Mark
11:15-33
Lesson 87
11:15-33
Lesson 87
In this lesson:
It's Monday of Passion Week. Jesus has four days to live.
It's Monday of Passion Week. Jesus has four days to live.
Study Tip:
Check the margin notes in blue and click on the links.
Check the margin notes in blue and click on the links.
The Gospel According to St. Mark
The King James Bible
|
Mark: 11:15-33
Jesus runs out the moneychangers 15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; 16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. 17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. 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. 19 And when even was come, he went out of the city. 20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. 22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 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. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 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. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.* 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, 28 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things? 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. 30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me. 31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? 32 But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed. 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. *Some manuscripts do not include verse 11:26. |
Margin notes:
"And they come to Jerusalem." (11:15) - Jesus and His disciples arrived in Jerusalem after spending the night in Bethany, two miles away. "Cast out them that sold and bought in the temple." (11:15) - Jews from around the Roman Empire came to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. Instead of bringing their sacrificial animals (cattle, lambs, doves and other small birds) with them, many visitors found it more convenient to purchase them when they arrived at the Temple. Stalls were set up in the Court of the Gentiles (a section of the Temple where Gentiles could worship) to sell the sacrificial animals. This upset Gentiles who came to worship. For the second time (John 2:14-16), Jesus cast the merchants and their customers out of the Temple. "Moneychangers" (11:15) - Vendors who exchanged the foreign coinage carried by out of town visitors into the Jewish or Temple currency. A fee of 10-12 percent was usually charged. With so many visitors in Jerusalem for Passover, business was brisk. "Would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple." (11:16) - Means, "Would not allow anyone to carry goods through the Temple." Jesus was disturbed that merchants were using the Temple as a shortcut to carry their wares to the Court of Gentiles. "Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer?" (11:17) - Jesus is referring to Isaiah 56:7. The Court of Gentiles was the only part of the Temple open to people of other faiths to worship and offer sacrifices. "They feared him." (11:18) - The scribes and chief priests also feared upsetting the people who believed in Jesus (Matthew 21:46; Mark 12:12; Luke 20:19). "All the people was astonished at his doctrine." (11:18) - People were impressed with Jesus and His teachings, and this caused the Pharisees to hate Him more. "They saw the fig tree dried up from the roots." (11:20) - This is the same fig tree cursed by Jesus in verses 11:12-14 (lesson 86). It is now Tuesday morning of Passion Week. "And Peter calling to remembrance." (11:21) - "And Peter remembered." "When ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." (11:24) - Means, trust the power of prayer. Turn to God when in crisis or in need of spiritual guidance. He will answer your prayers, but remember, even when God's answer isn't the one you for praying for, it will always be in your best interest. Jesus repeated this teaching in Matthew 7:7-8, John 14:13, 15:7 and 16:24. "Forgive." (11:25) - So you will be forgiven. "If ye have ought against any." (11:25) - "If you have something against anyone." "As he was walking in the temple." (11:27) - Remember, this is one day after Jesus caused a ruckus in the Temple and upset the Pharisees and scribes (11:15-18). "By what authority doest thou these things?" (11:28) - The priest, scribes and elders want to know who gave Jesus the authority to clear the Temple. If Jesus answers his power comes from God, they will accuse Him of blasphemy. "John." (11:30) - John the Baptist. "They reasoned with themselves." (11:31) - "They discussed it among themselves." "All men counted John, that he was a prophet." (11:32) - "All men believed John to be a prophet." |
See Matthew 21:12-16 (lesson 41) and Luke 19:45-47 for two more accounts of Jesus at the Temple.
New Living Translation
Mark: 11:15-33
Jesus Clears the Temple
15 When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves,
16 and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace.
17 He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves."
18 When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.
19 That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city.
20 The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up.
21 Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, "Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!"
22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God.
23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.
24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours.
25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too."
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
27 Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him.
28 They demanded, "By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?"
29 "I'll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question," Jesus replied.
30 "Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!"
31 They talked it over among themselves. "If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn't believe John.
32 But do we dare say it was merely human?" For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believed that John was a prophet.
33 So they finally replied, "We don't know."
And Jesus responded, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things."
This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Jesus Clears the Temple
15 When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves,
16 and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace.
17 He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves."
18 When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.
19 That evening Jesus and the disciples left the city.
20 The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up.
21 Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, "Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!"
22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God.
23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.
24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours.
25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too."
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
27 Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him.
28 They demanded, "By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?"
29 "I'll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question," Jesus replied.
30 "Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!"
31 They talked it over among themselves. "If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn't believe John.
32 But do we dare say it was merely human?" For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believed that John was a prophet.
33 So they finally replied, "We don't know."
And Jesus responded, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things."
This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Today's Question:
1. Can prayer move mountains? (11:23)
Every Saint Has a Past, Every Sinner Has a Future.
1. Can prayer move mountains? (11:23)
Every Saint Has a Past, Every Sinner Has a Future.
Answer: (Do you agree?)
1. Jesus tells us that prayer can move mountains to show that God can do anything. Mark 11:23 is a beautiful verse that teaches us faith and the power of prayer. When we pray, we must have faith (11:22), have no doubt in our hearts (11:23) and harbor no animosity towards our fellow man (11:25). We must not pray with self-centered motives but rather with the good of God's kingdom in mind. Remember, what we pray for is not always what we need. God knows best and sometimes He has a different plan for us. Our prayers can express our desires but should also acknowledge that God's way is better. Jesus gives us an example of this in Mark 14:36 (upcoming lesson 95) when He prayed, "not what I will, but what thou wilt."
Application thought for the day:
It has been said that before our prayers can mean anything to God, they must mean something to us. Reciting memorized verses or vaguely asking God to bless our family and friends gives nothing of ourselves. God wants us to speak to Him about our concerns and weaknesses. He wants His children to acknowledge Him, to seek His guidance, and to have faith in the response they receive.
1. Jesus tells us that prayer can move mountains to show that God can do anything. Mark 11:23 is a beautiful verse that teaches us faith and the power of prayer. When we pray, we must have faith (11:22), have no doubt in our hearts (11:23) and harbor no animosity towards our fellow man (11:25). We must not pray with self-centered motives but rather with the good of God's kingdom in mind. Remember, what we pray for is not always what we need. God knows best and sometimes He has a different plan for us. Our prayers can express our desires but should also acknowledge that God's way is better. Jesus gives us an example of this in Mark 14:36 (upcoming lesson 95) when He prayed, "not what I will, but what thou wilt."
Application thought for the day:
It has been said that before our prayers can mean anything to God, they must mean something to us. Reciting memorized verses or vaguely asking God to bless our family and friends gives nothing of ourselves. God wants us to speak to Him about our concerns and weaknesses. He wants His children to acknowledge Him, to seek His guidance, and to have faith in the response they receive.
Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; "The Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies"; "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible". All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2025 evolke
© 2025 evolke