entered into it; are come to the town's end, and to one of the first houses in it,\n\nye shall find a colt tied: Matthew says, "an ass tied, and a colt with her", Mt 21:2; both no doubt true:\n\nwhereon never man sat; which had never been backed and broke, and which makes it the more wonderful, that Christ should choose to ride upon it, and that that should quietly carry him:\n\nloose him, and bring him; that is, away to me.\n\n\n "

11:1 To Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives - The limits of Bethany reached to the mount of Olives, and joined to those of Bethphage. Bethphage was part of the suburbs of Jerusalem, and reached from the mount of Olives to the walls of the city. Our Lord was now come to the place where the boundaries of Bethany and Bethphage met. Mt 21:1; Lu 19:29; John 12:12.

"\nAnd if any man say unto you,.... As very likely they would, and it would be strange if they should not say something to them, especially the owners of it:\n\nwhy do ye this? Why do ye untie the ass, and attempt to carry it away, when it is none of your own, and it belongs to another man?\n\nSay ye that the Lord hath need of him; our Lord and yours, the Lord of heaven and earth, and all things in it; it looks as if this title, "the Lord", was what Jesus was well known by; see Joh 11:28; unless it can be thought, that the owners of the colt were such, that believed in Christ, as is not improbable; and so would at once understand by the language who it was for, and let it go:\n\nand straightway he will send him, hither; as soon as ever he hears that the Lord, by whom he would presently understand Jesus, wanted him for his present purpose; he will send him with all readiness and cheerfulness, without the least hesitation, or making any dispute about it.\n\n\n "

"\nAnd they went their way,.... The two disciples went to the village, where Christ sent them, without objecting any difficulties that might present, in the execution of these orders:\n\nand found the colt tied by the door without; in the street, fastened to the door of the owner's house, at the town's end:\n\nin a place where two ways met; to go into and out of the village; at the corner house, where two ways met; so that the place was very public, and such an affair could not be transacted, without being seen:\n\nand they loose him; as soon as ever they came to the place, they immediately began to untie the colt, and were going away with him.\n\n\n "

"\nAnd certain of them that stood there,.... The Ethiopic version reads, who walked there; who were either standing hard by, or walking about the place, being inhabitants of it; and either the owners of the colt, or their servants, or both:\n\nsaid unto them, what do ye loosing the colt? What do ye mean by it? do you intend to take the colt away? what business have you with it? what right have you to do so? and what is your end in it?\n\n\n "

"\nAnd they said unto them,.... The very express words,\n\neven as Jesus had commanded: not that these were the words they said, but "the Lord hath need of him": upon which they said no more, were satisfied and contented, that they should untie the colt, and take it with them:\n\nand they let them go; and the colt with them, very freely;\n[See comments on Mt 21:6].\n\n\n "

"\nAnd they brought the colt to Jesus,.... Where he was,\n\nand cast their garments on him; their clothes to be instead of a saddle, for Christ to sit upon:\n\nand he sat upon him; or "Jesus rode on him", as the Syriac version renders it. The Ethiopic version reads, "they made him to mount him"; that is, the disciples assisted him in getting upon it, and having mounted it, he sat on it without any trouble, though it had never been backed before, and rode on his way to Jerusalem;\n[See comments on Mt 21:7].\n\n\n "

"\nAnd many spread their garments in the way,.... Instead of carpets to ride on, and in honour to him as a king:\n\nand others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way; in token of joy, as at the feast of tabernacles;\n[See comments on Mt 21:8].\n\n\n "

"\nAnd they that went before, and they that followed,.... They that came from Jerusalem to meet him, and they that followed him from Jericho and other parts; which two bodies, the one went before him, and the other followed after him: and\n\ncried, saying, Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; [See comments on Mt 21:9].\n\n\n "

"\nBlessed be the kingdom of our father David,....

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