A Journey Through the Bible: Mark 11 and 12

Mark 11:11—“And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.” What did Jesus see when He “looked around at all things”? He saw a people who never learned and who had no intention of changing. The next day “Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves” (v. 15). This was actually the second time Jesus had done this; about two years before “He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables” (Jn. 2:15-16). Yet, two years later, they are back at it again. It must have indeed angered and frustrated Him. There are many people today, of course, who use religion to make money, and no doubt, the Lord is just as disgusted with them. The Jews in Jesus’ day did not learn the lesson Jesus was trying to teach them; and the sellers and money changers today haven’t learned, either.

A few points from Mark 12. Please read the context yourself so that you may fully understand the lessons conveyed here.

Mark 12:9—“Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.” In this parable, the “vinedressers” are the Jews. They stoned, beat, and killed the owner’s (God’s) servants (the prophets), and then they killed his son (Jesus). Thus, they would be punished and the “vineyard” (kingdom) given to “others” (Gentiles). This is a prophecy of the mass rejection by the Jews of Christianity, and the large influx of Gentiles. This began to happen in the first century and is evident to this day where the Jews still reject Christianity and the near totality of His church is composed of Gentiles.

Mark 12:14-15—“When they had come, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it." You can’t fool the Lord. They tried to butter Him up and deceive Him, but He knew their hypocrisy. Men can be flattered into compromise and error, but not God.

Mark 12:24—“Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?” The Sadducees, to whom Jesus is talking here, did not believe in a resurrection from the dead, and they asked Him a question, trying to trick Him on the matter. They made two mistakes: they didn’t know the Scriptures, and they didn’t understand the power of God. Ignorance of God’s word will destroy us every time (Hosea 4:6), and “is there anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14). “He does whatever He pleases” (Ps. 115:3), and if He chooses to raise the dead, that is certainly within His power. The Sadducees had been seduced by the liberal, human philosophy of the day and it turned them away from God. Liberal human philosophy will do the same today.

Mark 12: 37—“And the common people heard Him gladly.” Jesus never lost His following among the multitudes. That is why He had to be crucified, illegally, at night, before the “common people” discovered what had happened. Jesus’ debate was with the religious leaders of the day, whose power He undercut, exposing them for the hypocrites and self-absorbed charlatans that they were. They are the ones who killed Him, not the masses. Now, the mass of Jews eventually did reject Him; but that was later, not during His ministry.