Bullet Point Bible

Preparations for the Triumphal Entry

¹ Now as they approached Jerusalem, near Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples² and said to them, "Go to the village ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here.³ If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here soon.'"⁴ So they went and found a colt tied at a door, outside in the street, and untied it.⁵ Some people standing there said to them, "What are you doing, untying that colt?"⁶ They replied as Jesus had told them, and the bystanders let them go.

Jesus initiates the final stage of his journey to Jerusalem, the location of his impending suffering and death.
Bethphage and Bethany were villages on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, overlooking Jerusalem.
Sending two disciples reflects Jesus' common practice (Mark 6:7).
The detailed instructions demonstrate Jesus' supernatural foreknowledge and sovereign control over events.
The colt "that no one has ever ridden" signifies something set apart for a sacred purpose.
Requesting a colt, an animal of peace, aligns with the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, portraying Jesus as a humble king, though Mark doesn't explicitly quote the prophecy.
The phrase "{{The Lord needs it}}" is a clear assertion of Jesus' authority and possibly his divine identity (*kyrios* can mean Lord or master).
The disciples' unquestioning obedience highlights their trust in Jesus.
The owners' compliance suggests either prior arrangement or a divinely prompted willingness.

The Triumphal Procession

⁷ Then they brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.⁸ Many spread their cloaks on the road and others spread branches they had cut in the fields.⁹ Both those who went ahead and those who followed kept shouting, " Hosanna!Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!¹⁰ Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!"¹¹ Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. And after looking around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the twelve since it was already late.

Placing cloaks on the colt served as a makeshift saddle and an act of homage.
Spreading cloaks and branches on the road was a traditional way to welcome royalty or conquerors (cf. 2 Kings 9:13).
The crowd's shouts are drawn from Psalm 118:25-26, a psalm associated with Passover and messianic expectations.
"Hosanna" translates to "Save, please!" or "Save now!" and became an exclamation of praise and plea for deliverance.
"{{Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!}}" acknowledges Jesus as God's authorized representative.
"{{Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!}}" explicitly voices the popular hope for a messianic king who would restore David's kingdom.
Jesus entering Jerusalem on a colt publicly presents himself as the Messiah, albeit a peaceful one.
His entry into the temple courts signifies his authority over his Father's house.
Observing everything but delaying action creates narrative tension and foreshadows the cleansing event the next day.
Returning to Bethany for the night was likely for safety and lodging.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

¹² Now the next day, as they went out from Bethany, he was hungry.¹³ After noticing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit 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.

The event occurs "the next day," linking it chronologically to the Triumphal Entry and the subsequent Temple Cleansing.
Jesus experiencing hunger underscores his genuine humanity.
Fig trees normally produce early figs (*taqsh*) before the main crop, often appearing with or before the leaves. Leaves signaled the *possibility* of fruit.
The statement "it was not the season for figs" highlights the symbolic nature of the act, rather than an unreasonable expectation of fruit.
The leafy but fruitless tree serves as an "acted parable" or prophetic sign, likely representing the spiritual barrenness of Israel, particularly its religious system, which had an outward appearance of piety (leaves) but lacked genuine righteousness (fruit).
Jesus' curse, "{{May no one ever eat fruit from you again!}}", is an enactment of judgment against this spiritual hypocrisy.
The disciples hearing the curse sets up their later observation of the withered tree (Mark 11:20).
This incident brackets the Temple Cleansing (Mark 11:15-19), suggesting the tree symbolizes the state of the Temple and the nation it represented.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

¹⁵ Then they came to Jerusalem. Jesus entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying in the temple courts. He turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves,¹⁶ and he would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.¹⁷ Then he began to teach them and said, "Is it not written: ' My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations '? But you have turned it into a denof robbers !"¹⁸ The chief priests and the experts in the law heard it and they considered how they could assassinate him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed by his teaching.¹⁹ When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

Jesus returns to the temple, the symbolic heart of Israel's worship and national life.
Driving out merchants and money changers was a forceful assertion of divine authority and zeal for God's house.
Money changers exchanged Roman and other currencies for the specific Tyrian shekel required for the temple tax, often charging exorbitant fees.
Selling doves provided sacrificial animals, especially for the poor, but the practice within the sacred precincts had become corrupt and exploitative.
Overturning tables and chairs was a dramatic prophetic action signifying judgment on the corrupt system.
Preventing merchandise transport restored the intended sanctity of the Court of the Gentiles.
Jesus quotes Isaiah 56:7, emphasizing the temple's purpose as a place "{{of prayer for all nations}}", a purpose hindered by the commerce in the area designated for Gentiles.
He also quotes Jeremiah 7:11, accusing the authorities of turning the temple into a "{{den of robbers}}", suggesting they provided a refuge for thieves or engaged in extortion themselves.
The religious leaders (chief priests, scribes/experts in the law) reacted with fear and murderous intent, threatened by Jesus' authority and popularity.
The crowd's amazement highlights the impact of Jesus' authoritative teaching and actions.
Jesus again leaves Jerusalem for the night, likely for safety.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree

²⁰ In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.²¹ Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered."²² Jesus said to them, "Have faith in God.²³ I tell you the truth, if someone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.²⁴ For this reason I tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.²⁵ Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your sins."

The quick and complete withering ("from the roots") emphasizes the power behind Jesus' pronouncement.
Peter connects the withered tree directly to Jesus' curse from the previous day.
Jesus pivots from the judgment symbolized by the tree to teaching about the power of faith and prayer.
"{{Have faith in God}}" is the foundational principle.
The hyperbole of moving a mountain illustrates the immense power available through faith-filled prayer, capable of overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles.
Effective prayer requires unwavering belief ("does not doubt... believes that what he says will happen").
Jesus links receiving answers to prayer ("believe that you have received it") with the necessity of forgiving others ("{{Whenever you stand praying, forgive...}}").
Forgiveness offered to others is presented as a condition for receiving forgiveness from God, highlighting the relational nature of faith.
Verse 26 is absent from many early and important manuscripts, hence the double square brackets in the NET text, indicating significant textual uncertainty. It strongly reiterates the condition stated in verse 25.
The lesson shifts from the negative example of fruitless judgment (fig tree) to the positive requirements for a fruitful relationship with God: faith, prayer, and forgiveness.

Jesus' Authority Challenged

²⁷ They came again to Jerusalem. While Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the experts in the law, and the elders came up to him²⁸ and said, "By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?"²⁹ Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:³⁰ John's baptism-was it from heaven or from people? Answer me."³¹ They discussed with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?'³² But if we say, 'From people-'" (they feared the crowd, for they all considered John to be truly a prophet).³³ So they answered Jesus, "We don't know." Then Jesus said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The confrontation occurs in the temple courts, the scene of Jesus' recent disruptive actions.
The questioners represent the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish ruling council: chief priests (Sadducees, temple authorities), experts in the law (scribes, mostly Pharisees), and elders (lay leaders).
Their question directly challenges Jesus' right to act and teach as he did, particularly regarding the temple cleansing.
Jesus responds with a counter-question concerning the authority of John the Baptist, putting the leaders on the defensive.
John's ministry was widely accepted by the people but rejected by the leadership; his baptism represented a call to repentance that they had largely ignored.
The leaders' internal debate reveals their true motivation: political expediency and fear of the crowd, rather than a genuine search for truth.
Acknowledging John's divine authority ("from heaven") would imply they should also accept Jesus, whom John testified about. Denying it ("from people") risked alienating the populace.
Their answer, "We don't know," is a deliberate evasion to escape the dilemma.
Jesus' refusal to answer their question ("{{Neither will I tell you...}}") is not evasiveness but a judgment on their insincerity. They were unwilling to acknowledge the divine authority they had already witnessed (in John), so they were unworthy of a direct answer regarding Jesus' own authority.
This encounter starkly contrasts Jesus' divine authority with the leaders' self-serving and spiritually blind opposition.

The Bullet Point Bible

Mark 11