Mark 11
In Matthew, Jesus begins the gospel as King. In Mark, Jesus begins as the perfect, holy Servant Son of God, and takes His place as King as He rides into Jerusalem in splendor.
Nearing Jerusalem and Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, Jesus sent forth two of His disciples to bring a colt from a village. He told them that when they entered the village they would find an ass's colt tied, unbroken. They were to loose him and bring him to Jesus. If any man objected, they were to say, 'The Lord hath need of him."
The colt is a picture of the natural man who, unbroken and willful, needs to be tied. By bringing the colt to Jesus, it becomes submissive. So is man who has been delivered from Satan's power. The ass is the only thing that Jesus had need of in all of His creation. His "delights were with the sons of men" who have gone astray, like a wild ass snuffing up the wind and going his own way. Jesus comes and redeems man and prepares him here on earth for companionship in heaven, His own home.
Coming to the village, they found the colt which was tied to the door, where two ways came together, and they loosed him. To those who objected they said, "The Lord hath need of him."
The two paths remind us that when one is given an opportunity to be saved there is a decision to be made. When found, the ass is tied to the door. Christ is the door. Man must make a decision deep in the heart, for or against Christ. Such decisions are made alone with God.
Bringing the colt to Jesus, they put their garments on the colt and Jesus sat on him. Some spread their garments in the way, others cut down branches from trees and laid them in the path before Jesus (Zech. 9:9). Both they who went before and those behind cried, "Hosanna; Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest."
When Jesus came into the temple, He looked around on all things. When evening came, He went to Bethany with the twelve.
The next morning, coming from Bethany and being hungry, He saw a fig tree with leaves. Hoping to find fruit, He found nothing but leaves (no fruit of repentance, but only profession) because it was not the season for figs. Jesus put a curse on the fig tree (Israel after the flesh) that no man should eat fruit from it forever. The disciples heard Him.
Coming to the temple in Jerusalem, Jesus cast out those who sold and bought in it. He overthrew the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He would not allow any man to carry vessels through the temple. He said, "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." (See Isa. 56:7.) For this the leaders of Israel sought to destroy Him.
In the evening the Lord went out of the city and in the morning the disciples saw the fig tree, dried up from the roots. Peter called the Lord's attention to it, saying that it was withered away. Jesus answered, saying to the disciples, "Have faith in God. 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."
Israel after the flesh was the mountain and Titus, the Roman general, destroyed Jerusalem and all that was attached to it and scattered the people among the Gentiles (the sea of nations).
Governmental Forgiveness
Before the cross and the day of Pentecost, there was no preaching of forgiveness as a permanent thing, as a result of the work of Christ. Forgiveness was something that had to be repeated from time to time. If a man sinned he was cursed until he repented; if he repented, all was well (Ezek. 33:14-19).
"And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." This is not conversion, but daily living for the believer. He must have the spirit of forgiveness, like the Lord Jesus.
The elders of Israel asked by what authority He did these things. Jesus said, "I will also ask of you one question, and answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer Me." To answer would put them in trouble with the people, so they did not answer.