Unearthing The Gospel in Mark 11:1-26: A Journey of Faith, Fruitfulness, and Forgiveness
Unearthing the Gospel in Mark 11:1-26: A Journey of Faith, Fruitfulness, and Forgiveness
Dear Church Family,
It has been quite a while since I’ve made a blog post, we’ve been busy with the baby! I am excited to get back in the pulpit this Sunday and share with you the glory of this passage. If you want to prep your heart beforehand, dive in with me now.
Mark 11:1-26 ESV 1Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesusa sent two of his disciples 2and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 7And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”11And 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. 12On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. 15And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. 19And when evening came theyb went out of the city. 20As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have receivedc it, and it will be yours. 25And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
There's an inherent beauty and depth to the stories we find in the Gospels, each one encapsulating profound truths about our Savior, Jesus Christ. Today, we journey through Mark 11:1-26, a scripture passage that on the surface narrates key events in Jesus's ministry, but underneath, hides rich gospel-centric theology.
Our journey begins with Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Here we witness the arrival of the King, the Messiah. This is not simply a historical event; it's the tangible fulfillment of centuries-old prophetic promises (Zechariah 9:9). It's an affirmation that Jesus is the long-awaited Savior. The significance of this moment reverberates through the rest of the Gospel narrative and echoes in the doctrines of Christ's divinity and messianic role, asserting Jesus as the center of God's redemptive plan.
Next, we encounter the account of Jesus cursing a barren fig tree. This is more than an agricultural metaphor; it signifies God's judgment against spiritual barrenness. This incident illustrates the doctrine of sanctification, the process of becoming more Christlike, which entails bearing spiritual fruits (Galatians 5:22-23). However, the solution to barrenness does not rest in human efforts, but in the transformative work of the Gospel. It is through Christ, the vine, that we, the branches, bear fruit (John 15:5).
The scene then shifts to the Temple, where Jesus disrupts commerce in the house of God. This cleansing act reveals Jesus' passion for pure, sincere worship. It underscores the doctrine of the Church – as God's people, we are called to worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). But the ability to worship purely comes not from our merit but from the sanctifying work of Christ, who by His sacrifice has made us worthy to approach God.
Finally, Jesus imparts teachings on faith, prayer, and forgiveness. These are not mere moral codes, but doctrines rooted deeply in the Gospel. Faith is our confident response to Christ's finished work on the cross. Prayer is our privileged communication with God, made possible by Christ our mediator (Hebrews 4:14-16). Forgiveness is our calling and response to the forgiveness we've received through the Gospel (Ephesians 4:32).
To sum up, Mark 11:1-26 is a tapestry of Gospel-centered truths. The events and teachings it narrates carry significant doctrinal implications, each pointing us back to Jesus Christ. By recognizing Jesus as our Savior, living an authentic and fruitful faith, and engaging sincerely in worship, prayer, and forgiveness, we illuminate the Gospel in our lives. It is through the lens of the Gospel that these doctrines find their meaning and purpose, and it is through the person and work of Jesus that these doctrines find their fulfillment.
Let us continue to dwell on these truths, and may the Gospel be the compass that guides our journey together.
In Christ,
Pastor Andrew Field
Dear Church Family,
It has been quite a while since I’ve made a blog post, we’ve been busy with the baby! I am excited to get back in the pulpit this Sunday and share with you the glory of this passage. If you want to prep your heart beforehand, dive in with me now.
Mark 11:1-26 ESV 1Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesusa sent two of his disciples 2and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 7And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”11And 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. 12On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. 15And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. 19And when evening came theyb went out of the city. 20As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have receivedc it, and it will be yours. 25And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
There's an inherent beauty and depth to the stories we find in the Gospels, each one encapsulating profound truths about our Savior, Jesus Christ. Today, we journey through Mark 11:1-26, a scripture passage that on the surface narrates key events in Jesus's ministry, but underneath, hides rich gospel-centric theology.
Our journey begins with Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Here we witness the arrival of the King, the Messiah. This is not simply a historical event; it's the tangible fulfillment of centuries-old prophetic promises (Zechariah 9:9). It's an affirmation that Jesus is the long-awaited Savior. The significance of this moment reverberates through the rest of the Gospel narrative and echoes in the doctrines of Christ's divinity and messianic role, asserting Jesus as the center of God's redemptive plan.
Next, we encounter the account of Jesus cursing a barren fig tree. This is more than an agricultural metaphor; it signifies God's judgment against spiritual barrenness. This incident illustrates the doctrine of sanctification, the process of becoming more Christlike, which entails bearing spiritual fruits (Galatians 5:22-23). However, the solution to barrenness does not rest in human efforts, but in the transformative work of the Gospel. It is through Christ, the vine, that we, the branches, bear fruit (John 15:5).
The scene then shifts to the Temple, where Jesus disrupts commerce in the house of God. This cleansing act reveals Jesus' passion for pure, sincere worship. It underscores the doctrine of the Church – as God's people, we are called to worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). But the ability to worship purely comes not from our merit but from the sanctifying work of Christ, who by His sacrifice has made us worthy to approach God.
Finally, Jesus imparts teachings on faith, prayer, and forgiveness. These are not mere moral codes, but doctrines rooted deeply in the Gospel. Faith is our confident response to Christ's finished work on the cross. Prayer is our privileged communication with God, made possible by Christ our mediator (Hebrews 4:14-16). Forgiveness is our calling and response to the forgiveness we've received through the Gospel (Ephesians 4:32).
To sum up, Mark 11:1-26 is a tapestry of Gospel-centered truths. The events and teachings it narrates carry significant doctrinal implications, each pointing us back to Jesus Christ. By recognizing Jesus as our Savior, living an authentic and fruitful faith, and engaging sincerely in worship, prayer, and forgiveness, we illuminate the Gospel in our lives. It is through the lens of the Gospel that these doctrines find their meaning and purpose, and it is through the person and work of Jesus that these doctrines find their fulfillment.
Let us continue to dwell on these truths, and may the Gospel be the compass that guides our journey together.
In Christ,
Pastor Andrew Field
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