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
-- Why? This allowed Jesus a chance to rest and meet with friends
- Take note of v20-21, it’s a continuation from earlier story we summarized
-- Peter notices this tree (remember from the lesson) and it has withered
-- The focus here is not that Jesus ruined this tree, but what it symbolizes
- God’s purpose will not solely to be accomplished through Jerusalem
-- This is the beginning of the realization that there is MUCH more to come
- The fig tree destroyed from the roots up, indicating a complete annihilation
-- What Jesus does is clearly demonstrate the religious system of the day
-- They have lots of leaves, lots of things they “do”, but it won’t last
-- The Roman army, led by the future Emperor Titus, with Tiberius Julius Alexander as his second-in-command, besieged and conquered Jerusalem in 70AD
-- Jesus’ prediction that it will not be all about this city is clear
- The reference to having faith in v22 is a conclusion of the fig tree story
-- It’s a command, not a suggestion from Jesus, to put your trust in God
-- It is Jesus’ answer to Peter regarding the fig tree; and our answer as well
- We are to trust solely in God, and not in our own strengths
-- Habakkuk 2:4, “See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright-- but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness”
- What is importance of the mountain analogy in v23? It’s hyperbole!
-- The size is not the key; it is the faith in the One who can accomplish the answer
-- APP: Our faith is what gives us strength, and Jesus calls us to action in prayer
- NOTE: Does not mean if God’s answer is not what you expect you’re weak
-- Our strength has nothing to do with our prayers being answered by God
-- Just the opposite: God’s answer is His will and we should be praying in it
- Warning: DO NOT twist this into thinking God suddenly works for you (v24)
-- There heretical “name it and claim it” theology teaches this all day long
-- It’s how they promote themselves above God and fool others into following
-- Problem is, they believe in themselves and NOT in God’s power or in Christ
- IMP: We should always be praying in His will, and it is what Bible teaches
-- 1 John 5:14-15, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”
- IMP: If you want to pray in His will, you have to know Him … first!
-- Then, as you mature in this relationship, God’s desires become yours
-- Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
- And now in v25 we have a warning from Jesus on praying with wrong heart
-- It is a reminder of the sins YOU have … more than you forgiving others
-- None of us is perfect; therefore we must STOP appointing ourselves as judge
-- There is one Judge, one Ruler, and it’s to Him we bow and submit
- TRANS: So in the face of this teaching, the Pharisees try to trap Jesus again
- Read Mark 11:18-27-33
∆ Point 2 – Trapping Jesus (27-33)
- Cue the Pharisees once again to attempt to trap Jesus and His teachings (v27)
-- It is an insult to teach against our law, so who do you think you are?
-- Forgetting totally this is Jesus, the Son of God, who was there at beginning
- So what they do, is attempt to get Him to say something false in v28
-- “Who are you, Jesus? Who do you think you are? How dare you teach …”
- What happens next is what Jesus does, always (and the Spirit always confirms)
-- IMP: The Spirit of God will NEVER conflict with what Jesus says/does
-- The Spirit points to the work of the Son, and glorifies the Father, ALWAYS
-- APP: He is Lord, so He asks for confession of these men from their heart
- What happens in this dialogue sets up is a unique examination of their lives (v30)
-- These men would’ve have known who John the Baptist was
-- They knew he was a man unafraid of them and capable of brutal truth
-- Matthew 3:11-12, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
- But what they couldn’t admit was very unique here (don’t miss this … v30-32)
-- If they answered that John’s authority came from Heaven, they’d be stuck
-- They would then have to face that if they’re so religions, how could they deny?
-- Why? They would be condemned by the people for NOT listening to God
- So what they do, is the only safe answer they can come up with: “I don’t know”
-- APP: Just like a child busted for something … they lie, but do it sheepishly
-- They are responding to Jesus much like Laodiceans were discussed
-- Jesus responds to things like this in Revelation 3:16, “So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
- They have no commitment to God; no real honor except in themselves
-- IMP: They are so bent on correction they don’t even stand on solid ground!
- This ties into their devotion; to the fact that they cannot understand God (v33)
-- This is about His work, His command, and His son sent for you
-- But even with that truth … you will never repent and see that
-- REF: Teaching in parables (heard-hearted won’t get it anyway)
- TRANS: So where does that leave us to consider and be challenged?
∆ Big Ideas
- 1) Who do you say that He is?
-- Peter confessed that Jesus is Lord: without shame and without pause!
-- Even though He messed up often, Jesus was STILL his Lord
- The Pharisees weren’t able to answer because they were living for themselves
-- There is no trust, no revelation, and no repentance for what they’ve done
-- Do we treat Jesus the same way? Seeking to make Him work for us?
- 2) Our first priority in prayer is forgiveness and repentance where we’ve failed
-- We seek God’s face because of who He is, not b/c of what He can do for us
-- It is the ultimate sign of worship when we remove ourselves from equation
- 3) When we commit ourselves to God, we remove all hindrances
-- What the Pharisees couldn’t do because they were committed to themselves
-- I dare say that today we’ve millions of Pharisees running around still
-- They may not have the title, but they certainly act like it …
- We must be willing to shed everything for Him, and then follow in obedience
-- This whole chapter shows us one thing: It’s the beginning of judgment
-- Those who will turn their back on Him and not repent will be doomed
- Pray
- Lord’s Supper
