Jesus' Authority Is Questioned Series

Jesus’ Authority is Questioned

Mark 11:18-33

- Jesus is demonstrated in this book as a “servant”

- Jesus’ teachings, while difficult for some to deal with, are always timely

-- God always allows us to hear from Him at just the right time

- Before we begin it’s very important that you see today’s text IN CONTEXT

-- Often, people misunderstand scripture because they jump around texts

-- We need to ensure that we are thinking of & seeing the whole story

1) Re-read Mark 11:9-11

- IMP: They worshipped Him because of what He could do for them

-- Challenge: Do we come to Jesus like this?

-- It’s worth asking the following: Is Jesus your hobby or your Savior?

- After the fanfare, after the parade, after the celebration … Where does He go?

-- He goes to the temple, to His Father’s house, a very special place for Him

-- This is the SAME temple he visited as a child when He got lost

- His pause here at the temple should serve to remind us of something critical

-- God is not in the business of forgetting what’s happened; judgment still comes

2) Re-read Mark 11:12-13

- APP: The fig tree has long stood as a symbol of Israel’s peace and security

-- Micah 4:4, “Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken.”

- The curse Jesus places on the tree is this: “Israel [while still protected by God and God’s chosen people], will no longer be the primary purpose of accomplishing God’s purpose” (Mark Brooks)

-- What’s this mean? When the Gospel is fulfilled, it will explode … outward!

-- See Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

3) Re-read Mark 11:14-17

- From there, Jesus enters Jerusalem again and we see Him at the temple

-- While the disciples watched, He prepared to take His Father’s house back

- APP: Remember last night’s visit to the temple? (v11)

-- He saw the tables; He knew the actions that happened there.

-- His heart ached for what God’s people had made God’s house into

-- His visit was intentionally to clear that garbage out.

-- LESSON: Sometimes WE need to cleanse the church of the trash as well!

- The temple sits in the middle of the city, and it is HUGE!

-- EX: The long Western Wall of the Temple Mount was 1590 feet long (the length of about 4.5 football fields; temple stood about 10-16 stories tall

-- Jesus in v16 us even telling people, “WALK AROUND rather than through”

-- This is a holy place, a house of prayer, and not your convenient area!!

- Then, in v17, He teaches the disciples why this needed to be done

-- Jesus does this by quoting the OT; things they would know already

-- Isaiah 56:7, “I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”

-- Jeremiah 7:11, “Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD.”

- This is a house of prayer for ALL nations (ALL are welcome here)

-- Challenge: Have we let it become a den of thieves and robbers?

Now, we can continue this story today and see the text before us today …

- Read Mark 11:18-25

NOTE: Mark 11:26: Some manuscripts include here words similar to Matt. 6:15, “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

-- Verse missing due to translation issue; not an error in the text or manuscript

∆ Point 1 – Prayer and a Fig Tree (18-25)

- In v18 once again we see the Pharisees are seeking a way to destroy Him

-- Why? His teaching conflicted with theirs (it’s all about our comfort)

-- This leads them to view Christ as a very dangerous character

- They feared Jesus because He brought them something different/new

-- Brought an honor, or commitment, to God that was not founded in themselves

-- They recognized He claimed a higher authority; made him very dangerous

-- To who? The people who were supposed to bow down to them!

- After a full day they retreat from the temple out of Jerusalem

-- Almost assuredly retreated to Bethany each evening of this week

-- Remember it’s only about 2 miles away so that’s not a far distance