Tuesday Night Group (TNG ) Notes
Stay up to date on our weekly study of the Gospel of Mark
Mark 11:1-11 (The Triumphant Entry)
If you’ve spent any amount of time around the church, chances are very good that you’ve heard the story of Palm Sunday. The Triumphant Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, on the Sunday prior to Easter. So, in a little different style, we’re going to study the background for this story that’s so well known throughout Christendom.
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” The Second Temple Period occurred in 516 BC to 70 AD. It began when the Jewish people returned from the Babylonian exile and rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem. The first Temple had been built around 967 BC by King Solomon and destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BC. Solomon was King David’s son and the author of Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes and Proverbs.
A popular Second Temple Period hope was the expectation that God would send an anointed king, in the last days. A king that would defeat God’s enemies and restore God’s people, and even creation itself, to a state of everlasting peace. Us followers of Jesus call a very similar hope and expectation, the Second Coming of Jesus.
For Mark, the title “Christ” denotes royalty. It means “anointed one”. A person who has been chosen, set apart and empowered by God for a specific holy purpose. Kings in Israel were anointed. Priests were anointed. And even, on some occasions, prophets were anointed. This is Jesus’ “Triumphant Entry”, because Mark’s depicting Jesus as the Messiah, the anointed one, the king of kings.
From this perspective, is it any wonder that the people reacted as they did? By this time, in the culture of Israel, public opinion had turned decidedly messianic. Not only did the crowd praise God for the man who comes in the name of the Lord. They also praised God with a decidedly Davidic/Messianic celebration. “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” The crowd had already decided who Jesus was. Now it was merely the question of how would God make him king? Would it be by the sword? Would it be by an angelic army?
Sadly, this story is tragic irony. Jesus’ unbridled approach to human wholeness proved too disruptive and offensive for those wielding power. Jesus chooses death because toning down God’s healing love wasn’t an option. Jesus can only love at full speed. This is precisely why the love of Jesus literally overcomes death itself. For God is love and love conquers everything!
Marks’ symbolic use of the donkey marks Zechariah’s prophetic fulfillment of Jesus being a king, the anointed one. For it’s clearly an allusion to Zechariah 9:9. Mark enacts this prophesy because of it’s counter-cultural image of a victorious king. Mark’s literally helping God transform our understanding of leadership, greatness and kingship.
For Jesus is both a worldly, haughty king, who can instruct two of his disciples to go and steal a donkey; and nobody stops them. While also being a humble, heavenly king, riding down the Mount of Olives, on a donkey. Jesus is deliberately doing what he’s doing, in order to teach all of us a very important lesson about who he is and what that means for all of us.
Mark 11:11 – “But since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.” In Matthew, Jesus goes to the Temple and starts turning over the tables of the money changers. In Luke, Jesus weeps over the city and delays his entry until the following day. In John, Jesus enters the city and immediately starts into teaching about his impending death.
In Mark, Jesus sees that it’s late, so he leaves. Basically, normal Temple operations and trading were likely winding down or already finished. The store was closing. But also, Jesus didn’t just casually glance, he “looked around at everything”. He surveyed the corruption, the commercialization of the outer Temple courts and the spiritual state of the institution. And rather than acting out of an uncontrolled, spontaneous burst of anger, he paused. For he knew it was late. Not only late because of the time. But also, late because of the hearts of the people.
Mark 11:12 – “The next day” – In the previous verses we read of Jesus’ Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem. Followed by a less than spectacular ending to the big day by Jesus simply looking around the Temple and heading back to Bethany. So, now it’s the next day. A new day. The first day of the rest of Jesus’ life and ministry.
“Hungry” – Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, was also fully human. He got hungry. He had genuine physical needs, limitations and discomforts. Jesus is God with us, as one of us.
Hunger means to have a physical need for food. But to be hungry can also mean having a desire or craving. One can be “hungry” for many things, besides food. An athlete is hungry to win. A salesperson is hungry to close a deal. And Jesus is hungry for more than food. The announcement of his hunger signals to you and me that a lesson is coming.
Mark 11:13 – “Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf”- Jesus was hungry and when he saw leaves on a fig tree, he anticipated figs. He expected figs. He prepared his taste buds for figs. The leaves on the fig tree promised that which Jesus was craving – food.
“It was not the season for figs” – This is one of those details that early on could’ve been removed from the story. Removed to make the story more palatable, free of questions. But where would the fun be in that? This problematic line was kept, because it teaches something very significant. For Jesus is approaching a fig tree, out of fig season, expecting figs.
Mark 11:14 – “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” – Jesus found a fig tree, expecting figs but finding none. For it wasn’t yet fig season. So, he curses the fig tree. He’s either delusional, because of his hunger, or he’s teaching his disciples, and all of us, something very important. I lean toward Jesus is teaching us something very important. And it’s not that he’s hangry.
Notice that Jesus’ curse isn’t that the fig tree will never again bear fruit. But his curse is that no one will ever again eat the fruit of this tree. The focus is on the fruit. The fruit that was promised, because of the leaves, but never delivered.
In natural biology, a fig tree puts forth small, edible early buds or green figs before or alongside it’s leaves. So, when Jesus saw the leaves of the fig tree, in the distance, he expected to see the early buds or green figs that the leaves promised. Seeing a fig tree fully covered in leaves, out of season, signaled to any traveler in Jesus’ day that it had these early sustenance figs.
The tree was, in essence, promising to anyone and everyone passing by, food. Yet, when Jesus arrived at the tree he realized that it was false advertising. For the tree didn’t have any fruit. It was, again in essence, a grocery store with empty shelves. Can you smell what Jesus is cooking?
You can’t smell it yet? Well, let’s continue. The following story, in Mark’s gospel. will be Jesus cleansing the Temple. Then, upon returning to Bethany, we’ll revisit this very same fig tree. Thus, Mark’s structure, placing the fig tree story immediately before and after the Temple cleansing, seems to reference that there’s a connection between the fig tree and the Temple.
So, what’s the connection? Just as the leafy fig tree looked alive and promising, from a distance, but offered no fruit. The Temple system looked outwardly religious and grand, from a distance. But the Temple system lacked the true spiritual fruit of justice, mercy and genuine worship.
The Temple, like the fig tree, promised something that it didn’t deliver. People came from great distances, because the Temple promised fruit. But, just like Jesus left the fig tree still hungry, everyone left the Temple still hungry. Not hungry like belly growling, but hungry like soul growling. Because there was no fruit.
If you’ve spent any amount of time around the church, chances are very good that you’ve heard the story of Palm Sunday. The Triumphant Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, on the Sunday prior to Easter. So, in a little different style, we’re going to study the background for this story that’s so well known throughout Christendom.
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” The Second Temple Period occurred in 516 BC to 70 AD. It began when the Jewish people returned from the Babylonian exile and rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem. The first Temple had been built around 967 BC by King Solomon and destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BC. Solomon was King David’s son and the author of Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes and Proverbs.
A popular Second Temple Period hope was the expectation that God would send an anointed king, in the last days. A king that would defeat God’s enemies and restore God’s people, and even creation itself, to a state of everlasting peace. Us followers of Jesus call a very similar hope and expectation, the Second Coming of Jesus.
For Mark, the title “Christ” denotes royalty. It means “anointed one”. A person who has been chosen, set apart and empowered by God for a specific holy purpose. Kings in Israel were anointed. Priests were anointed. And even, on some occasions, prophets were anointed. This is Jesus’ “Triumphant Entry”, because Mark’s depicting Jesus as the Messiah, the anointed one, the king of kings.
From this perspective, is it any wonder that the people reacted as they did? By this time, in the culture of Israel, public opinion had turned decidedly messianic. Not only did the crowd praise God for the man who comes in the name of the Lord. They also praised God with a decidedly Davidic/Messianic celebration. “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” The crowd had already decided who Jesus was. Now it was merely the question of how would God make him king? Would it be by the sword? Would it be by an angelic army?
Sadly, this story is tragic irony. Jesus’ unbridled approach to human wholeness proved too disruptive and offensive for those wielding power. Jesus chooses death because toning down God’s healing love wasn’t an option. Jesus can only love at full speed. This is precisely why the love of Jesus literally overcomes death itself. For God is love and love conquers everything!
Marks’ symbolic use of the donkey marks Zechariah’s prophetic fulfillment of Jesus being a king, the anointed one. For it’s clearly an allusion to Zechariah 9:9. Mark enacts this prophesy because of it’s counter-cultural image of a victorious king. Mark’s literally helping God transform our understanding of leadership, greatness and kingship.
For Jesus is both a worldly, haughty king, who can instruct two of his disciples to go and steal a donkey; and nobody stops them. While also being a humble, heavenly king, riding down the Mount of Olives, on a donkey. Jesus is deliberately doing what he’s doing, in order to teach all of us a very important lesson about who he is and what that means for all of us.
Mark 11:11 – “But since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.” In Matthew, Jesus goes to the Temple and starts turning over the tables of the money changers. In Luke, Jesus weeps over the city and delays his entry until the following day. In John, Jesus enters the city and immediately starts into teaching about his impending death.
In Mark, Jesus sees that it’s late, so he leaves. Basically, normal Temple operations and trading were likely winding down or already finished. The store was closing. But also, Jesus didn’t just casually glance, he “looked around at everything”. He surveyed the corruption, the commercialization of the outer Temple courts and the spiritual state of the institution. And rather than acting out of an uncontrolled, spontaneous burst of anger, he paused. For he knew it was late. Not only late because of the time. But also, late because of the hearts of the people.
Mark 11:12 – “The next day” – In the previous verses we read of Jesus’ Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem. Followed by a less than spectacular ending to the big day by Jesus simply looking around the Temple and heading back to Bethany. So, now it’s the next day. A new day. The first day of the rest of Jesus’ life and ministry.
“Hungry” – Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, was also fully human. He got hungry. He had genuine physical needs, limitations and discomforts. Jesus is God with us, as one of us.
Hunger means to have a physical need for food. But to be hungry can also mean having a desire or craving. One can be “hungry” for many things, besides food. An athlete is hungry to win. A salesperson is hungry to close a deal. And Jesus is hungry for more than food. The announcement of his hunger signals to you and me that a lesson is coming.
Mark 11:13 – “Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf”- Jesus was hungry and when he saw leaves on a fig tree, he anticipated figs. He expected figs. He prepared his taste buds for figs. The leaves on the fig tree promised that which Jesus was craving – food.
“It was not the season for figs” – This is one of those details that early on could’ve been removed from the story. Removed to make the story more palatable, free of questions. But where would the fun be in that? This problematic line was kept, because it teaches something very significant. For Jesus is approaching a fig tree, out of fig season, expecting figs.
Mark 11:14 – “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” – Jesus found a fig tree, expecting figs but finding none. For it wasn’t yet fig season. So, he curses the fig tree. He’s either delusional, because of his hunger, or he’s teaching his disciples, and all of us, something very important. I lean toward Jesus is teaching us something very important. And it’s not that he’s hangry.
Notice that Jesus’ curse isn’t that the fig tree will never again bear fruit. But his curse is that no one will ever again eat the fruit of this tree. The focus is on the fruit. The fruit that was promised, because of the leaves, but never delivered.
In natural biology, a fig tree puts forth small, edible early buds or green figs before or alongside it’s leaves. So, when Jesus saw the leaves of the fig tree, in the distance, he expected to see the early buds or green figs that the leaves promised. Seeing a fig tree fully covered in leaves, out of season, signaled to any traveler in Jesus’ day that it had these early sustenance figs.
The tree was, in essence, promising to anyone and everyone passing by, food. Yet, when Jesus arrived at the tree he realized that it was false advertising. For the tree didn’t have any fruit. It was, again in essence, a grocery store with empty shelves. Can you smell what Jesus is cooking?
You can’t smell it yet? Well, let’s continue. The following story, in Mark’s gospel. will be Jesus cleansing the Temple. Then, upon returning to Bethany, we’ll revisit this very same fig tree. Thus, Mark’s structure, placing the fig tree story immediately before and after the Temple cleansing, seems to reference that there’s a connection between the fig tree and the Temple.
So, what’s the connection? Just as the leafy fig tree looked alive and promising, from a distance, but offered no fruit. The Temple system looked outwardly religious and grand, from a distance. But the Temple system lacked the true spiritual fruit of justice, mercy and genuine worship.
The Temple, like the fig tree, promised something that it didn’t deliver. People came from great distances, because the Temple promised fruit. But, just like Jesus left the fig tree still hungry, everyone left the Temple still hungry. Not hungry like belly growling, but hungry like soul growling. Because there was no fruit.
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