MARK LESSON 23
We will begin this lesson in Mark 11:18.
Mark 11:18 "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."
The worst fear these scribes and priests had was that the people
would follow Jesus and not listen to them any more. This "destroy",
probably, even went further than killing Jesus. They wanted to stop
this message He was bringing, too. They knew if they couldn't stop
the message, His disciples would continue on with the message. This
doctrine of Jesus brought them hope. The message the scribes and
priests were promoting brought only death. The chief priests were
afraid the people would all leave and follow Jesus.
Mark 11:19 "And when even was come, he went out of the city."
Mark 11:20 "And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig
tree dried up from the roots. "
Jesus left the city at evening and stayed in the country round
about. In the daytime, Jesus was in Jerusalem and, probably, spent the
night in Bethany with friends. When they walked back by the fig tree
that Jesus had cursed, they saw that it was dead from the roots. We
remember in the last lesson, that the symbol of the fig tree is the
physical house of Israel.
Mark 11:21 "And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him,
Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away."
This was just another instance where Peter was shown beyond a
shadow of doubt that Jesus was truly Son of God.
Mark 11:22 "And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in
God."
Jesus was telling Peter and all the others to not doubt the next
few days as all the events of the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus took
place, but to look beyond the circumstances they saw with their eyes
and to have faith in God.
Mark 11:23 "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."
The secret is not to doubt. What we must continually remember is
that things that seem impossible to man are not impossible to God.
God made the world and everything in it, and everything is subject to
God's wishes. The created has to obey the Creator. You might say,
"What does that have to do with it obeying me?". In John 14:12
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works
that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than these shall he
do; because I go unto my Father." John 14:13 "And whatsoever ye shall
ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in
the Son." John 14:14 "If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do
[it]."
You see, the secret is to ask in Jesus' name. We have power
through faith and in the name of Jesus to do all things. When Jesus
healed, He said your faith has made you whole.
Mark 11:24 "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye
desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall
have [them]."
Just as we have said above, the secret is to ask in the name of
Jesus, and then not doubt, but have faith.
Mark 11:25 "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." Mark 11:26 "But if ye do not forgive, neither will
your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."
This is a very important condition. Forgiveness of others will
cause God to forgive us, but unforgiveness brings bitterness and an
evil heart.
Mark 11:27 "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," Mark 11:28 "And say unto him, By what
authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to
do these things?"
Jesus was not avoiding the scribes, elders, and priests now. In
the verse above, they were questioning Jesus' authority. When they asked
Him who gave Him authority to drive the money changers out, they were
saying, "We are the only ones who could give you this authority, and we
didn't give you any authority". If it were in our day they would,
probably, have said, "Who do you think you are anyway?" My opinion of
why they were so opposed to Jesus was because down deep they knew what
He had was so much more powerful than what they had ever encountered
before. They really were afraid and jealous of Jesus.
Mark 11:29 "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." Mark 11:30 "The baptism of John, was
[it] from heaven, or of men? answer me."
John the Baptist was thought very highly of. Jesus was saying
here, "John testified of me, do you believe him?". John baptized
Jesus and a voice from heaven had come and said, "This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased", Matthew 3:17. John the Baptist had
proclaimed Jesus from one end of the country to the other, and all had
great respect for John and what He taught (even Herod who had him
beheaded). Jesus always answered their questions with a question that
there was no way to answer.
Mark 11:31 "And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we
shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?"
Mark 11:32 "But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for
all [men] counted John, that he was a prophet indeed."
You see, John had preached, "Repent and make the way ready for
the Messiah". John had taught that Jesus was the awaited Messiah.
Jesus had really put them on the spot. Whatever they said, they were
trapped. If they said that John the Baptist was a true man of God, then
they had to accept Jesus as the long awaited Messiah. If they said that
John was a false prophet and that the things he said were not true,
then the people would attack them, because the people thought very
highly of John. They truly were trapped with no answer to give.
Mark 11:33 "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."
We see, here, that they could tell, but they wouldn't because
they were trapped. They lied because they knew they were in trouble
either way. Jesus told the truth. He said, "Neither do I tell you".
He made no excuses. Jesus could tell them, but they wouldn't believe
even if He did.
Notes
Mark 23 Questions
1. Why did the scribes and priests want to destroy Him?
2. What was everyone astonished at about Jesus?
3. What did the priest want to do more than kill Jesus?
4. What was the difference in Jesus' message?
5. What did the priests fear?
6. What had happened to the fig tree?
7. In the daytime, Jesus was in __________________________________,
and in the evening He stayed in __________________________________
8. Who is the fig tree symbolic of?
9. Who remembered and reminded Jesus about the fig tree?
10. Jesus answered him and told him to have ______________________.
11. Why did Jesus tell Peter this?
12. What did Jesus say about moving a mountain?
13. What is the secret to getting our prayers answered?
14. Everything in the world is subject to whom?
15. Why and how can we do the same miracles Jesus did?
16. Quote St. John 14:14.
17. What did Jesus say when He healed?
18. In verse 25, we are told to do what before we pray?
19. When Jesus was walking in the temple, who came and questioned
Jesus?
20. What did they ask Him?
21. What is the author's opinion of why they opposed Jesus?
22. What did Jesus ask them about John the Baptist?
23. What had John taught about Jesus?
24. Why did they not say John was from heaven?
25. Why did they not say John was from men?
26. When they would not answer Jesus, what did He tell them?
Notes
Home