and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus said to 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? Tell them, the Lord needs it, and he will send it back here shortly. They went and found
a colt outside the street, and tied it at the 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
caught 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. Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since
it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. The next day, as they were leaving
Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing the distance, a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any
fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
Then he said to the tree, may no one ever eat fruit from you again, and his disciples heard him say it.
On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and
selling there. He overturned the tables of money changers and the benches of those selling doves,
and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise to the temple courts. As he taught them, he said,
Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den
of robbers. Chief priests and teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him,
for they feared him, because the whole crowd were amazed at his teaching. When evening came,
they went out of the city. In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from
the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, Rabbi, look, the fig tree you cursed has withered.
Have faith in God, Jesus said. I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain,
go throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will
happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying,
if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
Please keep your Bibles open there, and we'll look at that in just a sec.
Well, let's pray and ask for God's help as we look at his word together. Let's pray.
Father God, we thank you so much for your word. We thank you for having a gospel, the gospel of Mark,
which has been written down, recorded for us, so that we can learn about who Jesus is,
and all that he has done for us. We pray now, Father, that you would speak to us through your word.
Help us to listen well, and help us to be people who see Jesus for who he is,
and that we may be encouraged and built up. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen.
Our present government are now halfway through their five-year term.
But with another tough budget proposed next month, the support is most definitely dwindling.
Recent polls show that they have lost points, while the opposition have all gained points.
Now, how different that is to the early days.
They were welcomed into office with enthusiastic cheers, the saviors of our land.
But great expectations have come crashing down.
One moment, they are the hope of the nation.
The next, they are public enemy number one.
Well, the crowds that were following Jesus towards Jerusalem were expecting great things.
They had lived under foreign rule for the best part of 600 years, most recently under the might of the Romans.
But now Jesus had come displaying his supreme power and absolute authority.
He had raised the dead.
He had controlled nature.
He had fed the hungry with just a few loaves and a couple of fish.
Expectations were high.
Look at verse 9, chapter 11.
Those who followed, or those who went ahead of Jesus and those who followed shouted,
Hosanna!
Which means save!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
The saviour of their nation had come.
But within a day, those expectations had crashed.
Look at verse 18.
The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him.
In fact, very soon, everyone would be on the side of the chief priests.
One moment, they were the hope of the nation.
The next, he was public enemy number one.
Was Jesus the king as he claimed?
Or was he some political failure?
Well, as Jesus arrives into Jerusalem, the final week before his death,
we see that he is a king, but not the kind of king we expect.
In fact, what he offers is greater than any of our expectations.
So first, the king has come.
Jesus has been slowly making his way towards Jerusalem.
And as he travelled, so his band of supporters grew.
So if you go back to chapter 10, verse 1.
Chapter 10, verse 1.
Jesus then left that place, that's Capernaum,
and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan.
So he's making his step slowly towards Jerusalem.
Again, crowds of people came to him.
Now look at verse 46.
Then they came to Jericho, a step closer,
as Jesus and his disciples together with a large crowd were leaving the city.
So people were anticipating or expecting great things.
The crowds began to follow him.
What miracles was he going to do now?
How was he going to overthrow the occupying force of the Romans?
Well, to help us gauge the excitement,
Mark highlights three actions of great significance.
First, Jesus had come to the Mount of Olives.
Look at verse 1 of chapter 11.
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethpage and Bethany,
at the Mount of Olives.
You say, what's so interesting about the Mount of Olives?
Well, listen to this from one of the prophets.
The prophet Zechariah.
It's on the screen.
This is what he says.
The Lord will go out and fight against those nations
as he fights in the day of battle.
On that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
east of Jerusalem.
Now, Jesus has just arrived, this self-proclaimed king,
and he's come to the Mount of Olives.
Second, Jesus tells his disciples to go and get a colt,
or which could be translated also as a donkey.
Verse 2.
He says to the disciples,
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.
Verse 4.
They went and found a colt outside in the street,
tied at a doorway.
Verse 7.
When they brought the colt to Jesus,
they threw their cloaks over it,
and he sat on it.
Well, you think,
well, what's so interesting about that?
Well, again, listen to the same prophets.
Look at what it says on the screen.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion.
Shout, daughter of Jerusalem.
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt,
the foal of a donkey.
Do you see what Jesus is beginning to say
to all the crowds of people?
And then there was the shouts of the crowd.
Verse 8.
Many people spread their cloaks on the road,
while others spread branches
they had cut in the fields.
And those who went ahead
and those who followed shouted,
Hosanna!
Which means, save!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Blessed is the coming kingdom
of our father David.
Hosanna!
Salvation!
In the highest!
Now, verse 9,
this Hosanna,
is actually a quote
from Psalm 118.
And if you were to read that psalm,
it's all about being surrounded by an enemy
and looking forward to a king
who's going to save.
Look at what some of that psalm says
on the screen.
Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous.
The Lord's hand has done mighty things.
O Lord, save us.
O Lord, grant us success.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Now, can you feel the expectation building?
The Mount of Olives.
Jesus riding on a colt.
Shouting, Hosanna!
Save the rescuer!
The long-awaited king
has finally come.
The great deliverer.
The mighty warrior.
All the crowds are gathering around him.
He's ready for battle.
The saving king has come
to overthrow the might of the Romans.
The stage is set.
And look what he does.
Verse 11.
Jesus entered Jerusalem.
If you're going to have a revolution,
it might as well be in the capital
where everybody knows.
Jesus entered Jerusalem
and went to the temple.
He looked around at everything,
but since it was already late,
he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Sorry, did we miss something there?
Is that it?
He just wanders around the temple.
He says nothing.
He does nothing.
He just walks around.
And then he just heads out of town.
The king has come.
But not as we expect.
You see, we too have our expectations
of Jesus, don't we?
I guarantee if we were just to ask everybody now
what you expect Jesus to do for you,
there'd be a whole list of things.
And like the crowd,
our concern is very usually physical
and it's temporal.
It's all about me in the here and now.
We want Jesus to heal us now.
We want Jesus to give us a better job now.
If Jesus is king,
well then surely he'll listen to my wants
and my demands and do what I say.
Well, Jesus is concerned about the physical.
He is concerned about the temporal.
But he offers us so much more.
So much more.
For Jesus had come to establish a kingdom.
But an eternal kingdom.
A kingdom of peace and justice,
beauty and joy.
Where we live in perfect relationship with God
for all eternity.
And Jesus had come as a warrior king
to fight a battle.
But he came to fight not a physical one,
a spiritual one.
For he came to fight our greatest enemy,
destroying sin and death
and defeating Satan as he would die on a cross
so that we could be forgiven
and welcomed into his kingdom.
The king has come.
But he's not always the king that we expect.
The problem is not that our expectations of Jesus
are too high.
Our expectations of Jesus are too low.
We're focused on the here and the now
when he's offering us something far greater
for all eternity.
What Jesus offers is greater
than we could ever dream or imagine.
So the king has come.
Second, the king has spoken.
Verse 12.
The next day as they were leaving Bethany,
Jesus was hungry.
Didn't have time for his porridge that morning.
Seeing in the distance a fig tree and leaf,
he went to find out if it had any fruit.
When he reached it,
he found nothing but leaves
because it was not the season for figs.
Then he said to the tree,
May no one ever eat fruit from you again.
And his disciples heard him say it.
Now it seems like Jesus got out
on the wrong side of the bed, didn't it?
He's a bit upset.
What did the tree ever do to him?
You're not having fruit anymore.
Well, as we've seen,
every action of Jesus in this event
is loaded with significance.
And what Jesus says to the fig tree,
May no one ever eat fruit from you again,
becomes a visible image.
It's like a mini parable
for what Jesus is about to say
to the temple and its leaders.
You have become fruitless
and I am going to put an end
to your practices.
Look what Jesus does
in verse 15.
It's really radical.
On reaching Jerusalem,
Jesus entered the temple area
and began driving out those
who were buying and selling there.
Instead of starting a revolution,
he begins a demolition.
He overturned the tables
of the money changers
and the benches of those selling doves
and he wouldn't allow anyone
to carry merchandise
through the temple courts.
Now, in our minds here,
we've got to picture
hundreds upon hundreds,
even thousands of people
all coming into this
outer court area of the temple.
It's a bit like a farmer's market
with all kinds of livestock
being sold for sacrifices
and people selling it
and people buying it.
It's noisy.
It's crazy.
And Jesus just bursts
into the middle of it
and starts kicking them out
all over the place.
Pandemonium.
Now, this outer court
where Jesus goes
and starts throwing things about,
was actually designed
to keep certain people out
and only let certain people in.
Foreigners and outsiders.
So if you weren't a Jew,
you weren't allowed past that area.
The only people allowed in
were the Jews who came to buy
an animal for sacrifice
or sell an animal for sacrifice.
In fact,
all around that area
where Jesus was kicking people out
or upsetting all their tables,
there were these signs
that were read
in all kinds of different languages
for all the foreigners
who ever came near.
This is what it said.
No foreigner may enter
within the railing
and enclosure
that surrounded the temple.
Anyone apprehended
shall have himself to blame
for his consequent death.
The temple
was meant to be the place
where people could come
and meet God.
This was the place
where you could come in
and talk and pray to God.
But if you were a foreigner,
if you weren't one of the special people,
then you were shut out
and if you even tried to get in
and you were caught,
you'd be killed.
It begins to explain
why Jesus got
understatement of the year
a little bit upset.
He came to confront it,
to put an end
to all their practices.
Verse 17.
As he taught them,
he said,
is it not written
my house will be called
a house of prayer
for all nations?
for all people?
Rather than welcoming people,
a sign of fruitfulness,
he's saying,
you are barring people,
a sign of being fruitless.
The prophets
had anticipated a time
when all nations,
when all peoples
would be welcomed.
Go back with me
to Isaiah chapter 56.
It's about the middle
of your Bible,
thereabouts.
Isaiah chapter 56.
If somebody's got a page number
using a red Bible,
they could tell me
and I'll shout it out.
Isaiah 56.
743.
Look at what was anticipated.
Look what people
were looking forward to.
Isaiah 56.
And we'll pick it up
in verse 3.
Isaiah 56.
Verse 3.
Let no foreigner
who has bound himself
to the Lord say,
the Lord will surely
exclude me
from his people.
Verse 5.
To them,
that is,
the foreigner,
the outsider,
I will give within
my temple
and its walls
a memorial
and a name
better than
sons and daughters.
I will give them
an everlasting name
that will not be cut off.
Verse 7.
These,
these outsiders,
these foreigners,
I will bring
to my holy mountain,
that's to the temple,
and give them joy
in my house
of prayer.
Their burnt offerings
and sacrifices
will be accepted
on my altar,
for my house
will be called
a house of prayer
for all nations.
You see,
God's plan,
his great expansive plan,
was that through
Jesus Christ,
he would make it
possible for all people
to be able
to come to God
and to be part
of his kingdom.
No wonder.
Look back at Mark
chapter 11,
verse 18.
No wonder
the chief priests
and the teachers
of the law
heard this
and began
looking for a way
to kill him.
And soon,
all the crowds
would be on their side too.
One moment,
the hope of the nation,
the next public enemy,
number one.
Why?
Why would people
turn so quickly?
Well,
they wanted a king
who would tell
the people
to get out.
They wanted a king
who was going to
kind of keep
themselves nice
and pure
and get all the foreigners
and the outsiders
away
and make it all
nice and comfortable
again.
But Jesus came
to tell people
that they could
come in,
that they were
welcomed in.
They wanted to
get rid of the outsiders.
Jesus is saying,
I have come
for the outsider.
The king
has spoken,
but not
as we
expect.
Now,
like the chief priests,
I think we too
can play
temple games,
can't we?
We don't think
this much
of a temple,
but we can still
play the game.
We don't like
to say it,
but we can sure
think it.
We don't want
their kind
coming in here.
We can't let
those sorts
of people
be part of
this church,
could we?
But who are we
to put restrictions
on people?
The only way
any of us
can come to God,
the only way
any of us
can enjoy God
and know God
is through
the once
and for all
sacrifice of Jesus.
It's the same
for us all.
When Jesus
barged into
the temple
and started
kicking tables
over and
chucking the
animals all
around the
place,
when he broke
up the place
for buying
and selling
sacrifices,
he was saying
to the people
loud and clear,
I am the
sacrifice
for your
sins.
I am the
way into
God's
kingdom.
You don't
need to do
this.
I am the
one who
will deal
with your
sin once
and for
all.
The way
is now
open for
all to
come,
regardless
of your
nationality
or your
background.
It doesn't
matter what
your race
is or what
your religion
is.
I welcome
all who
will come
to me.
And here's
the challenge.
how will
people ever
know they
are welcomed
if they
don't know
they're
welcomed?
There's no
point in
people saying
oh they're
all welcome.
How does
people know
they are
welcomed into
his kingdom?
Well Jesus
came into
the world,
the saving
king.
He came in
to invite
people,
to tell
people,
to show
people what
the kingdom
was all
about and
to say
that through
me you
can enter.
So we
too must
go into
the world
within our
communities,
within our
families,
around about
us,
to welcome
people to
Jesus.
So the
king has
come,
the king
has spoken,
and third,
the king
has commanded.
Look at
verse 20.
in the
morning,
so he's
kind of
going in
and out
of Jerusalem
in this
passage here,
in the
morning as
they went
along,
they saw
the fig tree
withered from
the roots,
and Peter
remembered and
said to
Jesus,
Rabbi,
look,
the fig tree
you cursed
has withered.
So here
was this
visual reminder
to his
disciples to
tell them
that look,
there is no
longer any
need for a
temple.
There is no
need for this
religious ritual,
there is no
need for all
these religious
rules anymore.
We don't need
all these
priests wandering
around in their
flowing robes.
It is fruitless.
It will produce
nothing in you
or for you.
It is dead,
it is lifeless,
it gives you
nothing.
Nothing.
Jesus says,
I am the
way to the
kingdom,
I am the
sacrifice for
your sins,
I welcome
all people
who come
to me.
So,
verse 22,
what's the
response?
Have
faith
in God,
Jesus
answered.
If Jesus
is the
king who
has come
to establish
his kingdom,
if Jesus
welcomes in
all people
to come
to him,
then the
only response
is,
have faith
in God.
This is what
the king
commands.
Trust me,
I can do
for you
what nobody
else can do
for you.
Look at
verse 23.
I tell you
the truth,
Jesus says,
if one of
you says
to this
mountain,
maybe it
was the
Mount of
Olives he
was looking
at,
if one of
you says
to this
mountain,
go through
yourself
into the
sea,
and does
not doubt
in his
heart,
but believes
that what
he says
will happen,
it will
be done
for him.
Now,
is Jesus
saying that
we're to
go around
and command
the mountains
and tell
mountains to
jump into
the sea?
I don't
think that's
what he's
saying.
What he is
saying,
or what he's
making clear
is that
he can do
for us
what nobody
else can
do for
us.
We can
go looking
to everyone
else and
everything else
and they'll
offer all
kinds of
things,
but only
Jesus can
offer us
new life,
eternity
with him,
the gift of
his Holy
Spirit within
us,
being welcomed
into his
family,
giving forgiveness,
peace and joy,
transformation of a
whole life.
only Jesus
can do that
for you.
In other
words,
we should
expect from
Jesus what
we can't
expect from
anyone else.
Our problem
is not that
our expectations
are too high,
our expectations
are set too
low.
Jesus offers
to us more
than we could
ever expect
to imagine.
And the way
to express
our faith
is simply
through prayer.
Look at
verse 24.
How do I
show my
faith?
Verse 24.
Therefore I
tell you,
whatever you
ask for in
prayer,
believe that
you have
received it
and it
will be
yours.
Just pause
on that and
think about
that.
God's
eternal
kingdom,
forgiveness
of all
your sins,
welcomed
into his
family,
given the
gift of
the Holy
Spirit,
peace and
joy in
abundance and
grace and
mercy overflowing
to you every
single day,
his family,
the people of
believers around
you,
all of this,
how do we
get it?
Ask in
prayer,
a prayer of
faith.
prayer.
That's all
we have to
do.
Through
prayer we
exercise our
complete
dependence and
place all our
confidence in
Jesus.
We don't have
to do
anything.
Just pray
and ask
and you
will receive
it.
so let me
ask this
question,
have we
obeyed the
king's
command?
Have we
put faith
in Jesus
the king?
Well,
here's the
test for
each one of
us to
find out
if we
have faith
in Jesus.
Here's the
test.
Do I
have faith
in Jesus?
Well,
look at
verse 25.
And when
you stand
praying,
when you're
asking for
the kingdom,
when you're
exercising
faith in
Jesus,
if you
hold anything
against
anyone,
forgive him
so that
your Father
in heaven
may forgive
you your
sins.
Do you
see what
it's saying?
The evidence
of faith
in Jesus
is
forgiveness
of other
people.
An
unforgiving,
grudge
holding,
record
keeping
person
is a
sign that
you do
not have
faith and
are not
in the
kingdom.
Look,
if you
know the
forgiveness
of Jesus,
if you
have
experienced
the
forgiveness
of Jesus
in your
life,
you will
forgive
others.
And
nobody's
saying
it's
easy,
but if
Jesus
has given
us this
welcome
into his
family,
into his
kingdom,
if Jesus
has forgiven
you,
then you
will not
hold anything
against another
person.
In fact,
you will do
all that you
can to reach
out to them
and seek
reconciliation
and welcome
them just
as Jesus
has welcomed
us.
The
evidence of
faith in
Jesus is
that we
are forgiving
of others,
each other.
And then
lastly,
expect great
things.
The
King has
come.
He has
come to
establish his
eternal
kingdom.
The King
has spoken.
He opens
up the
way for
all people
to come
to God.
The King
has commanded.
He calls
us to put
our faith
and our
trust in
him.
If we
look to
Jesus and
demand the
King to
do things
our way,
we'll
always be
disappointed.
But if we
submit to
his way,
we will
discover he
will do
more than
we could
ever
expect or
imagine.
He is a
great saving
King who
does more
than we
could ever
expect or
imagine.
Let's talk
to him
right now.
Let's pray.
Father, thank
you so much
for your
word.
Thank you
for Jesus,
the great
King.
Please help
us to
understand
Jesus as
you portray
him and
as he
comes to
us.
help us
to have
right
expectations
but help
us to
see all
that he
has come
to do
and to
give to
us.
Thank
you,
Jesus,
that you
are our
great
King.
Help
us to
trust you
each and
every day.
Help
us to
follow you
where you
go and
help us
to live
for you
wherever
we are.
We pray
this in
Jesus'
name.
Amen.
Well, we're
going to
sing our
final song
in response
to
up.
You
will
be
a