Mark 11:1 ¶ And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples,
Mark 11:2 And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.
Mark 11:3 And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.
Mark 11:4 And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.
Mark 11:5 And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?
Mark 11:6 And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.
Continuing the narrative from the last chapter…
The NIV Commentary notes, “The Roman military road from Jericho to Jerusalem was about seventeen miles long and climbed three thousand feet.” As we continue to read, it will become clear that this is a record of the events that we celebrate on Palm Sunday.
When Jesus and all those with Him neared Jerusalem and had gotten in the area of Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives (on the southeast side), He sent two of His disciples ahead to the next town on an errand. He told them that as soon as they entered the town, they would see a colt (“a young ass” from the Greek) that had never been ridden tied to something; there were to untie it and bring it to Him. If, by chance, anyone asked them what they were doing, they were to say that the LORD had need of it; and they would immediately send them on their way with the colt. The disciples headed out and everything happened just as Jesus had foretold.
Matthew again tells us a bit more. He points out that this was done in fulfillment of prophecy as recorded by Zechariah.
Matthew 21:4–5 “All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.”
Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”
I can hear some people eager to point out that Jesus was deliberately staging the fulfillment of prophecy to make it appear that He was the Messiah. Yes, I believe that is true; His ministry was full of acts done purposely in fulfillment of prophecy to identify Him as the Messiah. There were also, however, many things concerning Him that fulfilled prophecy over which He had no control—the place of His birth, His treatment at the hands of the religious leaders, the amount of money for which Judas betrayed Him, the time and manner of His death, the fact that not one of His bones was broken, and many more.
Mark 11:7 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.
Mark 11:8 And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.
Mark 11:9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:
Mark 11:10 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
When they brought the colt to Jesus, they put their robes on it for Jesus to sit on. Others spread out their robes before Him, while others cut branches off of trees and lined the path before Him to honor Him. The people led the way before Jesus saying, “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the LORD: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the LORD.”
It seems obvious that most of these people believed that Jesus was actually going to reveal Himself as the Messiah and deliver them from the Romans and take His place on the throne of David.
John tells us that even people from inside the city came out to honor Jesus as He rode into the city.
John 12:12–13 “On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
Luke tells us even more.
Luke 19:39–44 “And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.”
Some of the Pharisees that were among the people told Jesus to rebuke His disciples for what they were saying. Jesus declared that if the people refused to shout out the truth, the very stones would cry out. As He got near the city, Jesus began to weep because His people did not recognize the day of His coming as so specifically prophesied by the prophet Daniel.
Daniel 9:24–25 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks….”
Notes from my journal in Daniel: From the time of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem and the coming of Messiah will be 69 weeks or 483 years—seven weeks (7 x 7 = 49 years) + 62 weeks (3 x 20 = 60 + 2 = 62 x 7 = 434 years) (49 + 434 = 483 years or 173,880 days). Nehemiah 2:1-8 describes the decree signed by Artaxerxes authorizing the rebuilding of the city of Jerusalem, including the walls. Jon Courson notes that this was on March 14, 445 BC. Based on calculations using a 30-day month, it has been determined that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey presenting Himself publicly as their King on the date exactly 483 years to the day after the decree referenced in this verse (April 6, 32 AD). I am obviously relying on the calculations of others; but this calculation is confirmed through many sources.
Because the Jewish people as a whole did not accept Jesus as their Messiah, the truth was now to be hidden from them. Because they did not recognize “the time of their visitation,” the Romans would lay siege to the city and eventually destroy it stone by stone. From the historical record, we know that this occurred in 70 AD.
Mark 11:11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.
Jesus rode on into the city and then went to the temple. After observing all that was going on there, He went back to Bethany with the twelve since it was evening. We know that their good friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha lived in Bethany. Matthew tells us that they lodged there, so it is quite likely that they stayed with them.
Mark 11:12 ¶ And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
Mark 11:13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
Mark 11:14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
On the next day, as they headed back to Jerusalem from Bethany, Mark notes that Jesus was hungry. He saw a fig tree in the distance that had leaves and decided to check it out and see if there were any figs on it. When He could find no figs on the tree, Jesus cursed the tree and declared that no one would eat of its fruit ever after. Point is made the disciples heard Jesus curse the tree.
Meyers added some insight: “…the tree had leaves, which in fact in the case of fig trees come after the fruits.”
Benson adds that Jesus expected the tree to have fruit since “the season of gathering figs was not come to show that none had been taken off the tree.”
Courson made an interesting application: “We know from Colossians 1 that all things were not only made by Him, but for Him. Therefore, providing fruit for Jesus would have been the fig tree’s highest calling. But because it was not able to do this, Jesus showed that in reality, it would not be able to provide fruit for anyone else. The same holds true for us. If we don’t satisfy Jesus, other people will not be nourished by us, enriched by us or blessed by us.”
Mark 11:15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
Mark 11:16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
Mark 11:17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Mark 11:18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus immediately headed to the temple and proceeded to take action based on what He had seen the day before. He began to throw out those that were buying and selling in the temple; He turned upside down the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those that sold doves. He did not allow any man to carry any type of goods through the temple.
“moneychangers” = Those that profited by changing Greek and Roman coins into temple coins, the required coinage for paying the temple tax.
Then Jesus taught the people explaining why He had done as He had. He reminded them of the words of Isaiah the prophet.
Isaiah 56:6–7 “Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.”
Jesus was furious that the temple of God had been turned into a place of business in which the rich and powerful took advantage of those who were coming to worship and prepare for taking part in the Passover feast. The scribes and chief priests heard what He said and got together to plot how they might kill Him because they feared Him. They weren’t afraid of what He might do to them physically; they were afraid that He would diminish their authority before the people and cost them a lot of money in the process. They knew that they had to be careful in how they went about it because the people were amazed at and paying close attention to His teaching as affirmed by Luke.
Luke 19:47–48 “And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.”
Luke also points out that Jesus continued to teach daily in the temple until His arrest.
The New Bible Commentary offers this insight: “When Jesus entered the temple, he probably came into the Court of the Gentiles, the only place in the whole complex where non–Jews were allowed to enter and worship. But worship had become impossible; the court had been turned into a typical bazaar area….”
Mark 11:19 And when even was come, he went out of the city.
Mark 11:20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
Mark 11:21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
When evening came, they headed back out of the city to their lodging. The next morning as they headed back to the city, they passed by the fig tree and saw that it had completely dried up. Peter drew Jesus’ attention to that fact. MacArthur’s commentary notes: “A diseased tree might take many weeks or months to die, and even one that had been salted, either by accident or from maliciousness, would take several days to die. For the fig tree to wither overnight was to do so virtually at once.”
Jesus responded by explaining that it was a matter of faith in God; Jesus had cursed the tree with complete faith that the LORD would honor that curse. He explained that one could cast a mountain into the sea if He asked God to let Him do so with absolutely no doubt in his heart. Jesus emphasized that if we prayed for what we wanted with absolute faith that God would provide it, He would.
As I have noted many times throughout my journals, these are some of the hardest promises for me to grasp. Jesus is certainly not giving us a “magic formula” for getting what we want. As with all the promises in scripture, you have to take into account the whole. There are many similar promises in scripture that provide further understanding. Jesus is telling the disciples that they are capable of great and even miraculous things. However, the fundamental prerequisite for answered prayer is asking in the name of Jesus in accordance with the Father’s will to the glory of God.
John 14:13–14 “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”
1 John 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:”
James 4:2–3 “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”
Courson: “We often hear that prayer changes things. But that’s not entirely true. Prayer changes us. Faith changes things….Concerning faith, Jesus didn’t tell His disciples how to get a Cadillac, a bigger house, a boyfriend or a higher-paying job. He didn’t tell His disciples how to get more of anything. Rather, He told them how to get rid of the carnal tendencies, addiction, habits, or propensities that made them fruitless. Contrary to what the ‘Name It and Claim It’ mentality propagates, cross-current to what the Positive Confession school maintains, Jesus was not talking about accumulating worldly goods, but about obliterating worldly gods.””
Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Mark 11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Jesus went on to say that when we pray, you should be sure to forgive anyone that you are holding something against. This is a prerequisite to receiving personal forgiveness from the Father in heaven.
Some commentators note that some manuscripts do not include verse 26. It really doesn’t matter because it is truth from the mouth of Jesus as recorded elsewhere in scripture. Matthew records it as part of Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 6:14–15 “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Mark 11:27 ¶ And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,
Mark 11:28 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?
Mark 11:29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
Mark 11:30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.
Mark 11:31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
Mark 11:32 But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.
Mark 11:33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
After arriving in Jerusalem, they once again headed to the temple where Jesus was confronted by a delegation of chief priests, scribes and elders waiting to accost Him. They asked Him by what authority He had done these things—wreaking havoc to stop the transacting of business at the temple.
Once again Jesus answered their question with a question. He said that He would answer their question if they would first answer His. The NIV Commentary notes that this was an accepted form of debate among rabbis. The question (my paraphrase): “Was the baptism of John an action directed by God or of his own doing?”
The religious leaders got together to consider their options. If they declared that John was a prophet of God, He would ask them why they did not believe him. If they said that he was just a man, they feared the people because all the people believed John to have been a prophet of God. They decided that the best answer was to refuse to answer. The response of the religious leaders proved that they were not really seeking the truth; their motives were strictly selfish and aimed at trying to get Jesus to say something they could use against Him.
When they refused to answer Him, Jesus refused to answer them.
I think Jesus provides a great example for us to follow. I am reminded that elsewhere in scripture we are told not to cast our pearls before swine.
Matthew 7:6 “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”
In other words, we shouldn’t waste our time debating with those that are not really seeking the truth. We should be discerning. There are those who would rather take every opportunity to use or twist what we say to their own purposes for evil.
Courson: “Why did Jesus raise this particular question concerning the baptism of John? Because this was the point where the priests, scribes and elders first took a wrong turn. They rejected the truth John shared about the One who would follow him. Thus, their rejection of John set the stage for their final rejection of Jesus.”
Mark 12:1 ¶ And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.
Mark 12:2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
Mark 12:3 And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
Mark 12:4 And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.
Mark 12:5 And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.
Mark 12:6 Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.
Mark 12:7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.
Mark 12:8 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
Mark 12:9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.
Mark 12:10 And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:
Mark 12:11 This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Mark 12:12 And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.
“And” – continuing the narrative from the last chapter…
Jesus began teaching using a parable. He tells the story of a man that plants a vineyard, puts a fence around it, dug a pit for the winepress, and built a tower, a building to house the tenant keeper(s) of the vineyard I assume. He leased the vineyard to some men to care for it and then journeyed to a distant country. At the right time after the harvest, the owner sent a servant to collect what he was due from the harvest of the fruit of the vineyard. The men refused to pay; they beat up the servant and sent him away empty-handed. The owner sent another servant to collect what he was owed. This servant was stoned and wounded in the head before they sent him away. The owner sent servant after servant; some were beaten, and some were killed—but none were ever given what was due the owner of the vineyard. The owner had an only son that he loved very much; and he decided to send him, thinking that they would surely respect him. When the evil men realized that the owner had sent his heir, they plotted to kill him and steal his inheritance. So they killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.
Jesus concluded His parable by asking what the owner of the vineyard should do. He answered His own question by declaring that he would come and destroy the husbandmen and give the vineyard to others. Jesus then reminded them of a quote from scripture.
Psalms 118:22–23 “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.”
The response of the religious leaders is very telling. They wanted to take Him prisoner because they knew He was talking about them! The only reason they didn’t is because they were afraid of the response of the people, so they just went away.
The religious leaders couldn’t help but make a connection with the words of the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 5:1–7 “Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.”
Jesus was making a comparison with the condition of Israel in the times of Isaiah and that of His day. The key to Isaiah’s prophecy: Israel is God’s vineyard. Even though God had done everything possible to promote spiritual growth among His people, their spiritual leaders had turned their positions into a business for personal profit. They certainly weren’t serving God; they were practicing religious rituals. God had sent many prophets to declare His truth and record it in scripture, but they had not heeded their message and had even killed some of His prophets. Finally, He sent His own Son, Jesus, hoping they would respond to Him in repentance and obedience; but they plotted to kill Him as well. Because they rejected His Son, God was going to judge His people and remove the hedge of protection around them, bringing about their destruction.
These men knew that Jesus was declaring Himself to be God’s Son. Because their hearts were so hard, they just couldn’t accept that truth—in spite of all the evidence from scripture and the miracles He performed that affirmed it.
Jesus emphasized His claim by using the quote from Psalms regarding “the stone that the builders rejected”—connecting the rejected Son to the stone. He was basically saying that in spite of their rejection, He would become the chief cornerstone upon which God would rebuild and restore the nation of Israel. This would be the LORD’s doings and a wondrous thing to behold.
The Jewish people thought that they were guaranteed entrance into the kingdom just because they were the descendants of Abraham. They were wrong. Jesus declared that those who rejected Him would never enter the kingdom of God.
Mark 12:13 ¶ And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.
Mark 12:14 And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?
Mark 12:15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.
Mark 12:16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s.
Mark 12:17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.
The next group to confront Jesus and try to use His words against Him was a group of Pharisees and Herodians. It is interesting to note that these two groups were on different sides of the political equation. The Pharisees wanted independence from Rome; the Herodians willingly submitted to Rome.
First, they tried to flatter Jesus by addressing Him as Teacher (from the Greek) and declaring that they knew Him to be one that told the truth without regard to what others would think. They knew that He taught the truth about God’s way (a reference to God’s law). Their question: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?
Seems like a lose-lose situation doesn’t it? If Jesus gave an answer supporting submission to Rome, the Pharisees could drum up support against Him for denying God’s authority. If His answer denoted disobedience to Caesar, the Herodians could charge Him with promoting rebellion against Rome. Isn’t it interesting, and it still holds true today, that when focused on a common cause, the enemy of my enemy is my friend?
Jesus knew their hypocrisy and what they were trying to do and said so. He told them to bring Him a penny, a coin. The NIV Commentary makes a good observation: “By using Caesar’s coinage they were tacitly acknowledging Caesar’s authority and thus their obligation to pay the tax.”
When they brought it to Him, He asked them whose image and inscription was on it. The answer was obvious; they said Caesar’s. Jesus then told them to give to Caesar what belonged to Him and to God the things that belong to Him.
Hidden in Jesus’ answer is a beautiful truth. Just as the Roman coin was imprinted with the image and inscription of Caesar, so man is imprinted with the image of God and the inscription of God on his heart. In light of that truth, we owe God our lives.
Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”
Romans 1:19 “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.”
The men were amazed at how Jesus was able to avoid their trap.
Guzik provides a historical note about the taxes: “There were three taxes imposed by the Romans on Judea. The first was the ground tax, which was 10% of all grain and 20% of all wine and fruit. The second was the income tax, which amounted to 1% of a man’s income. The third was the poll tax, paid by men aged from 12 to 65 and women from 14 to 65. This was one denarius a year, about a day’s wage for a working man.”
Mark 12:18 ¶ Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,
Mark 12:19 Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man’s brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
Mark 12:20 Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.
Mark 12:21 And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.
Mark 12:22 And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.
Mark 12:23 In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.
Mark 12:24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?
Mark 12:25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.
Mark 12:26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
Mark 12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.
The next group to confront Jesus was the Sadducees, a group that did not believe in the resurrection. They first established that Moses wrote that if a man’s brother died and left a wife behind but no children, his brother should take the wife and raise up a son in his brother’s name.
Deuteronomy 25:5–6 “If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her. And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.”
They then proposed a scenario in which there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without an heir. The second took her and the same thing happened; this continued until all seven brothers and the woman died without any children.
Their question is very interesting in light of their belief that there was no such thing as resurrection. They asked Jesus whose wife she would be in the resurrection.
Jesus chided them for not knowing the scripture or recognizing the power of God. In the resurrection one is neither married nor given in marriage; they are as the angels in heaven—devoted servants of God. (With this answer Jesus identifies another truth in which the Sadducees did not believe—the existence of angels.)
Jesus then addressed their disbelief in the resurrection by quoting what God had said to Moses from the burning bush.
Exodus 3:6 “Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
God said, “I am the God,” not “I was the God.” Jesus explained that God declared Himself the God of the living—not of the dead. He told them they were wrong not to believe in the resurrection.
I think there is another good application to be made. Though the Sadducees were among the leaders of the people, Jesus declared that they did not understand the scripture correctly nor did they truly understand the power of God. This is an important truth that believers need to understand today. The fact that someone represents himself as one with biblical understanding is not proof that he/she actually possesses biblical understanding. God has made His word available to each one of us. We are accountable before Him according to that revelation—not according to some person’s interpretation of it. We are to consider everything we are taught just as did the Bereans whom Paul commended in Acts.
Acts 17:10–11 “And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
Mark 12:28 ¶ And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
Mark 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mark 12:31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
One of the scribes that heard the conversation between Jesus and the Sadducees was the next to question Jesus. Somehow, I don’t think his motive was to entrap Jesus. Matthew tells us that the scribe was a Pharisee and a lawyer. The scribe recognized that Jesus had answered the Sadducees well. His question: “What is the most important commandment of all?”
Jesus didn’t hesitate; He quoted scripture.
Deuteronomy 6:4–5 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
This essentially sums up all the commandments concerning man’s relationship to God. Jesus then gave him more than he asked, He added that the second was to “love thy neighbor as thyself,” essentially summing up the commandments dealing with man’s relationship to man.
Leviticus 19:18 “…thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.”
Jesus confidently declared that there were no other commandments greater than these two. Many commentators rightly point out that unless we obey the first commandment, we will never be able to obey the second.
Mark 12:32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
Mark 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Mark 12:34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
The scribe affirmed the truth of what Jesus said, declaring that those two laws were more important that all the burnt offerings and sacrifices one could make. Maybe he was thinking of the words of Samuel.
1 Samuel 15:22 “And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice….”
Jesus saw that the man had answered with discernment and told him that he was not far from the kingdom of God. In other words, you are so close to recognizing the whole truth.
Mark tells us that no one questioned Jesus after that.
Mark 12:35 ¶ And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David?
Mark 12:36 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.
Mark 12:37 David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.
Jesus continued teaching in the temple and next posed a question of His own, quoting from a psalm that was recognized as referencing the Messiah. He asked, “How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the Son of David? Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, David said,”
Psalms 110:1 “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”
He continued (my paraphrase), “If David called the Messiah his Lord, how can He be his son?” The inference is that David recognized that Messiah would hold the position of honor at the right hand of God in authority over him.
Only as the man Jesus was He David’s son; but as the Messiah, He was David’s Lord and the Son of God. This truth comes through loud and clear in the writings of the prophet Isaiah.
Isaiah 9:6–7 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”
Isaiah 11:1–5 “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.”
Mark notes that the people listened to Him with pleasure.
Mark 12:38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,
Mark 12:39 And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:
Mark 12:40 Which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.
In this next snapshot, Jesus warns against following the example of certain (if not most) scribes. They walk about in their long robes and enjoy getting noticed by the people in the marketplace. They like the most important seats in the synagogue and to sit in the places of honor at feasts. Yet, they take advantage of widows that could be easily pressured to give what they could not afford, while making long prayers to show how pious they are. His surprising indictment against these religious leaders: They will receive greater damnation. This seems to be another reference to degrees of punishment in hell.
One can’t help but make a comparison to the false teachers of today that take advantage of the mostly poorer masses with their ruses of seed money, prayer hankies and such.
Mark 12:41 ¶ And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
Mark 12:42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
Mark 12:43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
Mark 12:44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
Mark closes this chapter with a snapshot of Jesus sitting beside the treasury and watching the people as they came to give. He saw some give a little and some that were rich give a lot. A certain poor widow showed up that gave two mites, a farthing. According to the Greek, this widow was a pauper, a beggar (probably reflected in her appearance). According to Easton’s Dictionary, a mite was the very smallest copper coin.
Jesus called His disciples over so He could teach them. He told them that the poor widow had given more than anyone else had given to the treasury. Others had given of their abundance; she, however, had given all that she had without regard to her own needs.
Principle: God doesn’t look at the amount we give; He looks at the heart and the sacrifice we are willing to make as we give.
This is one thing I appreciate at our church. There are tithe and offering boxes placed around the church and lobby to facilitate giving. There are no offering plates passed that lead to pressure or provide a temptation to give to impress. They are just there for people to give discreetly as they are led.