Mark 11
Go Deeper
This passage begins the single most important week in history. All of Jesus’s earthly ministry has been building to the next few days and, on top of that, He’s fully aware of what is about to happen. When Jesus arrives on the scene in Jerusalem, He doesn’t come quietly. First, He rides into town on a young donkey as a large crowd watches. He then curses a fig tree, which was a symbol of the large group of unbelievers in Israel. Next, He clears out the temple courts of the people trying to profit off of the worshippers. And finally, He engages in a theological debate about the authority that He has been given. Through each scene in this chapter, we see Jesus acting with a sense of urgency.
Every action, conversation, and discussion we see from Jesus is well thought out and calculated. He knows what’s coming and He is determined to build the Kingdom of God all throughout Mark 11. So what can we learn from this? The word that marks this chapter is intentionality. Jesus intentionally, throughout each part of this chapter, gives people the opportunity to reject the world and follow Him. We, too, get the same invitation. We have the option to worship all of the things around us, much like the crowd around Jesus chose to do. Status, power, money, our own self-righteousness–it’s all there for us if we want it. Or we can choose a different path. If we do this, it will look different than many of the people around us, but Jesus shows us here that it’s the path that honors God. Which will you choose today?
Questions
What was the first thing that stood out to you about the character of Jesus in today’s reading?
The crowds welcomed Jesus initially, only to turn around and kill Him a few days later because He wasn’t what they expected Him to be. Can you think of a time recently that you turned your back on God for not fulfilling expectations? What did that look like for you?
Why did Jesus feel the need to clear out the temple courts? What was the point of Him doing that?
Jesus uses the withered fig tree to teach the disciples a lesson about faith. What’s standing in the way of your faith growing and bearing fruit today?