1. Mark 11:1-11 - Journey to the temple
1.1. THEME: The setting up of the kingdom - but while the people thought it would be militarily, Jesus has come to claim a people to himself.
1.1.1. Key verse — 11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
1.1.1.1. Why the temple?
1.1.1.2. Note the temple theme
1.1.1.2.1. outline ch 11
1.1.1.2.2. Show ch 12 arguements
1.1.1.2.3. Show end of ch 12 - no one questioned
1.1.1.2.4. Show Jesus questionigng
1.1.1.2.5. Show destruction of temple and related to himself
1.1.1.3. Jesus is the temple
1.1.1.3.1. Heb
1.1.1.3.2. Rev - For our God will be with us
1.1.2. Understand kingdom as people
1.1.2.1. This is God's everlasting covenant desires
1.1.2.2. Romans 8 - creation is renewed through covenant, restoration of God and man
1.1.2.2.1. Heb - man is a little lower than angeles
1.1.2.2.2. Man is given dominion
1.1.2.2.3. man can rule the earth without God but it's a failure because ****** Man was only meant to rule under the rulership of God (true in so many aspects of life)
1.1.2.3. Jesus setting up his rule over people, starting first with those that are most near and should know
1.2. background
1.2.1. Close to 2 million people, 300K animals slaughtered - JMAC
1.2.2. Likely Jesus had been there for months
1.3. Exposition
1.3.1. In keeping with his servant and secrecy motif, Mark prefers subtle messianic imagery to open proclamation. Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6149-6150). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
1.3.2. v1-6 Preparations for Messiah
1.3.2.1. v1 - Mt of Olives
1.3.2.1.1. Bethphage = house of unripe figs
1.3.2.1.2. Mt of olives
1.3.2.2. Colt
1.3.2.2.1. colt = young horse or donkey.
1.3.2.2.2. Zech 9:9
1.3.2.2.3. Gen 49;11
1.3.2.2.4. An unbroken beast of burden was regarded as sacred (so Num 19: 2; Deut 21: 3), which made it appropriate for a king, since according to the Mishnah (m. Sanh. 2: 5) no one else may ride a king's horse. Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6141-6143). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
1.3.2.3. Spreading of cloaks
1.3.2.3.1. The spreading of cloaks and branches before Jesus is, of course, suggestive of the ceremonious welcome of a king, as in the inauguration of Jehu: "They hurried and took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, 'Jehu is king!'" (2 Kgs 9: 13). Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6150-6152). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
1.3.2.4. hosanna
1.3.3. Entrance
1.3.3.1. v9 - hosanna
1.3.3.1.1. The shout of "Hosanna" is a transliterated Hebrew word meaning, literally, "Save, I pray." Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6152-6153). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
1.3.3.2. Blessed is he who comes...
1.3.3.2.1. who comes in the name of the LORD'" (Ps 118: 25-26) referred not to the Messiah but to pilgrims entering the temple sanctuary, meaning that the pilgrim is blessed in God's name. Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6153-6154). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
1.3.3.3. v10 kingdom.. father david
1.3.3.3.1. The acclamation in v. 10, " 'Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!'" is not part of Psalm 118 or of any psalm. The reference to the coming kingdom is certainly eschatological, but the reference to "our father David," which is not elsewhere found in Judaism, 8 is not necessarily messianic, as "son of David" would be. At any rate, Jesus preached about the kingdom of God, not "the coming kingdom of our father David," and the ascription of the latter to him reveals a confusion on the part of the crowd about his true mission. Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6156-6160). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
1.3.4. Where did he go?
1.3.4.1. *** Jerusalem was teh destination, but the temple was the object!
1.3.4.2. Not the anti-climax - where dit he crowd go?
1.3.4.2.1. Note in Matt
1.3.4.2.2. Not here. why? Cause Mark is showing Jesus and response to Jesus
1.3.5. Same passage
1.3.5.1. Luke 19:41–44 (ESV) — 41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
1.3.6. SUMMARY: This is the first of Mark's clues that the temple is not the habitation of God's Son. Jesus is indeed the Messiah, but he is veiled and unrecognized. Even when he stands at the center of Israel's faith, he stands alone. Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6177-6179). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
2. Mark 11:12-19 - Judgement
2.1. Mark 11:11 - Jesus visits the temple
2.2. Mark 11:12-14 Jesus curses a fig tree
2.2.1. Strange
2.2.1.1. Bertrand Russell accused Jesus of "vindictive fury" for blaming the tree for not producing figs out of season. The whole episode tarnished the character of Jesus in Russell's opinion, who wrote, "I cannot myself feel that either in the matter of wisdom or in the matter of virtue Christ stands quite as high as some other people known to history." Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6187-6189). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition. Bertrand Russell, Why I Am Not a Christian, and Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects
2.2.1.2. For T. W. Manson the story is out of character for Jesus. "It is a tale of miraculous power wasted in the service of ill-temper (for the supernatural energy employed to blast the unfortunate tree might have been more usefully expended in forcing a crop of figs out of season); as it stands it is simply incredible." Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6190-6192). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition. "The Cleansing of the Temple," BJRL 33 (1951): 279. Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 11063-11064). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
2.2.1.3. Klausner calls it “a gross injustice on a tree which was guilty of no wrong and had but performed its natural function.” Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 433). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.2.2. “because it was not the season for figs,”
2.2.2.1. Even more outlandish, but is to help us understand that Jesus is using this as an example. A picture
2.2.2.2. The barren fig tree represents the barrenness of temple Judaism that is unprepared to accept Jesus’ messianic reign.
2.2.2.3. The point is not that "oh this thing cannot bear fruit" - of course it can't. It's not the season.
2.2.2.4. The point is this tree is worthless in the current season. It's in capable. it's useless. And the picture is this sacrificial temple system - it does nothing for God's people, it's not good in this season, - what season? Season of the messiah
2.2.2.4.1. *** The locus of salvation now shifts from the temple to Jesus and his death and resurrection. Faith in him will become the way to God, not the sacrifice of animals in the temple. Thus when Jesus dies, the curtain of the temple is torn from top to bottom.
2.2.2.4.2. Thi sis the new covenant in Jesus - this is the heart of the kingdom of God!!!
2.2.2.5. Middle Eastern fig trees bore two kinds of fruit. As the leaves were starting to come in the spring, before the figs came, the branches bore little nodules, which were abundant and very good to eat. Travelers liked to pick them off and eat them as they made their journey. If you found a fig tree that had begun to sprout leaves but had none of these delicious nodules, you would know that something was wrong. It might look okay from a distance because the leaves had emerged, but if it had no nodules it was diseased or maybe even dying inside. Growth without fruit was a sign of decay. Keller, Timothy (2013-03-05). Jesus the King: Understanding the Life and Death of the Son of God (p. 158). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
2.3. All the material in chaps. 11– 13 is either set in the temple or directly related to it. Like the prophets before him (e.g., 2 Kgs 22: 15-20; 23: 26-27; Isa 51: 17-23), Jesus pronounces God's judgment on Zion. Jesus is not a reformer of the temple, for neither his teachings nor his ministry institutes a program of change and improvement. He is rather its fulfillment and replacement, for his death on the cross — and not the powerful temple cult — is the perfect atonement for sin. At Golgotha the temple curtain is torn asunder (15: 38) and Jesus is confessed as the Son of God, the object of saving faith (15: 39). Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6096-6099). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
2.4. Mark 11:15-19 - Jesus cleanse teh temple
2.4.1. The temple
2.4.1.1. structure
2.4.1.1.1. The first and largest division was the Court of the Gentiles, an open-air quadrangle measuring some 500 yards long by 325 yards wide (= thirty-five acres), and enclosed by a portico supported by rows of columns. According to Josephus (Ant. 15.391-425), the columns were thirty feet high and so massive that it took three persons with hands joined together to surround one of them at the base. Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6222-6225). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
2.4.1.1.2. court of women
2.4.1.1.3. court of Israel
2.4.1.1.4. Holy of holies
2.4.1.1.5. NOTE: only the gentile in mark will confess Christ!
2.4.1.2. massive
2.4.1.2.1. The enormity of the temple industry may be further appreciated by a comment from Josephus (War 6.422-27) that in A.D. 66, the year the temple was completed, 255,600 lambs were sacrificed for Passover! Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6233-6235). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
2.4.2. vs 15 - entered the temple
2.4.2.1. Mark mentions that Jesus “entered the temple area.” Why is that significant? When you stepped inside the temple door, the first area you got to was the court of the Gentiles— the ethne or “nations.” This was the only part where non-Jews were allowed. Keller, Timothy (2013-03-05). Jesus the King: Understanding the Life and Death of the Son of God (p. 154). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
2.4.3. v16 - to carry anything (merchandise)
2.4.4. house of prayer
2.4.4.1. The reference to the "house of prayer for all nations" comes from Isa 56: 7. Isaiah 56 speaks of the extension of God's salvation to people who formerly were excluded from it: foreigners, eunuchs, exiles, and Gentiles. The passage that Jesus quotes in the temple, in other words, includes the very people that the Messiah, according to Psalms of Solomon 17, would exclude! In itself, this reveals that Jesus is a very different kind of Messiah than the one epitomized in Jewish expectation. The temple and covenant are not reserved exclusively for Israel but include "all nations" — eunuchs, foreigners, and Gentiles (13: 10). The temple is not the sole property of Israel but a witness to the nations, the place where anyone who "loves the name of the LORD [may] worship him" (Isa 56: 6), a place where God "will gather still others" (Isa 56: 8). Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6260-6265). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
2.4.4.2. A place to meet God!
2.4.4.3. Place for the Gentiles
2.4.4.3.1. Isaiah 56:6–8 (ESV) — 6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” 8 The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, “I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.”
2.4.4.3.2. The passage cited from Isaiah 56: 7, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations,” means that God did not plan for the temple to become a national shrine for Israel. Isaiah 56: 1– 8 contains God’ promise of blessing for all who might think they are excluded from God’s salvation: the foreigner who has joined himself to the people (56: 3), the eunuch (56: 4, who was not allowed to enter the temple, according to the regulations of Deut. 23: 1), and the outcasts of Israel (Isa. 56: 8). Most assumed that Isaiah 56 spoke of some distant future, but Jesus expects it to be fulfilled now! Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 437). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.4.4.3.3. For one thing, it was popularly believed that when the Messiah showed up he would purge the temple of foreigners. Instead, here is Jesus clearing the temple for the Gentiles— acting as their advocate. Keller, Timothy (2013-03-05). Jesus the King: Understanding the Life and Death of the Son of God (p. 155). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
2.4.4.4. Jeremiah 7:11–12 (ESV) — 11 Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD. 12 Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel.
2.4.4.5. *** JUDGEMENT - failing to do what they were supposed to
2.4.4.6. In Jesus’ day the temple had become a nationalistic symbol that served only to divide Israel from the nations. If it were to become what God intended, “a house of prayer for all nations,” walls would have to crumble. Indeed, walls will soon collapse and barriers will be breached. When Jesus dies, the temple veil is split from top to bottom, and a Gentile confesses that he is the Son of God (15: 38– 39). Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 438). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.4.5. Den of robbers
2.4.5.1. In context, is about false security, not the tradigning
2.4.5.2. The reference to the “den of robbers” has nothing to do with the trade in the temple. Instead, it denounces the false security that the sacrificial cult breeds. Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 439). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.4.5.3. In other words, the robbers are not swindlers but bandits, and they do not do their robbing in their den. The den is the place where robbers retreat after having committed their crimes. It is their hideout, a place of security and refuge. 18 Calling the temple a robbers’ den is therefore not a cry of outrage against any dishonest business practices in the temple. Jesus indirectly attacks them for allowing the temple to degenerate into a safe hiding place where people think that they find forgiveness and fellowship with God no matter how they act on the outside. Jesus’ prophetic action and words attack a false trust in the efficacy of the temple sacrificial system. The leaders of the people think that they can rob widows’ houses (Mark 12: 40) and then perform the prescribed sacrifices according to the prescribed patterns at the prescribed times in the prescribed purity in the prescribed sacred space and then be safe and secure from all alarms. They are wrong. The sacrifice of animals will not enable them to evade the doom that God purposes for those guilty of lying, stealing, violence, and adultery (see 7: 21– 23). Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 439). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.4.5.4. The sanctuary, supposedly sanctified by God, has become a sanctuary for bandits who think that they are protected from God’s judgment. Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 439). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.4.5.5. Jeremiah 7:11 (ESV) — 11 Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD.
2.4.5.5.1. What is this "i myself have seen it"? It is Jesus in verse 11
2.4.6. NOte the irony
2.4.6.1. expected Jesus comes to cleanse jewish life, but he comes to kick it out.
2.4.6.1.1. We know for a fact that animals and especially pigeons had been sold on the Mount of Olives for sacrifices for a long time, but apparently only in A.D. 30 did the temple hierarchy authorize such sales in the temple precinct itself, perhaps so they could get a cut of the profits and have control over the procedures. There is reason to think it was Caiaphas who instituted this practice in the Court of the Gentiles.43 Jesus' action would then have perhaps been an expression of divine indignation dignation at this callous act which prevented true worship from going on in the Court of the Gentiles.44 Remember, it would have been a major undertaking to actually clear the vast temple court. There is even a record that a single merchant once offered three thousand sheep for sale in the temple court.45 Thus we must be dealing with some kind of symbolic action in the temple. Ben Witherington III. The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Kindle Locations 4747-4753). Kindle Edition.
2.4.6.1.2. If so, then Jesus, like the Baptist, comes as the forerunner attempting to cleanse the heart of Judaism before the great and terrible Day of the Lord dawns. Ben Witherington III. The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Kindle Locations 4759-4760). Kindle Edition.
2.4.7. v17-19
2.4.7.1. The Messiah was popularly expected to purge Jerusalem and the temple of Gentiles, aliens, and foreigners (see Pss. Sol. 17: 22-30). Jesus' action, however, is exactly the reverse. He does not clear the temple of Gentiles, but for them. One of the effects of interrupting the sacrificial system is to enhance the position of Gentiles in the temple, for the Court of the Gentiles was the only place available to non-Jews for worship. Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6255-6258). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
2.4.7.2. As Hooker admits, “as an act of reforming zeal it would have to be judged a failure: the money changers no doubt soon recovered their coins, and the place was restored to order.” Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (pp. 434-435). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.4.8. Jesus is not about cleansing the temple here
2.4.8.1. A key question to ask is why Jesus would attempt to reform or purify something that he predicts, without any great anguish, will soon be destroyed (13: 2)? The best answer is that he does not intend to reform the temple. Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 436). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.4.8.2. Jesus appears in the temple as a charismatic prophet and graphically acts out God’s rejection of the temple cult and its coming destruction. Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 436). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.4.8.3. Sanders argues that Jesus’ actions are designed “to make a point rather than to have a concrete result.” Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 436). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.4.9. v18 -
2.4.9.1. They feared him - related to the fact that all the crowds were astonished at his teaching
2.4.9.1.1. He is judgeing the temple, and those taht lead the temple
2.4.9.1.2. They feared him for what he might do - expose them --- and we see this in the next chapter
2.4.9.2. crowd amazed as in 1:22, here in the temple, there in the synagogue. In all aspects of life with God, jesus is amazing
2.4.9.3. amazed
2.4.9.3.1. While some assume that the crowd responds enthusiastically to Jesus’ protest for them, the text only says that they are “amazed at his teaching.” The verb “amaze” appears elsewhere in Mark (1: 22; 6: 2; 7: 37; 10: 26) and refers to those who were “stupefied” by Jesus. Mark does not describe the crowd as applauding what Jesus has done so much as being baffled by it. Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 435). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.4.10. **** They missed it. Kingdom to kick out. No, Kingdom to fullfill. To bring the gentiles in.
2.4.11. v19
2.4.11.1. like vs 11, jesus separates himeslf from teh Holy City and the temple
2.4.11.1.1. Jesus is the city of God
2.4.11.1.2. Jesus is the temple of God
2.4.12. What Jesus does in the temple goes beyond a purging or corrective act, however. It attacks the very commerce upon which the temple cult depended, laying an ax at the root of the temple as an institution. 31 Together with the subsequent events of Holy Week, Mark portrays the clearing of the temple not as its restoration but as its dissolution. Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6307-6309). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
2.5. Mark 11:20-25 - Lessons from the cursed Fig tree
2.5.1. v20
2.5.1.1. Witehred away to it's roots - much like the parable of the sower
2.5.1.1.1. Down to the leaders!
2.5.1.2. For a fig tree in full leaf to shrivel so completely within a day is a miracle, and it conveys that the temple’s condemnation is not a temporary measure. It is everlasting. Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 440). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.5.2. Mark 11:14 (ESV) — 14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
2.5.3. The tree gives the impression that it might have something to eat, just as the temple gives the impression that it is a place dedicated to the service of God. The temple profits only the priestly hierarchy; it profits nothing for God. Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 440). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.5.4. Some thought messiah would renew the temple
2.5.4.1. There is, in addition, evidence from early Jewish literature that some looked for a messianic figure to renew the temple. One may point to Josephus's mention of messianic figures who sought to do something about the temple as a means of legitimating a messianic anic claim (Ant. 18.85ff. Ben Witherington III. The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Kindle Locations 4735-4737). Kindle Edition.
2.5.5. Jesus is judging the temple
2.5.5.1. The point is that Jesus has come and is ready to gather in God's people, but they are bearing no fruit at all. Here we see judgment on Israel in general. In the succeeding story we see judgment ment on the temple priests and hierarchy who turn a place of worship into a bazaar. Then we have the parable of the vineyard, which is an oracle on all tenders ders of Israel's vineyard - the Pharisees, Sadducees, temple hierarchy, followed by condemnation of the scribes in particular. In short, we have a lot of bad news here as Jesus approaches the end of his life.36 It Ben Witherington III. The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Kindle Locations 4719-4722). Kindle Edition.
2.5.5.2. Said - Torah, territory, temple - foci of Jewish life - 3 T's
2.5.5.3. It is clear that there were indeed mixed attitudes about the temple of Herod in early Judaism. For some it was precisely Herod's association with the temple and its building that made this temple problematic, for Herod was an Idumean by family heritage, which is to say his family descended from the Edomites. This coupled with his immorality, violent actions, Hellenizing, and self-aggrandizing activities (especially cially the building projects) made him an objectionable figure to many early Jews. Ben Witherington III. The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Kindle Locations 4726-4728). Kindle Edition.
2.5.6. The fig tree that has not borne fruit is cursed, not reformed or cleansed. Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 439). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.5.6.1. That is, Jesus has come to destroy the temple
2.5.7. He is the temple
2.5.7.1. not made with human hands
2.5.7.2. Not the blood of animals
2.5.7.3. No high priest
2.5.7.4. Jesus is all of this.
2.5.7.5. Mark 15:38 - curtain is broken ... access given.. in jesus
2.5.8. Fig tree is the temple - not israel per se
2.5.9. With the temple gone, now what? If Jesus will destroy it and jduge it, then what? Note that the three things mentioned are key in the temple but now is based on God himself, as a person, as a being, as
2.5.9.1. Myers - "The modern reader must remember that in the social world of the first century Middle East, a temple was closely identified with a deity's existence. This was supremely true for the Jew; one could not simply repudiate the temple without provoking the most fundamental mental crisis regarding Yahweh's presence in the world. Jesus directly challenges this identification, arguing that to abandon faith in the temple is not to abandon don faith in God."58 The logic of Ben Witherington III. The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Kindle Locations 4785-4788). Kindle Edition.
2.5.10. #1 Have faith in God (vs 22-23)
2.5.10.1. Why does he talk about faith here and moving mtns?
2.5.10.2. MAIN PINT - don't have faith in a temple
2.5.10.3. "truly I say to you" - listen up! You want to hear this. Really important
2.5.10.4. How? Jesus! Jesus is the pint of faith, not the temple
2.5.10.5. "whoever says to this mountain"
2.5.10.5.1. NOTE: it's not "a mtn" but "this" - specific.
2.5.10.5.2. hyperbole - yes .... but
2.5.10.6. ocen
2.5.10.6.1. would be cast into the sea, where the demons that infested the pigs drowned (5: 13) and those who caused little ones to stumble would be thrown (9: 42). Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 441). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.5.10.7. pt: In spite of the temple’s immense power and holiness, it would be destroyed. In spite of the widespread belief that God’s earthly address was the Holy of Holies, the temple, Jerusalem, the Holy Land, the temple would no longer be the focal point of God’s presence among the people. God can no more be confined to one spot than Jesus could be contained in a tomb. God’s people can function without a holy space or cultic functionaries. The holy place is wherever disciples preach Jesus’ gospel and wherever his people, Jews and Gentiles, gather. Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 441). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.5.11. #2 - Prayer (v24)
2.5.11.1. The point is, communion with God.
2.5.11.2. There is thus an inevitable connection between faith and prayer, with which Mark ends this section (vv. 24-25). V. 24 resembles several statements in the Gospel of John (14: 13-14; 15: 7, 16; 16: 23) and attests that true prayer is making requests of God in faith. Faith believes enough to ask, and asking is rooted in the conviction that God intends that his "will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt 6: 10). Faith is more certain of God's steadfastness than of human inabilities and vicissitudes. Therefore, '" whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.'" 36 This expression reflects Semitic thought in which the certainty of a future act, based on the trustworthiness of God, can be referred to in the past tense. Both faith and prayer stand in continuity with God's character and in conformity with his will. Edwards Jr., James R. (2009-10-05). The Gospel according to Mark (Pillar New Testament Commentary) (Kindle Locations 6329-6335). Eerdmans Publishing Co - A. Kindle Edition.
2.5.11.3. Other rabbis said: From the day on which the Temple was destroyed, the gates of prayer have closed, as it says, “Yea, when I cry for help, He shutteth out my prayer” (Lam. 3: 8).… Since the day that the Temple was destroyed, a wall of iron divides between Israel and their Father in Heaven. 27 By contrast, Jesus assures his disciples that the effectiveness of prayer has nothing to with the temple or its sacrifices. 28 When he dies on the cross, access to God is not closed off but opened up for all. His death creates a new house of prayer, a temple not made with hands, which will be without barriers or limitations (see John 2: 18– 22; 1 Cor. 3: 16– 17; 12: 27; 2 Cor. 6: 16; Eph. 2: 20– 22; 1 Peter 2: 4– 5). Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 442). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.5.12. #3 - Forgive
2.5.12.1. BIG PICTURE - connection may extend to the saying about forgiveness, for if the temple is to be destroyed and the sacrifices to be stopped, then forgiveness must be offered and received on some other basis, a basis which Jesus now enunciates. Ben Witherington III. The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Kindle Locations 4788-4789). Kindle Edition.
2.5.12.2. standing in prayer
2.5.12.2.1. Luke 18:11 - story of the two praying
2.5.12.2.2. Note the need to pray like a child, to forgive, to see life not as a victory over military and circumstance, but over hearts in the circumstnaces.
2.5.13. The temple with its priesthood, sacrifices, and taxes is no longer the place of God’s presence, where one meets God and where sins are forgiven. By the time Mark writes, the temple is either besieged or already destroyed. He wants to convey to his readers that broken altars do not prejudice atonement with God. Garland, David E. (2011-03-01). Mark (The NIV Application Commentary Book 2) (p. 442). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
2.5.14. Jesus btw is all this
2.5.14.1. In Jesus we have faith in God!
2.5.14.2. In jesus we pray to God
2.5.14.3. in jesus we are forgiven and can forgive
2.6. Jesus intimates that he himself replaces places the temple as the center of the true worship of God, which is to say the place where God truly manifests his presence.28 This Ben Witherington III. The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Kindle Locations 4690-4691). Kindle Edition.
2.6.1. The very heart of Israel is being called into question, and the very presence ence of God in their midst is at stake. To reject Jesus is to reject the very presence of GodBen Witherington III. The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Kindle Locations 4693-4694). Kindle Edition.
3. MARK OVERVIEW
3.1. ch 1-8 - Ministry of Jesus
3.2. ch 9-10 Journey to jerusalem
3.3. ch 11-16 Last week of his life , passion week
3.3.1. 1/3 of mark dedicated to last 7 days
3.3.2. 1/2 of John dediated to last 7 days
3.3.3. Important
4. Overivew on this section
5. INTRO
5.1. We ended last week - what do you want me to do for you? Thsi sis the place of a child. But how would you answer that?
5.1.1. The truth is we all come to jesus out of need
5.1.2. most often emotional need
5.1.3. Circumstantial need
5.1.4. few intellectual need to resolve our world view
5.1.5. But need - like Bartimaeus
5.1.6. Why suffering is spoken of in "necessity" and tied to faith.
5.1.7. So what would you say? how woudl you answer? What do you say this morning?