Mark-Lesson 16...Continued from page 1

DAY TWO:  The Son of Man Purifies the Temple

Please carefully read Mark 11:12-18 and answer the following questions.

The Passion Week

This week we begin our look at Jesus’ suffering and also the events that transpired during this last week of His earthly ministry.  Sometimes the timing of the events is confusing, and even controversial.  James A. Brooks helps us understand the events of this week and clarify for us some of the ways that Mark used these events in his gospel:

Mark’s Gospel has sometimes been described as a passion narrative with a lengthy introduction. Such a description is, of course, an exaggeration. Mark had other purposes for his Gospel, but the passion was of overriding importance. Approximately 38 percent of the Gospel is devoted to the week of the passion (chaps. 11–16) and 20 percent to the day of Jesus’ death (chaps. 14–15). Everything in chaps. 11–16 takes place in or very near Jerusalem. In Mark’s thinking, Galilee was the place of the revelation of Jesus as the Son of Man and Son of God, but Jerusalem was the place of opposition to and condemnation of Jesus.  Unlike the previous part of the Gospel, the passion narrative is characterized by specific time references. At its beginning the events are set forth as having taken place on three distinct days: 11:1–11, 12–19, 20ff. No indication is given in 11:27–13:37 of where the third day ended. The next indication of time is in 14:1, which states that when the Passover was “two days away” the authorities conspired further against Jesus. The following day preparation was made for the Passover meal (14:12), and it was eaten that evening (14:17). The crucifixion took place the next morning (15:1, 25) and the death and burial that afternoon (15:33, 42). The day of the crucifixion was the day of preparation for the Sabbath (15:42), i.e., Friday. The resurrection took place on the day after the Sabbath (16:1), i.e., Sunday.

Apparently Mark placed the entry into Jerusalem on Sunday, the cursing of the fig tree and the clearing of the temple on Monday, the observation of the withered fig tree on Tuesday, the final conspiracy against Jesus and the anointing in Bethany on Wednesday (but see the comments on 14:1), the preparation for the Passover on Thursday, the Passover meal and arrest on Thursday evening, the trials and crucifixion and burial on Friday, and the resurrection on Sunday. The time of the disputes in the temple and the eschatological discourse is uncertain, perhaps Tuesday, perhaps Wednesday.[v]

1.  What unusual event began the day for Jesus according to verses 12-14?

2.  We will return to this unusual “cursing” later on, but it does have an important significance.  It is also interesting that the name of the village of Bethphage literally means “the house of unripe figs;” Bethany means “the house of figs.”[vi] What did Jesus do when He saw the unusual activity going on in the Temple area, and how did He react to this (verses 15, 16)?

3. How did Jesus admonish those in the Temple, and how did the religious leaders react to this (verses 17, 18)?

4. There were three types of money in Palestine in New Testament times: imperial money (Roman), provincial money (Greek), and local money (Jewish). Money changers provided the required Jewish coinage for the annual half-shekel temple tax (Exodus 30:12-16) required of all male Jews 20 years of age and up. This was in exchange for their Greek and Roman currency, which was considered idolatrous.  Although this seems like a noble idea, there was a lot of extortion and fraud that led to Jesus’ anger on top of everything else. Another problem was that people loaded with merchandise were taking a shortcut through this area, making it a thoroughfare from one part of the city to another.  The biggest reason for Jesus’ outrage was this blatant disregard for the temple area specifically set apart for Gentile use.[vii] Larry Hurtado well said, “Outwardly, the Temple was an impressive institution, suggesting great devotion to God. Jesus’ inspection of the Temple indicated that it was a hollow show, and that the priestly leadership was far more interested in revenue from the merchants than reverence for God.”[viii] 

So the major sin that was being committed was keeping Gentiles from seeking and knowing God.  An almost paranoia had flooded the minds and hearts of the Jews since they had returned from Babylon, and it seemed that they were trying to keep out everyone except themselves.  What was their mandate though from God from the very beginning according to Genesis 22:18, and in the Great Commission how did Jesus call His disciples back to this very task (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8)?

Scripture Memory:  Try to fill in the missing words in the blanks below, by memory if at all possible, and then review the passage several times today.

Therefore I say to you, ______________________ things you ask when you pray, ______________________ that you receive them, and you __________ have them.     

                                                                                                        Mark 11:24, nkjv