<< Previous | Index | Next >>"THE GOSPEL OF MARK" Cursing And Cleansing (11:12-19) INTRODUCTION 1. In our previous study, we saw where Jesus and His disciples arrived in Jerusalem... a. Together with a large crowd coming to observe the Passover week b. With the first day of their visit (Sunday) beginning with the triumphal entry and ending with a quick visit to the temple - Mk 11:1-11 2. On the next day (Monday), two things occur which may seem out of character for Jesus... a. The cursing of the fig tree - Mk 11:12-14 b. The cleansing of the temple - Mk 11:15-19 [The two may be related, so let’s consider them together beginning with...] I. THE CURSING OF THE FIG TREE A. THE NARRATIVE... 1. Having spent the night in Bethany, Jesus and His disciples make their way back toward Jerusalem - Mk 11:11-12 2. Hungry, Jesus sees a fig tree with leaves from a distance and approaches to see if there is anything on it - Mk 11:12-13 3. There is nothing but leaves, Mark noting that it was not the season for figs - Mark 11:13 4. In response, Jesus says to the tree, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again" - Mk 11:14 5. Mark commented that it was heard by His disciples - Mk 11:14 B. SOME OBSERVATIONS... 1. In Palestine fig trees produced crops of small edible buds in March followed by the appearance of large green leaves in early April. - Bible Knowledge Commentary a. This early green "fruit" (buds) was common food for local peasants - ibid. b. An absence of these buds despite the tree’s green foliage promising their presence indicated it would bear no fruit that year - ibid. c. Thus this fig tree gave the appearance of offering edible food, but did not 2. The way in which Mark organizes his material in these verses (fig tree/cleansing of temple/fig tree) suggests a connection between the cleansing of the temple and the cursing of the fig tree - ESV Study Bible 4. The incident of the fig tree both interprets the cleansing of the temple and is interpreted by the latter incident - New International Biblical Commentary (NIBC) a. Jesus’ disappointment with the fig tree is like his disappointment with Israel and the temple, her chief shrine - ibid. b. His judgment pronounced upon the tree is like the threat of God’s judgment soon to fall upon the city of Jerusalem, which Jesus’ words and actions in Mk 11:15-19 prefigure - ibid. 5. The cursing of the tree (v. 14) is known as a prophetic sign-act, familiar to readers of the OT, an action in which a prophet demonstrates symbolically his message (e.g., Isa 20:1-6; Jer 13:1-11; 19:1-13; Ezek 4:1-15) - NIBC 6. The act is not to be taken simply as a rash act of anger, but as a solemn prophetic word pronounced for the benefit of the disciples (and for the readers) - ibid. [Seeing that the two events (the cursing of the fig tree and the cleansing of the temple) appear related, let’s now look more closely at...] II. THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE A. THE NARRATIVE... 1. Jesus returns to Jerusalem and enters the temple - Mk 11:15-16 a. Driving out those who bought and sold in the temple b. Overturning the tables of the money changers, the seats of those who sold doves c. Not allowing any to carry wares through the temple 2. He teaches in the temple - Mk 11:17-18 a. "Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’ ? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’" - cf. 1Ki 8:41-43; Isa 56:7 b. The scribes and chief priests heard this and wanted to kill Him c. They feared Him, for all the people were astonished at His teaching 3. At evening, He left the city, spending the night on Mt. Olivet - cf. Lk 21:37 B. SOME OBSERVATIONS... 1. The "temple" was the court of the Gentiles, an outer court where non-Jews were permitted a. Tables were set up to enable pilgrims to change their respective currencies into coins for the annual temple tax, as well as to purchase pigeons, lambs, oil, salt, etc., for various sin and thanksgiving sacrifices - ESV Study Bible b. The business activity turns the house of prayer into a den of robbers (Jer 7:11); Gentiles in particular were hindered by the temple commerce in the outer court - ibid. 2. This may have been the second time Jesus cleansed the temple a. John records a similar incident at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry - Jn 2:13-17 b. Many commentators think it happened only once; but with Jesus’ zeal for His Father’s house, there is good reason to believe He did it twice c. The cleansing of the temple may have been to fulfill prophecy - Mal 3:1-3 3. Was the act of cleansing the temple "out of character" for Jesus? No! a. Jesus had been angry before, and would be again soon - cf. Mk 3:5; Mt 23:13-36 b. Jesus was filled with righteous indignation, consistent with the qualities of deity - cf. Ro 2:4-6; 2Th 1:7-9 4. It may helpful to remember... a. When it came to personal affront, Jesus bore it meekly - cf. Isa 53:7; 1Pe 2:23 b. But when God or His temple were maligned, especially by hardhearted and self-righteous religious leaders, then Jesus acted with righteous indignation in defense of God’s honor c. We tend to defend selves rather than God, displaying self-righteous indignation CONCLUSION 1. The moral and religious depravity of the religious leaders prompted Jesus’ actions 2. Both the cursing of the fig tree and the cleansing of the temple were prophetic sign acts that foretold the impending judgment upon the nation of Israel that would occur with the destruction of Jerusalem (fulfilled in 70 AD) - cf. Mk 13:1-2<< Previous | Index | Next >>
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