TRIUMPHAL ENTRY
11 And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples,
2 And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.
3 And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.
4 And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.
5 And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?
6 And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.
7 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.
8 And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:
10 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve
2 And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.
3 And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.
4 And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.
5 And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?
6 And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.
7 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.
8 And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:
10 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
11 And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve
Image on left side
The traditional Garden of Gethsemane is located just to the north
(left) of the Basilica of Agony on the Mount of Olives
This photo of the Garden of Gethsemane was taken from the Temple Mount. You are looking directly toward the east. Running north/south between the Temple Mount and Gethsemane is the Kidron Valley.
Many of the olive trees in the "Garden" and on the slopes of the Mt. of Olives date back a couple of thousand years. Holy Land guides like to say that some of these trees would have been standing at the time of Christ. That is probably an exaggeration. Josephus wrote that the Romans stripped the area of trees for firewood and siege equipment when they decimated Jerusalem in 70 AD.
In 2012, Carbon-14 dating tests were conducted on the bark of some of the trees. It dated the trees to about 1090 AD (time of the Crusades).
This image comes from Holy lands site.
Image in Middle
View from Mt of Olives
Image on Right
Comparison of changes to temple mount
Image bottom Left
1844 map of Bethany, Bethphage and Temple
vs 1 Bethany is the home of Mary, Martha and Lazareth. As you can see in the pictures, these two towns lie on the path to the temple.
vs 2 An unbroken, unridden colt would be suitable for a Holy purpose. Solomon rides a donkey when becoming King of Israel. Riding a colt or donkey is seen as a leader coming in peace, as opposed to riding a warhorse, and coming to conquer.
Zechariah 9:9
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
vs 3-7 This appears to have been prearranged by Jesus. All of Bethany and nearby Bethphage would know Jesus, for he had raised Lazarus. The neighbors may not have recognized the two disciples that Jesus sent.
vs 8-10 The picture on the upper left shows a view from the temple. The picture on the upper right shows the Antonio fortress, in which the Roman soldiers would reside during the festivals.
As Jesus descends the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane, with the Jewish people waving palm branches (a symbol of victory), singing Hosanna (please save us), and declaring the coming Kingdom of our father David (the greatest warrior and King of Israel), in the name of our Lord. All of these events are taking place in plain view of the temple and the Antonio fortress.
vs 11 Each evening He leaves the city. Then each morning He will return to enrage the religious leaders even more.
vs 2 An unbroken, unridden colt would be suitable for a Holy purpose. Solomon rides a donkey when becoming King of Israel. Riding a colt or donkey is seen as a leader coming in peace, as opposed to riding a warhorse, and coming to conquer.
Zechariah 9:9
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
vs 3-7 This appears to have been prearranged by Jesus. All of Bethany and nearby Bethphage would know Jesus, for he had raised Lazarus. The neighbors may not have recognized the two disciples that Jesus sent.
vs 8-10 The picture on the upper left shows a view from the temple. The picture on the upper right shows the Antonio fortress, in which the Roman soldiers would reside during the festivals.
As Jesus descends the Mount of Olives to the Garden of Gethsemane, with the Jewish people waving palm branches (a symbol of victory), singing Hosanna (please save us), and declaring the coming Kingdom of our father David (the greatest warrior and King of Israel), in the name of our Lord. All of these events are taking place in plain view of the temple and the Antonio fortress.
vs 11 Each evening He leaves the city. Then each morning He will return to enrage the religious leaders even more.
The Curse of the Fig Tree
12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
14 And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.
vs 12-14 Jesus had come Heaven to Earth as a man, to see if there was something at the temple God. What He found was an edifice to honor man. Hollowed of all truth, love, and compassion. They had made God in their image. The temple was just as the fig tree, it was in full leaf, beautiful to behold, yet produced no fruit. In the Old Testament, the withered plant was a symbol of Gods judgment.
Cleansing the Temple
15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
17 And he taught, saying unto them, 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.
18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.
19 And when even was come, he went out of the city.
16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
17 And he taught, saying unto them, 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.
18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.
19 And when even was come, he went out of the city.
vs 15 Jesus had visited the temple the previous evening and seen what was taking place. On this morning he will assert His authority and restore it to its intended purpose.
The court of the Gentiles had become a place in which to sell goods and exchange coinage at exorbitant rates. All of this should have taken place outside of the temple complex. The leaders have taken the area reserved for the gentiles to worship and used it for the purpose of extorting the Jewish worshipers. The dove was the sacrifice of those that had little money.
vs 16 People were using the court as a shortcut to the city from the Mount of Olives.
vs 17 When Jesus recalls this phrase it should have raised a red flag in the hearts of the leaders.
Jeremiah 7:8-14 8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. 9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; 10 and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? 11 Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord. 12 But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. 13 And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the Lord, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; 14 therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. 16 Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.
vs 18 The leaders, in order to preserve their way of life must destroy Jesus. They realize that what He is teaching, is not what they want to hear. They will have to find a way in which to convince the people that Jesus is worthy of death.
Faith
20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 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.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23 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.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
vs 20-21 Dried up from the roots. No matter how beautiful the fig tree was in full leaf, it was without fruit. Here we see Jesus' action when He comes and finds that the fig tree is not producing anything, no matter how pretty. Israel has a beautiful temple, the priests have elaborate garments, however the entire structure is rotten from the roots.
vs 22 Faith in God is the foundation upon which everything is built. With faith, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit will lead us, thus all the commandments will be obeyed. When Jesus sums up the greatest commandments, he is simplifying the first 4 of 10 in the first, and the remaining 6 in the second. I will note that in his summation he seems to expand the remaining 6 to include everyone. (Samaritans and Gentiles).
vs23-24 If you believe you will pray. The only boundaries are that the prayers be in Gods will. Do not think that there is anything that God cannot do. We often limit God by not even asking, because we don't think he can or will do something. Remember our prayer will align with Gods will.
vs25-26 Forgive others as you would have God forgive you. Not a condition of salvation, but to restore your fellowship with God and the forgiven person or people. Satan has many tools at his disposal. Unforgiveness is one, it can manifest in hatred, anger, murder, all of which can separate and divert our focus on our Father in Heaven. Forgiveness can free us, just as much as the Truth can set us free.
vs 22 Faith in God is the foundation upon which everything is built. With faith, God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit will lead us, thus all the commandments will be obeyed. When Jesus sums up the greatest commandments, he is simplifying the first 4 of 10 in the first, and the remaining 6 in the second. I will note that in his summation he seems to expand the remaining 6 to include everyone. (Samaritans and Gentiles).
vs23-24 If you believe you will pray. The only boundaries are that the prayers be in Gods will. Do not think that there is anything that God cannot do. We often limit God by not even asking, because we don't think he can or will do something. Remember our prayer will align with Gods will.
vs25-26 Forgive others as you would have God forgive you. Not a condition of salvation, but to restore your fellowship with God and the forgiven person or people. Satan has many tools at his disposal. Unforgiveness is one, it can manifest in hatred, anger, murder, all of which can separate and divert our focus on our Father in Heaven. Forgiveness can free us, just as much as the Truth can set us free.
Authority
27 And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,
28 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?
29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.
31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
32 But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.
33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
28 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?
29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.
31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
32 But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.
33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
vs 27 God incarnate walks and teaches in a temple built to honor and worship His Father. All of the leaders of the temple are there to discredit Him.
vs 28 This question is disingenuous. They are the teachers of the Law of Moses. One of the things I have learned in life is that the questions we ask can have a profound effect on our lives. Notice that they don't acknowledge all that He has done to fulfill the scripture since the beginning of His ministry. The question may have been, "Since you are the Messiah, and have fulfilled many of the scriptures, why are you not fulfilling these scriptures that we believe you will?" Just as in Jeremiahs time, the temple had become the center of worship. Not of God but of the temple itself and all it could provide them that control it.
vs 29-33 Jesus knows that any answer will be attacked. His question to them demands that they make a decision. Is He the Christ or a false Messiah? I believe that the requirements Jesus has put on following Him, are seen as too steep a price. Just as the rich young ruler left discouraged, these leaders were unwilling to leave the life that they had worked to build. Worse still is what they are willing to do to preserve their lives.
Mark 8:34-37
34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
vs 28 This question is disingenuous. They are the teachers of the Law of Moses. One of the things I have learned in life is that the questions we ask can have a profound effect on our lives. Notice that they don't acknowledge all that He has done to fulfill the scripture since the beginning of His ministry. The question may have been, "Since you are the Messiah, and have fulfilled many of the scriptures, why are you not fulfilling these scriptures that we believe you will?" Just as in Jeremiahs time, the temple had become the center of worship. Not of God but of the temple itself and all it could provide them that control it.
vs 29-33 Jesus knows that any answer will be attacked. His question to them demands that they make a decision. Is He the Christ or a false Messiah? I believe that the requirements Jesus has put on following Him, are seen as too steep a price. Just as the rich young ruler left discouraged, these leaders were unwilling to leave the life that they had worked to build. Worse still is what they are willing to do to preserve their lives.
Mark 8:34-37
34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?