"THE GOSPEL OF MARK"
Cursing And Cleansing (11:12-19)
INTRODUCTION
1. In our previous study, we saw where Jesus and His disciples arrived
in Jerusalem...
a. Together with a large crowd coming to observe the Passover week
b. With the first day of their visit (Sunday) beginning with the
triumphal entry and ending with a quick visit to the temple - Mk 11:1-11
2. On the next day (Monday), two things occur which may seem out of
character for Jesus...
a. The cursing of the fig tree - Mk 11:12-14
b. The cleansing of the temple - Mk 11:15-19
[The two may be related, so let’s consider them together beginning
with...]
I. THE CURSING OF THE FIG TREE
A. THE NARRATIVE...
1. Having spent the night in Bethany, Jesus and His disciples make
their way back toward Jerusalem - Mk 11:11-12
2. Hungry, Jesus sees a fig tree with leaves from a distance and
approaches to see if there is anything on it - Mk 11:12-13
3. There is nothing but leaves, Mark noting that it was not the
season for figs - Mark 11:13
4. In response, Jesus says to the tree, "Let no one eat fruit from
you ever again" - Mk 11:14
5. Mark commented that it was heard by His disciples - Mk 11:14
B. SOME OBSERVATIONS...
1. In Palestine fig trees produced crops of small edible buds in
March followed by the appearance of large green leaves in early
April. - Bible Knowledge Commentary
a. This early green "fruit" (buds) was common food for local
peasants - ibid.
b. An absence of these buds despite the tree’s green foliage
promising their presence indicated it would bear no fruit
that year - ibid.
c. Thus this fig tree gave the appearance of offering edible
food, but did not
2. The way in which Mark organizes his material in these verses
(fig tree/cleansing of temple/fig tree) suggests a connection
between the cleansing of the temple and the cursing of the fig
tree - ESV Study Bible
4. The incident of the fig tree both interprets the cleansing of
the temple and is interpreted by the latter incident - New
International Biblical Commentary (NIBC)
a. Jesus’ disappointment with the fig tree is like his
disappointment with Israel and the temple, her chief shrine
- ibid.
b. His judgment pronounced upon the tree is like the threat of
God’s judgment soon to fall upon the city of Jerusalem,
which Jesus’ words and actions in Mk 11:15-19 prefigure
- ibid.
5. The cursing of the tree (v. 14) is known as a prophetic
sign-act, familiar to readers of the OT, an action in which a
prophet demonstrates symbolically his message (e.g., Isa 20:1-6;
Jer 13:1-11; 19:1-13; Ezek 4:1-15) - NIBC
6. The act is not to be taken simply as a rash act of anger, but
as a solemn prophetic word pronounced for the benefit of the
disciples (and for the readers) - ibid.
[Seeing that the two events (the cursing of the fig tree and the
cleansing of the temple) appear related, let’s now look more closely
at...]
II. THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE
A. THE NARRATIVE...
1. Jesus returns to Jerusalem and enters the temple - Mk 11:15-16
a. Driving out those who bought and sold in the temple
b. Overturning the tables of the money changers, the seats of
those who sold doves
c. Not allowing any to carry wares through the temple
2. He teaches in the temple - Mk 11:17-18
a. "Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of
prayer for all nations’ ? But you have made it a ‘den of
thieves.’" - cf. 1Ki 8:41-43; Isa 56:7
b. The scribes and chief priests heard this and wanted to kill
Him
c. They feared Him, for all the people were astonished at His
teaching
3. At evening, He left the city, spending the night on Mt. Olivet
- cf. Lk 21:37
B. SOME OBSERVATIONS...
1. The "temple" was the court of the Gentiles, an outer court
where non-Jews were permitted
a. Tables were set up to enable pilgrims to change their
respective currencies into coins for the annual temple tax,
as well as to purchase pigeons, lambs, oil, salt, etc., for
various sin and thanksgiving sacrifices - ESV Study Bible
b. The business activity turns the house of prayer into a den
of robbers (Jer 7:11); Gentiles in particular were hindered
by the temple commerce in the outer court - ibid.
2. This may have been the second time Jesus cleansed the temple
a. John records a similar incident at the beginning of Jesus’
ministry - Jn 2:13-17
b. Many commentators think it happened only once; but with
Jesus’ zeal for His Father’s house, there is good reason to
believe He did it twice
c. The cleansing of the temple may have been to fulfill
prophecy - Mal 3:1-3
3. Was the act of cleansing the temple "out of character" for
Jesus? No!
a. Jesus had been angry before, and would be again soon - cf.
Mk 3:5; Mt 23:13-36
b. Jesus was filled with righteous indignation, consistent with
the qualities of deity - cf. Ro 2:4-6; 2Th 1:7-9
4. It may helpful to remember...
a. When it came to personal affront, Jesus bore it meekly - cf.
Isa 53:7; 1Pe 2:23
b. But when God or His temple were maligned, especially by
hardhearted and self-righteous religious leaders, then
Jesus acted with righteous indignation in defense of God’s
honor
c. We tend to defend selves rather than God, displaying
self-righteous indignation
CONCLUSION
1. The moral and religious depravity of the religious leaders prompted
Jesus’ actions
2. Both the cursing of the fig tree and the cleansing of the temple were
prophetic sign acts that foretold the impending judgment upon the
nation of Israel that would occur with the destruction of Jerusalem
(fulfilled in 70 AD) - cf. Mk 13:1-2
