Mark 11: Jesus the Unexpected King
November 2024
Throughout Mark we've seen many aspects of Jesus's character and identity. In this chapter, Jesus goes beyond his roles as a wise teacher and spiritual leader, to claim he is a king. But he does this in an unusual way. Jesus is an unexpected king in that he is unlike the sort of king we'd imagine. We will discuss how this changes the way we relate to him. Not only is Jesus a kind friend and helper, but he is an authority we should listen to and obey.
The Context
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'the Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.'"
Jesus is headed to Jerusalem, with his disciples, and as they are about to arrive, Jesus gives them some strangely specific instructions. They are to go and steal a young donkey and if anyone questions them, just say the Lord needs it and everything will be OK. Then Jesus will use this very specific animal. I found this confusing. The book of Matthew gives helpful details.
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
"Say to Daughter Zion,
'See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
And on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"
Matthew tells us Jesus is intentionally fulfilling predictive prophecy about the king of Israel coming to Jerusalem. This is a quote of Zechariah 9:9, which was written around 480 BCE. The prediction is very specific, the king will ride into Jerusalem on a young donkey and so Jesus goes to lengths to match this exactly. This raising an interesting scenario, Jesus knows what he is doing and wants to be associated with and acknowledged as this figure predicted in the Bible. The Bible has many references to this figure, called the Messiah, which means the savior. A figure who will rule Israel and protect her.
Predictions
The Bible predicts the ruler's birthplace. Micah 5:2 says, "Bethlehem... out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." Micah was written around 700 BCE. The time in history the ruler will comes is given in Daniel 9. We can calculate this out to be around the 30s CE. Daniel was written around 530 BCE. The Bible predicts how the ruler will die in Psalm 22. He will be surrounded by enemies, have his hands and his feet pierced, and his clothes gambled away. Psalm 22 is a Davidic psalm from around 1000 BCE. The savior will be rejected by his people according to Isaiah 53. He will "suffer and be crushed" yet also "after he has suffered, he will see the light of life." Curiously, "the Lord makes his life an offering for sin." Isaiah is from 720 BCE. This is only a small sample.
While Jesus self-fulfills a prediction in Mark 11, some of these cannot be self-fulfilled. You cannot choose where you are born, your lineage, or when you will be born in history. There is little motive to fulfill other predictions such as the horrible death in Psalm 22 or being rejected by all of your countrymen in Isaiah 53. Who would want that? Jesus and his followers would either have to (1) fake the prophecies or (2) fake Jesus's life. The first is impossible as given by the dates above, these predictions were written down and widely distributed centuries beforehand. We have a pre-Christian copy of Isaiah 53 in museums today. I've seen it myself. The long term coordination required for these predictions is miraculous. It would be far easier to fake the details of Jesus's life to match the predictions. This is what Christians are accused of doing. However, Jesus's life was public, in a very small country. Lots of people knew Jesus and his family. Jerusalem, a major city, probably had about 55,000 people in the time of Jesus. For those of us in Columbus, Ohio, this is almost exactly the number of people living in the 43229 zip code in 2022. Imagine Jesus teaching two blocks from your house in the temple and the whole city consists just of the neighborhoods around you. You would know what's going on and many of the people involved.
Jesus knows people will ask, "why are you doing this?". This act is highly symbolic to Jesus. The colt is considered a symbol of peace and for sacred purposes, unlike a horse which would symbolize war. Jesus is saying something about himself. He is identifying himself with the predicted savior. But why does the Bible have a predicted savior at all?
What does it say about God that he put these predictions in the Bible?
God is intentional. He has a plan. He is going to rescue us and set things right. He doesn't leave us in the dark about it and we have a part to play. These predictions are a communication to us, meaning God wants to talk to us. God clearly has influence over history and asserts his authority to some degree.
Things go the way Jesus predicts as we read on in Mark 11.
They went and found the colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,
"Hosanna!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!"
"Hosanna in the highest heaven!"
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
What's going on here? It helps to know the references the crowd is using here. The word "hosanna" means "save now" or "save us" and is a general exclamation of praise. The crowd is also quoting Psalm 118:25-26. This psalm is about God protecting Israel, destroying her enemies, and ruling over her. It has a common refrain, "His love endures forever." Jesus applies this psalm to himself several times, and the Apostles do later in their letters, particularly the section, "the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." We will touch on this more. Later, people wondered how Jesus could be the king if he was rejected and killed. Jesus will be dead within a week of this entrance, known as The Triumphal Entry. The disciples use Psalm 118 to show the king would be rejected before he was honored.
Jesus is openly declaring his position. Throughout the gospels, we see a mixture of Jesus drawing attention to himself through miracles but then resisting fame. Now he is publicly acknowledging his place. Matthew and Luke provide more details about the crowd's reaction.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
Who is Jesus? This is true, he is a prophet who spoke for God. He regularly teaches with authority on God's behalf. But he is more than that also...
The Unexpected King
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"
"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet the stones will cry out."
The crowd is indicating Jesus is the king who has come to rescue them. By purposely fulfilling the predictions, Jesus affirms this is the case. Somehow, divine providence demands this be declared. The Pharisees are upset that Jesus is setting himself up as special, but Jesus agrees he is special. His entry is strange. It is both king-like and not king-like. He's on a donkey, not a warhorse. He is followed by regular people, not an army. He knows things and does powerful miracles. He also walks everywhere and talks to normal citizens. He spend Mark 10 teaching about how serving others is the way to greatness. This is not quite how I would expect a king to act.
How is Jesus both like and unlike a king we'd expect?
Jesus is like a king we'd expect in that he's powerful, confident, in control, with connections to high places, and influential. His birth was attended by angels. God verbally affirms him to the crowd at his baptism. The most influential contemporary prophet, John the Baptist, says Jesus is greater than he is. Jesus can do miracles. He is also humble, meek, common, and accessible, things we do not associate with power. I do not even talk to the CEO of my company, yet alone our president or a great public figure. Jesus is personal and others focused in a way rare for leaders. Whether he is what we expect or not, the Bible is clear, Jesus is the future ruler of heaven and earth.
Consider Revelation 19, Jesus will defeat his enemies. His power is unstoppable and he will defeat everyone who opposes him. He will be in charge of a one-world government without end. In Philippians 2, we see Jesus will be exalted to the highest place and every knee will bow to him. It's one thing to have power, it's another for everyone to acknowledge it. Everyone will acknowledge Jesus's right to rule. Ephesians 1 says he will unite all things in heaven and on earth. His reign will be comprehensive over everything in heaven and on earth. He will unite the world in peace and prosperity under his rule, something we sorely need. When it comes to rulers, Jesus will be the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time).
What About Us?
How does this apply to us and our life? We like being in charge. As I've aged, I've gotten used to being in charge and respected. Many of us have children that look up to and obey us. We have roles at work where we are the expert and consulted. We want to be treated as equals, maybe even recent a little deference! I think my ideas are good. My opinions are better than average! I should be asked for wisdom and guidance, not have to ask God for these things. Our fantasies about ourselves clash with being obedient to God. If we are honest, we pursue what we want most of the time. Even worse, we are adept at reinterpreting God's commands to fit what we want.
How does Jesus's kingly status correct our thinking and motivate us to obey him?
Jesus does everything for our good. He is helpful and powerful. He has a wider view and is more capable than us. Like we know our children should listen to us, for their own good, we should listen to him. Jesus can affect change impossible for us. His authority is valid and just.
What has our king asked of us?
First, Jesus asks us to trust him. Recall Psalm 118, "the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." Ancient building were made of stone and the cornerstone is the key to the build, the foundation stone. This psalm gives a picture of a builder picking up a stone, considering it worthless, and throwing it away. Later, he notices that very stone is the foundation stone on which the entire building has been constructed! Jesus should be the foundation of your life and key to your decision making. Just as a foundation supports a building, your relationship with Jesus should underlay the rest of your life. Romans 10:9 tell us, "If you declare, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." We need to acknowledge Jesus is the king and believe in him. This is what Christians mean by "receiving Christ." You need to cry out, "hosanna" or "save me" just like the people in Jerusalem.
Second, Jesus commands us to love one another. He says in John 13:34, "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." Note this is an imperative. Think about what this means for you. How do I love the people around me? What would obeying God in this area mean for you this week?
Third, we are called to use our resources well. Jesus tells many parables of servants doing well, waiting up for their master or investing their talents. He also has parables of wicked servants who do whatever they want with their money and their time. Good servants are rewarded and bad ones suffer loss. Consider if you are doing what Jesus would have you be doing with your money, your things, and your time.
Fourth, we should be equipped. The servant of God cannot be effective if they do not know what God says or what he wants. 2 Timothy 3:17 says the Bible can equip us for every good work. We should be training ourselves in what it says. This may mean going to Bible studies, brushing up with some good books, or taking classes. We need to study the Bible and know what it says.