Mark 11:1-11
Mark 11:1-11 Sermon Notes and Discussion Questions (underlined)
Like many things Jesus said and did, the full meaning of this event was really only fully understood after the cross and resurrection.
In fact, John 12:16 makes it clear that even His disciples didn’t understand the Messianic implications of this moment until much later.
Why do you think they were unable to fully understand it in the moment?
This scene shows up in all four gospel accounts. Each account gives us slightly different details of the incident. They don’t contradict each other; they just give different aspects to make slightly different points.
Why do you think that is?
Mark 11:1–11 (ESV):
1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives,
It’s likely that the reference to the Mount of Olives is pointing towards prophetic texts like Zechariah 14 that highlight the Mount of Olives as the place where the God Himself would descend.
Read Zechariah 14 and see what prophecies apply to the first coming of Christ vs the second.
Jesus sent two of his disciples
Why two? Why not send all twelve? Why not send just one, or three?
Not all Christians are assigned identical callings. Talk about what aspects of our calling are universal (for all Christians) and what sort of tasks might be given on a more individual basis.
2 and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it.
Now, a few things to notice.
First, we clearly see that Jesus is in control. He is the conductor. Situations don’t happen to Jesus; Jesus happens to situations.
It’s important to remember that the events we’ll see transpire in Jerusalem––some of them quite terrible––are not happening outside the bounds of God’s sovereignty.
Rather, Jesus is orchestrating these events in fulfillment of scripture and in order to bring about His greater purpose of salvation.
This is a great reminder for us as it relates to our lives.
If we are in Christ, nothing that happens in our lives… no tragedy, no matter how severe… is outside of God’s control. And we can trust that somehow, all things will work out for the greater good and glorify God.
Why did He choose a colt that has never been ridden? There are references in the OT of animals being used for sacred purposes which had never been ridden. That’s likely what’s going on. This animal was sanctified; it had not been put to ordinary use.
Also, consider this: it wouldn’t make any difference to Jesus didn’t need a trained or “broken” donkey, as they say. After all, we’ve seen that the wind and the waves obey Him. This donkey is gonna do whatever Jesus wants it to do! And, He created donkeys, after all.
Colossians 1:16 (ESV): 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
John 1:3 (ESV): 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Maybe the bigger question is, why a donkey? And not just a donkey, but a colt?
This is the King of Kings we’re talking about! Why not a black stallion? Why not come blazing into Jerusalem like a boss?
Again, the paradox is striking.
Here’s the King of Kings, yet he’s choosing the way of humility over the way of glory.
As it turns out, this moment was a direct fulfillment of prophecy.
Zechariah 9:9 (ESV): 9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
In fact, even further back into biblical history, in Genesis 49, when Jacob blesses his sons (who represent the 12 tribes of Israel), when he gets to Judah, he lays out a special blessing that predicts a descendant from Judah who would total dominion… and then it says, “Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine…”
In other words, even the untying of the colt is a Messianic sign.
3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’ ”
Since many Jews would have been gathering in Jerusalem for Passover, there would have been an air of hospitality… residents would have been naturally predisposed to lend things to strangers… but even more so when a couple strangers show up and say, “the Lord” (which could mean simply ‘master’, or ‘sovereign ruler’) has need of it.
Everything we have belongs to the Lord. What do you think keeps us from being open handed with our ‘stuff’?
4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go.
7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields.
Now, believe it or not, even this detail has roots in the Old Testament.
If you remember, all the way back in 2 Kings 9, God has had enough of wicked king Ahab with is idol worship, and so he commands Elijah the prophet to go and anoint a new king over Israel. And he says to go and find Jehu and anoint him, which he does.
And then it says, “Then in haste every man of them took his garment and put it under him on the bare steps, and they blew the trumpet and proclaimed, “Jehu is king.”
So here, with Jesus, is an echo of that kingly anointing. Israel’s true King is being established. The one who would drive out wickedness and idolatry once and for all.
John’s account specifies that the people were waving palm branches, which in that time was something they’d do to signify triumph over one’s enemy.
Here comes another paradox. While the symbolism surrounding this incident is overtly Messianic, the chant of the people in verses 9-10 reveal that they don’t quite see it that way.
9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
Now, on the surface, that sounds like a very Messianic chant. But on closer inspection, it turns out that they were perhaps not totally aware what they were saying.
For example…
This is a chant taken from Psalm 118.
Hosanna is a prayer that means “save us”, but it had sort of taken on a more general meaning of praise or of greeting… so it’s possible that these people didn’t realize just how profound their chant was. Here was their actual Savior.
Even the phrase “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” was applied more broadly to pilgrims coming into Jerusalem… and yet, the double meaning is powerful. Here was One coming whose name was the Lord.
The phrase “blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David” sounds Messianic, but it’s just a little off… “our father David” is not as overtly Messianic as “Son of David”. And Jesus preached about “the kingdom of God”, not the kingdom of David.
So they’re still not quite getting it here. And as I mentioned, John confirms this when he says that even his own disciples didn’t understand the implications until later on.
SO, we call this donkey ride “the triumphal entry”. But in many ways, it wasn’t as triumphant as we might expect it to be. It was shockingly humble. It was grassroots. It was impromptu. There were chants that were vaguely Messianic, but not as overt as we’d like.
Now, if this was the big moment of victory for Israel, you’d expect Jesus’ arrival into the city to be met with all kinds of crazy stuff. The long awaited King of David, taking the throne of David? It doesn’t get any bigger than that… and yet look at how the account ends:
11 And 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.
Mark is absolutely screaming at us with this anticlimax! He wants us to see that this arrival was shockingly basic. As one commentator put it, “the whole scene comes to nothing”.
Is this shocking for us?
On one level, yes.
But on another level, just think about what we’ve seen in Mark so far. Doesn’t this humble entrance fit the motif?
Haven’t we been getting hammered with this idea that Jesus’ kingdom is not coming in worldly fashion?
Hasn’t Jesus been telling us over and over in various ways and through various interactions that He is the suffering Savior, not the iron-fisted military general?
Haven’t we seen that Jesus’ agenda is upside down and backwards from the expectations of the world, and in some cases of His own disciples?
The great paradox of this passage is that Jesus IS the King of Kings. But as He Himself said, His kingdom of “not of this world”. It’s a heavenly kingdom, concerned with heavenly things.
Which, by the way, is why He went straight to the temple.
His sights were not set on the political power seat of Jerusalem, but rather on the religious center. He came to see and assess where God’s people’s hearts were at… what their worship was like… This, by the way, was also a direct fulfillment of prophecy.
Malachi 3:1–3 (ESV): “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.
Consider and discuss with your group how Jesus was the sacrificial lamb from the Exodus/Passover account?