The Grace Commentary – Your free verse-by-verse Bible commentary Mark 11

Mark 11:1

As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples,

Bethany was a village about two miles from Jerusalem; see binnenkomst for John 11:18.

Mark 11:11

Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.

(a) Looking around. What Jesus saw was that the money changers were back. At the beginning of his public ministry, he had overturned their tables and driven the livestock from the temple (John 2:13–17). Tomorrow, he would do it again (see Mark 11:15).

(b) Bethany was a village about two miles from Jerusalem; see binnenkomst for John 11:18.

Mark 11:13

Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

He found nothing. John, the last of the old covenant prophets, urged the religious Jews to “Bear the fruit of repentance” (Matt 3:8), but they didn’t listen. Then for three years Jesus searched Israel in vain for the fruit of faith. When Jesus entered Jerusalem at the start of his final week, the people waved branches without fruit and the next morning, Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree (see next verse).

Mark 11:14

He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.

The cursing of the fruitless fig tree was a prophetic act symbolizing Israel’s self-inflicted rejection. See binnenkomst for Mark 11:21.

Mark 11:15

Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves;

Drive out. This was the second time Jesus cleared the temple. The first time happened at the beginning of his public ministry (John 2:13–17). On that occasion, Jesus drove out the livestock with a homemade whip and he overturned the tables of the money changers. Evidently, the merchants had moved back in, so Jesus cleared them out again.

All this activity took place in the outer Court of the Gentiles. This court was set aside for non-Jewish proselytes as a place of worship. It was a sacred place where people came from all over the world to worship God. But the temple officials had allowed the merchants to turn the court into a marketplace.

Mark 11:16

and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple.

Carry merchandise. In addition to being a marketplace, the Court of the Gentiles had become a thoroughfare for people carrying household items, baskets, and vessels from one part of the city to another.

The temple precinct was a massive 35 acre complex. For Jesus to put a stop to all trade and through-traffic would have required a coordinated effort involving his disciples. But shut it down he did. The religious leaders were alarmed. Since Jesus had become a threat to their business, they resolved to kill him (Mark 11:18, Luke 19:47).

Mark 11:17

And He began to teach and say 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 ROBBERS’ DEN.”

(a) It is written; zie je wel binnenkomst for Mark 1:2.

(b) Robbers. Het oorspronkelijke woord (lestes) means armed brigands of the kind who robbed and beat the traveler on the road to Jericho (Luke 10:30), and who also menaced Paul in his travels (2 Cor. 11:26). Two such brigands were crucified beside Christ (Matt. 27:38), and Barabbas was also a brigand (John. 18:40). A robber is no mere thief but a violent outlaw who works in a group and ambushes his victims.

Mark 11:18

The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.

(a) The chief priests; zie je wel binnenkomst for Matt. 2:4.

(b) Scribes; zie je wel binnenkomst for Matt. 5:20.

(c) Astonished. The people were literally “struck with astonishment” because Jesus’ message nothing like what they were used to hearing from the scribes and religious leaders. This kind of amazed reaction was common when Jesus ministered (e.g., Matt. 7:28, 13:54, 22:33, Mark 1:22).

Mark 11:21

Being reminded, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.”

Withered. The Israelites cut themselves off through unbelief. “God did not reject his people … they were broken off because of unbelief” (Rom. 11:2, 20).

The religious Jews trusted in themselves. Their source was self and their root was their downfall. Just as the fig tree withered from the roots up, the religious Jews rotted from the inside-out. What should they have done? They should have listened to Jesus. They should have abandoned their quest for self-improvement, put their faith in God, and allowed themselves to be grafted into the living Vine.

Markus 11:22

En Jezus antwoordde en zei tegen hen: "Heb geloof in God.

Heb vertrouwen in God. De overgrote meerderheid van de eerste-eeuwse joden geloofde in God en dit zou ook het geval zijn geweest voor de discipelen. Ze geloofden dat God één was (Jak. 2:19). Maar hoewel dit een goed begin is, is dit geen reddend geloof (zie binnenkomst voor Jas. 2:14), en het is niet het soort geloof dat bergen verzet.

Markus 11:23

“Voorwaar, ik zeg u, wie tegen deze berg zegt: 'Laat u opnemen en in de zee werpen' en niet in zijn hart twijfelt, maar gelooft dat wat hij zegt zal gebeuren, het zal hem worden verleend.

(a) Twijfelt niet. Twijfel is een geloofsdoder. Degene die twijfelt heeft de geest van een door storm geteisterde zee (Jak. 1:6). De remedie tegen twijfel is niet jezelf in een waanzin van doe-het-zelf-geloof te slaan, maar jezelf te herinneren aan de goedheid van God.

(b) Maar gelooft. Geloof hebben is ervan overtuigd zijn dat God is wie hij zegt dat hij is. Geloof is een overtuiging of een zelfstandig naamwoord, terwijl geloven een werk of een werkwoord is. Het is mogelijk om geloof in God te hebben en toch gevangen te zijn in twijfel en ongeloof.

Markus 11:24

“Daarom zeg ik u: geloof alle dingen waarvoor u bidt en vraagt, dat u ze hebt ontvangen, en ze zullen u gegeven worden.

Geloof dat je ze hebt ontvangen. Alles komt tot ons door genade en wordt ontvangen door geloof.

Markus 11:25

“Als je staat te bidden, vergeef dan, als je iets tegen iemand hebt, zodat je Vader in de hemel je ook je overtredingen zal vergeven.

(a) Jouw vader. De Almachtige Schepper wil dat je met hem omgaat als je liefhebbende Vader. Zie je wel binnenkomst voor Mattheüs 5:16.

(b) Vergeven; zie je wel binnenkomst voor vergeving.

(c) Zal je ook vergeven. De enige voorwaarde voor het ontvangen van de gave van vergeving is geloof (zie vorige vers). Maar als je onvergevingsgezindheid in je hart koestert, zul je het moeilijk hebben om Gods vergeving te ontvangen. Omgekeerd, als je weet hoeveel Christus je heeft vergeven, zul je de kracht krijgen om anderen te vergeven (Kol. 3:13). Zie je wel binnenkomst voor Lukas 11:4.

(d) Transgressions. The original noun (paraptōma) is a fall or slip and is sometimes translated as trespasses (2 Cor. 5:19). It’s a slip up, a mistake, an error. In context, it means our sins.

Markus 11:26

[“Maar als u niet vergeeft, zal ook uw Vader in de hemel uw overtredingen niet vergeven.”]

Dit vers staat tussen haakjes en is in sommige Bijbels weggelaten omdat het in sommige manuscripten niet voorkomt. Het lijkt een herhaling te zijn van wat Jezus zei in de Bergrede. Zie je wel binnenkomst voor Mattheüs 6:15.

Mark 11:27

They came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to Him,

(a) Walking to the temple. Mark records the temple officials questioning Jesus en route to the temple while Matthew and Luke say they questioned him while he was teaching at the temple (Matt. 21:23, Luke 19:47).

(b) The chief priests; zie je wel binnenkomst for Matt. 2:4.

(d) Elders; zie je wel binnenkomst for Matt. 16:21.

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Mark 11