Gospel of Mark: Triumphant Entry

Triumphant Entry

txt: Mark 11 – 13

Outline:

A. 11:1-11, Triumphant Entry to Jerusalem

  B. 11:12-26, Fig tree imagery

  B'. 11:27 – 12:44, Jesus in the Temple

A'. 13, Foretelling of destruction of Jerusalem

Comments:

A. Triumphant Entry. While there can many things be said about the Palm Sunday, I'll mention only two/ First, Jesus enters for the Eastern side of Jerusalem, goes to the center and ends up in the Temple area. It is important to note, for this path is a return from the World to the Garden. When Adam is banished from the Garden, he goes eastward to cultivate the Land (Genesis 3:24). Then Cain kills the brother in the Land, and as a punishment he goes even farther East to the World (Genesis 4:16). The Second Adam – Jesus – reverses the trajectory, He brings people back to the presence of God, to the Garden-like Temple.

Second, the fact that Jesus us coming on a donkey does not make His a lesser king. The difference between a donkey and a horse is a military associations or lack of thereof. King on a horse is a king of force, king of [military] might (1 Kings 10:26, the second problem of Solomon). While the kingdom of God should've been spread by the Word and relationships, without military pressure (Deuteronomy 17:16 vs. 17:28-20). Jesus, entering a city on a donkey, shows Himself as a ruler (Judges 12:13-14). Yet, His rule is based on His own sacrifice (Mark 10:45).

B. Fig tree imagery. Next day – Monday of the Holy Week.

a. 11:12-14, Fig Tree is cursed b. 11:15-19, Cleansing of the Temple a'. 11:20-26, Fig Tree cursing explained

The fig tree should be a fruitful tree. The point was a season, but the fact Jesus and disciples went to the Temple – expecting fruits, and finding none...

B'. Jesus in the Temple.

a. 11:27-33, Authority of Jesus b. 12:1-12, Parable of the Tenants c. 12:13-34, Big three attack Jesus

a'. 12:35-37, Who is Christ b'. 12:38-40, Beware of scribes c'. 12:41-44, Widow's offering

When the Temple is cleansed the Messiah can come in. Teaching them – the rulers and the leaders that they are NOT the owners of the sacred place but the tenants. He confronts them with the ugly truth of their hearts – they are ready to kill the HEIR. I guess, He hoped (hopelessly) that they will be shocked by His knowledge and by the depravity that consumed them. Instead of repentance they were seeking to arrest Him (Mark 12:12).

Then the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes colluded together (even though they kinda hated each other – enemy of my enemy IS my friend, right?) and attacked Jesus from three different angles: (1) submission to the foreign ruler (Caesar) – Jesus distinguished the vertical and horizontal relationship of the rule. (2) Convoluted question about the marital status after the resurrection (even though the Sadducees didn't believe that there will be one) – Jesus catches them in their hypocrisy, having a chance to proclaim the God of LIFE nit death (Mark 12:26-27). (3) The scribes could not come up with anything smart – they just a question from the 1 grade Law book – tell us the great commandments. I can even see Jesus' face with a smile almost saying: “Seriously?”

And the He puzzles them: How a great king who passed into glory by now (David) call Messiah the LORD, and we are still waiting for Him – they were never thinking this deep about the Scripture. Therefore, Jesus got no answer.

A'. Foretelling of destruction of Jerusalem.

Jesus foretells the destruction Signs of the close of the Age Abomination of Desolation Coming of the Son of Man Lesson of the Fig Tree No one knows the Day or the Hour

This is a complicated topic. And I'll share my notes as a suggestive thoughts. First, Jesus starts by talking about the Temple building/complex. Second, the Abomination of Desolation is an important concept in this prophecy (foretelling). Third, unpredictable nature of the events.

Suggestions: First, we know that by 70 AD Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed. Therefore, He must be talking about the events that were fulfilled while some of the hearers still lived. We can LEARN from these losses, but the fulfillment already happened many-many years ago.

Second, abomination of desolation could not be done by Gentiles. In the past history it was always done by Jews, to be precise – priests (1 Sam. 4, and Ezekiel 8-11). They acted in a such a way that would drive the presence of God OUT of the sanctuary.

Third, at the end of the day – NO ONE knows the exact date or an hour – so, any predictions on our part and attempts to speed up the Armageddon to prepare for “the Third Temple” are futile.

PSALM 24

Psalm 24

Three main parts:

A. vv. 1-2, Creation

B. vv. 3-6, Godly man

C. vv. 7-10, Ultimate King

A. Creation

Earth, seas, and rivers were created and established by the LORD. Note that the LORD is a personal name. It’s not just a force or abstract deity – it is YHWH whose name is Living One. Therefore, He is the source of live for the universe!

 

B. We had a similar double question in psalm 15 – who can?

“Requirements”:

1. Clean hands

2. Pure heart

3. Does not life up his soul to what is false – doesn’t participate in idolatry

4. Does not swear deceitfully

Lord’s response:

1. Blessing

2. Righteousness

3. Generational establishment

 

C. Ultimate King

Military commander of the [angelic] armies (cp. Joshua 5:13-15 and Luke 2:13-14).

He comes through the gates and doors – why gates first?

See the promise of God to Abraham, Gen. 22:17

And its fulfilment, Matthew 16:16-18

 

Psalm 2 - War of pairs

Psalm 2

I. Introduction

If Psalter is the Prayer Book of the Church, then Psalms 1 and 2 are Portals of Prayer – gates into prayer life of the faithful ones.

Similar features of the psalms:

Both portrait a blessed/godly person

Both psalms talk about “resistance” to righteousness

Both psalms have a very vivid picture/illustration of godly life.

The difference between the psalms:

The tension between good and evil is more tense (pun intended).

Therefore, the pushback from God is even stronger.

Godly person in Psalm 1 is not identified, while Psalm 2 calls Him a Son – very close, familial connection. 

 

Advent Readings: Luke 19

Luke 19

We come to the chapter when Jesus ascends to the capital of the world as it was. On the way up to Jerusalem He meets with Zacchaeus, bringing him to peace with God and the others – one of the most beautiful depictions of the Cross-shaped theology. To give a deeper meaning to the chief tax collector’s restoration, Christ teaches the hearers the parable of ten minas (Lk. 19:11-27).

After these introductory remarks, Luke leads us to Bethany to observe Jesus mounting the dedicated donkey (Arthur Just in his commentary points out that the donkey was set apart for the holy purpose, p. 744). Throughout the story Luke uses sacrificial terminology – the phrase “drawing near” appears three times, v. 29, 37, and 41.  On one hand, Jesus really got closer and closer to Jerusalem. Yet, the other layer of the text shouldn’t escape our attention, on the meaning of “drawing near” see Luke 18.

What I really want to pint out is a recirculation of the phrase “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Lk. 19:38). This is not the first time this phrase shows up on the pages of Luke’s Gospel. He prepares us, or he prepares our attention back at the very end of chapter 13, when Jesus laments over the Jerusalem (Lk. 13:35). He leaves the capital and warns them – they won’t see the Messiah, unlit they say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” quoting Ps. 118:26.

Now they see Him again, now they say it with joy, enthusiasm, and reverence. But this will not be long. In just a few days they will cry “crucify, crucify Him” (Lk. 23:21). As the Scripture says, every testimony should be confirmed by two or three witnesses (Deut. 19:15). That’s what we see here – the second witness that Jesus brings against the pride of those who considered themselves to be the center of the universe. Then Jesus came the third time, as His church (see the connection between Jesus and the church in the fact that Saul persecutes the church, yet Jesus charges him with the persecution of the Messiah, Acts 9:4). After rejection of these three witnesses, Jesus comes as the true and just King, spreading the glory of Jerusalem over the whole world, to every place where “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” is confessed and proclaimed during holy Eucharist.