Mark
11:1-19
Mark's
account of Christ entering Jerusalem on the donkey is different and
specific more than any other of the accounts. Mark states that they
were instructed by Jesus Christ to go and find the colt and bring it
to Him and if asked why they were untying the colt, to say “that
the Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly”. No other
account states that the colt will be returned and Matthew even adds
that there is a mother and colt and that they were both taken.
In
verse 9, Mark refers to the people along the narrow road descending
to Jerusalem. This time frame with all the people returning to
Jerusalem had to be just throngs of people. This was a key
fulfillment of prophesy for Christ to ride this colt into Jerusalem
at this time. I imagine that Christs humanity may have created an
anxiety or stress level for Him as He rode into the city. Mark's
account states that “those who went ahead and those who followed
shouted”. I never really thought about people going on ahead and
stirring up “mayhem”. They were shouting....not praising. They
looked at Christ as an earthly Saviour and were shouting
“Hosanna!”... which means “Save us!” and there were Roman
soldiers all over the place already to maintain crowd control. So
this entry of Christ into the city mirrored a kings arrival and they
were making a political statement by demanding that Christ save them
from the Romans. This changed the atmosphere to that of a riot
rather than a peaceful and holy atmosphere as I have always pictured
it to be.
In
verse 11, Mark tells how Christ walks into the temple and he remarks
that Christ “looks around at everything, but since it was already
late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve”. I always thought He
turned the tables immediately but I believe that this is not an accurate thought. I believe that when He went into the temple, what He saw
distressed Him. That ride into the city probably took a
long time and was stressful in its own right, and then to see the
temple filled with vendors who were taking advantage of this people
who had no choice but to be there, I am sure was vexing. He was well aware of the coming
days and what they would hold and what the final outcome was going to
be. I am sure He knew what He was going to find int he temple before He ever stepped foot in the temple. Perhaps actually seeing it in action was more painful for Him. So He reclined for the evening and perhaps prayed on what He saw
and talked to His heavenly Father about it, regrouped, and then, in the morning He
returned in righteous anger, and then turned the tables and emptied
the temple. Perhaps there were less people the next morning.
Perhaps He was just exhausted from His journey that day. We will not know exactly until we get to heaven the why's of many things but I found it a point of interest that Mark recounted that day differently. It is also interesting to me that the Holy Spirit chooses to reveal things in portions. We never read the Scriptures once and know everything. We always learn in stages and with insight that is showered down in parts so that we will appreciate and learn to apply what is shared. Those applications come at imperative times in our lives as well. Just as the plants in the garden are slowly making their presence known after a long winter nap, God's revealing comes in stages. I hope that you will find some new and
interesting or rewarding facts to apply to your Resurrection day this
year.
What
do you THINK you know?
