19: Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem – Mark 11:1-25

11 When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples ² and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. ³ If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” ⁴ They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, ⁵ some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” ⁶ They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. ⁷ Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. ⁸ Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. ⁹ Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, 
“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 
¹⁰ Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!” 

¹¹ Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. 

¹² On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. ¹³ Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. 

Jesus cleanses the Temple

¹⁵ Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; ¹⁶ and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. ¹⁷ He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written,
‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?
But you have made it a den of robbers.” 

¹⁸ And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. ¹⁹ And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city. 

²⁰ In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. ²¹ Then Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” ²² Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. ²³ Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. ²⁴ So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 

²⁵ “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” NRSV

Get into the Word

1. Where is Jesus heading? What does he tell his disciples to do? How does he tell them to deal with any questions? Why do you think Jesus did this, [check Notes]? How do you think the disciples felt about this? What happens as they carry out this errand? 

2. What does Jesus do next?How does the crowd respond to Jesus’ actions? What were they saying? Why do you think they reacted the way they did? How does Jesus respond to this situation?

3. What happens as Jesus leaves Bethany. How does Jesus react to the situation? How do you think the disciples felt?

4. Where does Jesus go next? What does he do there? How does he explain his actions? How did the Jewish leaders react to all this? What did they begin doing? How do you feel the disciples responded to the situation? 

5. What has happened to the fig tree? Who remarks about it? How does Jesus respond to the situation? What does he tell the disciples? How do you think they felt about his comments? In what other situations does Jesus talk about faith? [See Notes]

Get Personal

How “strong” has your faith been recently – moving a mountain, moving a good-sized hill or perhaps a small pile of dirt? How is God helping you deal with “not doubting, but believing” [11:23]? How is this affecting your prayer life?

(Cross-references to Matthew and Luke are given in brackets)

11:1-11. Jesus’ triumphal entry — Matthew includes the donkey as well as its colt. He also includes Zechariah’s prophecy: Tell the people of Israel, “Look, your King is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey,” [9:9]. [Matt 21:1-11].
Luke version is very close to Mark’s. Luke reports the Pharisees telling Jesus to order the crowd to stop, but he responds, “If these were silent, the stones would shout out,” [Luke 19:29-40]. Luke also says that Jesus wept over the city.
11:12-14 and 20-25. Cursing the fig tree — Matthew’s version of this incident comes after Jesus cleanses the Temple. The fig tree withers immediately and the disciples ask Jesus how this happens. Jesus tells them to have faith and not doubt: Even if you say to this mountain, “Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,” it will be done. Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive, [Matt 21:18-22]. 
Luke does not include this particular incident, but records a similar parable about a man with a fig tree in his vineyard. After three years of no fruit, so the man told his gardener to cut it down. The gardener told the man to give the fig tree one more year before cutting it down,[Luke 13:6-9].
Luke includes Jesus’ comment about faith

in a different situation: The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you,” [Luke 17:5-6].
11:15-19. Cleansing the Temple — Matthew actually puts this incident right after Jesus’ triumphal entry, using almost the same words as Mark, [Matt 21:12-13]. 
Luke also puts this incident on the same day as the triumphal entry. His version is similar to Mark and Matthew, [Luke 19:45-48].
John also includes this incident in his Gospel, but very early in Jesus’ ministry: The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me,” [John 2:13-17].
11:25. Some manuscripts include verse 26: But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.