MARK 11:1-11 Lesson # 30
GOING UP TO JERUSALEM
I. Greetings:
II. Introduction:
Today we will be discussing a famous passage that is associated with Palm Sunday: the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem to the cheers and welcomes of crowded Jerusalem. This is a watershed moment in Jesus’ life.
III. Nearing Jerusalem: Mark 11:1
>>>> Have someone read Mark 11:1.
Q Have you ever heard the phrase: “going up to Jerusalem?” What does it mean?
An = Being willing to enter that place or situation where you may find trouble, death, persecution or pain, but you know it is God’s will to do so. Throughout church history this phrase has been used to describe one’s choice to face one’s fears so as to obey God in the task He has put before us.
Note: In chapter 11 we enter the last week of Jesus’ life: the Passion Week.
Q What does Passion Week mean?
An = The word “passion” comes from the Greek word pascho, meaning “to suffer”. It often refers to endurance by a submissive victim of afflictions imposed upon him. In addition, it can also refer to an inner emotional experience. Jesus suffered inside as much as outside.
Q Do good Christians suffer?
Q Do you know good, righteous Christians that are suffering right now? If so raise your hands.
Q Why would that be a Christ-like condition?
Note: Some of you are suffering inside and only you know that, or you are aware of someone who is suffering deep within themselves.
<<<<Note: Let us stop right now and take the time to tell God about what we are suffering or about suffering we know of in others. Tell God where you hurt or your friend hurts. He is willing to listen; He is quite well acquainted with suffering. Stop and open in a brief prayer, then pause and let them pray for about a minute, then close and go on with the lesson.>>>>
Q When did the Passion Week begin and end? What two events in Jesus’ life functioned as bookends for the Passion Week?
An = Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday, it was eight days long. It opened with Jesus’ acclaim on Palm Sunday, His struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane, His trial and then the suffering on the cross. It ended Resurrection Sunday. For Jesus, obedience to God included both suffering and resurrection. It culminated in glory! If there is a cross in God’s will for you, there is also a crown!
IV. Obtaining the Colt: Selected Humility. Mark 11:2-7
>>>> Have someone read Mark 11:2-7.
Q Was this proof that Jesus knows the future?
An = This could be a miracle or it could be a plan pre-arranged by Jesus with those He had met at an earlier time. It is unclear. However, all through Mark’s Gospel Jesus was clearly aware of His future (Mark chapters 8-10 have 5 predictions of the Passion Week by Jesus). It is quite in line with the tenor of Mark that Jesus would know some small detail such as this.
V. Entrance into Jerusalem: Mark 11:8-10
>>>> Have someone read Mark 11:8-10.
Q What were the crowd’s actions in 11:8?
An = They spread their cloaks on the road or palm branches on the road to show Him honor.
Q Did they think He was a king?
An = It could be they thought Jesus was the Messiah, and the popular conception was that the Messiah would come as a king.
Q What was ironic about their showing Him such honor?
An = The crowds turned on Him by Friday.
Q Why did Jesus as a king ride on a donkey?
An = Listen to and note their answers and then….
>>>> Have someone read Genesis 49:10-11.
Q What strikes you about these two verses?
An = They are an ancient prophesy, tying three themes: kingly authority, the humility of the donkey, and the theme of blood. What a strange combination.
>>>> Have someone read Zechariah 9:9.
Q What was stressed here?
An = Kingship, joy, salvation and humility.
Note: There is no joy for Jesus without humility (which is submission to the will of God). Kingly glory for Him was tied to humility. If we wish to be kingly, then our coming exaltation must be preceded by humility, including humiliating circumstances. The greatest man to ever live on Earth was humiliated.
Q When the people sang Hosanna, what does this word mean?
An = It literally meant “save us”. >>>> Have someone read II Samuel 14:4. In this Samuel passage the woman used this phrase as a call for help made to a king. Later, its usage grew to mean “an appeal for God to inaugurate the era of salvation” (Lane, p. 398).
Note: “Blessed is He who cometh” (Mark 11:9) is a messianic title.
Q Did Jesus come as Messiah to save them in the way they imagined?
An = No. Jesus came in a manner they did not expect.
Q Does God often come into our lives in a way we may not expect or want?
An = After their answers, give an example from your own life where you wanted God to come and do one thing where He had a different, but later understood, better agenda, better plan, better coming.
Q Will Jesus save us in due time?
VI. Quiet Examination: Mark: 11:11
>>>> Have someone read Mark 11:11.
Q Why was this here?
An = First, it was a quiet review. He calmly, quietly, looked over where He was going to preach in the days to come. He reviewed the scene of His coming work. Second, as Barclay puts it, He had an atmosphere of deliberation about Him. “Jesus was not recklessly plunging into unknown dangers. He was doing everything with His eyes wide open” (Barclay, p. 279). He knew what He was about and why. He deliberately began His final week.
Q What could that mean for us today? How could we apply this verse to our situations?
Note: He went back to Bethany. This showed where Jesus got His strength before He joined the battle. He sought the peace of God (Barclay, p. 279). We too need to return to Bethany for times of refreshment between the battles. We too need Sabbaths, we need breaks, and we need rest.
VII. The Pattern: The Way of Righteousness, Rejection, Marvel and Finally Joy.
Note: Have everyone turn to Psalms 118. We are going to read part of this psalm because it might help to see that Jesus’ experience is in a pattern that is in the Psalms and other parts of the Bible. It is in many stories, for example: David, Joseph and Daniel.
>>>> Have someone read Psalms 118:19-21.
Note: The way to God is the gate of righteousness and only the righteous can enter it. If we have known sin in our lives and we will not deal with it then the gate to God is not open. God rescued David, Daniel and Joseph, but they were living righteous lives.
>>>> Have someone read Psalms 118:22-23.
Q What was marvelous in the Psalmist’s eyes?
An = Rejection was going to take place. They rejected the King of Glory. Jesus knew this, even on His Palm Sunday day of triumph. His rejection, and ours, if it is because of righteousness, is “His doing” and it is “marvelous in our eyes.”
>>>> Have someone read Psalms 118:24-26.
Note: Some of you may recognize the words in 118:24 as the words to a well known song. It is a great song, but when I saw the context of this verse here, I saw we “rejoice in the day that the Lord hath made”, when it is a day of rejection. The days of rejection are also in God’s hands.
Finally, the phrase “Blessed is the one who comes in the Name of the Lord”, was a messianic phrase. The Blessed One was to come in humility, be rejected, but would rise from the dead. If there is suffering ahead for you, because you are righteous, then blessing will result.
Jesus rose from the dead, David became king despite Saul’s persecution, Daniel got out of the lion’s den, and Joseph went from prison to being Premier of Egypt.