Mark 12:32-37

32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert[e]! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

-Mark 12:32-37

---

If anyone says they know when Jesus returns, that should be an immediate red flag for you.  Right here in the Bible it says no one knows when Jesus will return.  Not even Jesus knows!  Check out verse 32!  How’s that possible?  Though Jesus is God, He limits his powers in deference to God the Father.  So if Jesus doesn’t even know when he will return, why would some random person on earth know?

But the focus of this passage isn’t really on figuring out when Jesus will come back.  It’s about what should we do as Christians BEFORE he comes back.  For us, that’s right now at this very moment.  Here, the Bible is clear, we have all been given jobs by God to accomplish while we wait for Jesus’ return.  The parable in verse 34 compares the man or master of the house to God and compares his servants to us.  It says that when the man left he left his servants in charge.  In order words, when Jesus ascended and left the earth, he left us in charge with an “assigned task.”

Pay attention!  This is super important.  God has given you an assigned task.  A lot of people ask what’s my purpose on earth.  For Christians, it’s so clear—your purpose is to fulfill that assigned task that God has given you.  And just a heads up—it’s not so you can make a lot of money to live comfortably and then die.  God’s assigned task for us is always focused on expanding His Kingdom here on earth.  It’s about helping us and helping others grow in faith and love.

For me, personally, one of my assigned task, for now, is to help students learn and connect with Jesus.  That’s why I’m a teacher.  That’s why I’m an AYL leader.  That’s why I help out at Harvesters.  All this is part of my purpose here on earth.  Though it’s not always easy, I feel so incredibly satisfied because I know I’m doing what God has assigned me to do.  When we live out God’s plan for us, we’re living our best lives no matter the obstacle or difficulty.

What’s the assigned task that God has given you?  Though you are only in high school, in what ways can God use you to expand His Kingdom here on earth?  If you’re not sure, pray about it and talk to godly people about it like your pastor or AYL leader or a spiritual friend you trust. 

Mark 13:1-31

13 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’[a] standing where it[b] does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.

20 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

24 “But in those days, following that distress,

“‘the sun will be darkened,
    and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
    and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’[c]
26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it[d] is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

---

The End Times

Jesus says there will be an end to life on earth as we know it. When will this happen? No one knows, but Jesus gives some clues: He says there will be wars, earthquakes, and famines... "Brother will betray brother to death." 

But that's not the worst part. He says people who believe in Him will persecuted, even flogged.

Sometimes it seems our world is on a path to destroy itself. We are living through a global pandemic that has killed over 300,000 people. We are witnesses to racial tension following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white Minnesota police officer. We see evidence of global warming brought on by our careless regard for God's earth. And if you take a quick look at social media, it seems everybody hates everyone else.

Are these signs of the end?

Maybe. Maybe not.

But Jesus makes a very important statement amidst the gloom: "the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." In other words, those who stay loyal to Jesus and His teachings will be saved. 

But how do we make sure we are with Him when this happens? What does it mean to "stand firm"? 

Believe it or not, the fact you are reading this devotion right now is part of what it means to stand firm. Standing firm also means living out the faith you have been taught, doing what is right, promoting justice, loving others including those who may not be easy to love, pursuing goals that honor God, resisting what is impure, embracing what is right and good. It's re-centering your life around Jesus.

All of the things I listed might be easier said than done. But remember you're not doing this by yourself. The Bible says there is a "cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1 ) who have gone before you to encourage you and help show you the way. There are also your Young Life leaders and your pastors and other godly people in your life who want to help you and encourage you. Use them! Use us! 

Finally and most importantly there is Jesus Himself. He wants to help us more than we may realize. When the world comes to an end, there will still be Jesus. He says He is the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13) and that He will be with us always, "even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). 

Stand firm.

Mark 12:41-44

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

-Mark 12:41-44

---

Why was the widow’s smaller giving considered to be greater than the rich people who gave much more?  It’s because Jesus can see into the heart.  Though the widow only gave a few cents, it was all she had.  This is what Jesus meant when he stated that there are people who give out of their wealth and others who give out of their poverty.  The widow who gave out of her poverty surrendered everything over to God to the point of leaving herself vulnerable and out of her comfort zone.   The rich people who gave out of their wealth gave a lot in terms of their amount, but their giving had no perceptible impact on their lives.  It was giving without true cost or sacrifice.  

I’m in the process of reading a book entitled “Overrated” by Pastor Eugene Cho.  Part of the book explains his journey in being called by God to give radically.  In 2009, he and his wife committed to giving to the needy Pastor Eugene’s entire annual salary—$68,000.  What makes this even more shocking is that at the time he was also raising three kids.  This was radical and uncomfortable giving.  It affected his entire life.  It forced him to make changes to his lifestyle and to his spending habits.  It forced him to trust God.  This was giving out of their poverty.

If God called Maria and me to give our annual salary to the poor, would we be willing to do so?  Would we be willing to make changes in our lifestyle to make this happen?  I want to say “yes,” but to be honest, these are questions that I’ve been personally wrestling with as I’ve been reading “Overrated.”  I’m not sure that at this point I have the faith and the conviction of this beautiful poor widow.  This story in the Bible convicts me and humbles me.  Thank God for His grace and for His patience in growing this particular area of my life.

I hope this passage challenges you, too.  Perhaps together, we can grow and learn how to give “out of our poverty” and not simply “out of our wealth.”

And if you want to read “Overrated,” I put an Amazon link below:

https://www.amazon.com/Overrated-More-Changing-World-Actually-ebook/dp/B00K04IX9Q/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3ERX1XL40P5VI&dchild=1&keywords=overrated+eugene+cho&qid=1590752570&sprefix=overrated+eugen%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-1

Mark 12: 38-40

³⁸ As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, ³⁹ and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁰ They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

-Mark 12: 38-40
_________________________________________________________

How sincere are we? In today’s passage, Jesus is warning us about our real motives. Back then Jewish leaders were highly regarded. They were respected and many looked up to them. They knew scriptures and were very well versed. But Jesus is giving us a warning and calling them out. But why would he call them out if what they’re doing “looked good” to other people?

These leaders were doing a lot of things to set themselves apart and be recognized. They wore specific clothes, they wanted to be greeted with respect, they made lengthy prayers, etc. so that people will see that they’re so good. But this doesn’t really appeal to God because they are not sincere with their actions. They have underlying motives with what they do. This is actually selfish and prideful. They care more about how they appear to other people than they love God. They teach the law, but they have trouble practicing it sincerely themselves.

This could be like us sometimes too. Maybe we don’t even realize it, but we do “good things” because it looks good on us. We want others to see what we do for the recognition that we get. We do things that we think are expected of us as a Christian and we judge others if they’re not following it. But are we doing it for the right reasons?

Sometimes we even think that we must “do” things so that God can love us or so that we can reach heaven. But God never forces us to do anything. He already loves us and there’s nothing we can do to change that. He loved us wholly and so we should love Him with our whole selves too. In the passage 2 days ago, Will talked about when Jesus said that the most important commandment is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30) Do we do this? We should ask ourselves, am I loving God with my whole self? I know this could be a challenge, but we can start by checking our motives and if we really are sincere with our actions.

If we truly love God and want to get closer to him, we should be able to sincerely spend time with Him because we love Him. Because of our faith in Him, we are able to serve him and love others as well. We are able to love because God loved us first. Are you sincere with your relationship with Jesus?

Mark 12:35-37

35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
    under your feet.”’[a]

37 David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd listened to him with delight.

---

These couple of verses in chapter 12 needs some context to understand. Let's set the scene. Jesus is in a temple in Jerusalem and he's being approached by priests, Pharisees and scribes. They start to ask Him questions regarding his authority and then even to try to trap Him into saying something wrong. Jesus, being who He is, deals with all the questions they throw at Him with wisdom and eloquence. He not only escapes the malicious questions, but helps settle some theological debates the Jewish leaders were having at the time. Read the verses leading up to today's passage to go in-depth into this context.

Now it's Jesus' turn to flip the table on the Pharisees and company. He uses a format similar to when the Pharisees tried to trap him with questions, but this time on them. The difference here is Jesus is able to stump them. He first asks the Pharisees, or the teachers of the law, whose son will the long-waited Messiah be. They respond with, "The son of David." This is where Jesus really stumps them, asking how can the Messiah be the son of David when David himself calls the Messiah "Lord." He quotes Psalms 110:1, a chapter that all the Pharisees would have recognized. It's one of the most important texts in the old testament that prophesies the Messiah, and is the most quoted old testament chapter in the new testament. The Pharisees knew exactly what Jesus was talking about.

What Jesus was trying to explain here was that the Messiah wasn't simply going to be a descendant of David, but he was also going to be the Son of God. Jesus was trying to teach the idea that He himself had this dual nature of being both man and God. This stumped the Jewish leaders. They knew, believed, and thought they understood this prophecy in Psalms but the reality is they didn't. They themselves, as religious leaders, still needed to learn more about who the Messiah, Jesus, really was.

My biggest take away here is no matter where you are in your walk with God, continue to learn! Jesus here is directly addressing leaders of the church, people who would have studied the old testament heavily and been regarded as the most wise members of the community. Yet it shows there was still so much for them to learn. If you've grown up in the church, have been apart of countless bible studies and have been reading the bible your whole life you might start to think you understand it all. But I think Jesus is trying to tell us you can always learn more, and grow a deeper understanding of God.

One of the most important things to do, is to never stop asking questions. In Matthew's account of the story (Matthew 22:41-46) he says none of the Pharisees dared to ask him anymore questions, maybe in fear of being proved wrong or hypocritical. But I think it's better to be proved wrong and know the actual truth, then to be stuck believing in a lie. So as you read the bible keep asking questions, especially hard ones, and bring them to your pastors, leaders and mentors. Living a Christian life means to continue to learn more about what it means to be a follow of Christ, and to grow in that knowledge!

Mark 12:28-34

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

-Mark 12:28-34

---

You may be familiar with the ten commandments (Exodus 20), which include many famous commandments such as "you shall have no other gods before me", "you shall not murder", and "you shall not steal". These are fundamental principals God gave his people to follow, which they looked to for generations and generations.

Fast forwarding to Jesus's ministry and to this specific passage, the ten commandments and the other laws written in the old testament were very much still valid and practiced at the time, including animal sacrifices and other rituals. Therefore, it was certainly an interesting question to ask Jesus which commandment is most important, even if it was a question to trap Jesus to undermine his teachings.

However, as we have seen many times when challengers approach him, Jesus provides a response that is unexpected but also reveals truths in how our relationship with God should be. In this case, he answers very simply and plainly what the two greatest commandments are: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and Love your neighbor as yourself.

Although these commandments of loving God and others may seem elementary, they in a way really encompass all other commandments and laws God gave us in the old testament and all other principals we learn in the rest of the bible. Love is emphasized throughout the bible - not only is God himself love and loves all, but Paul even writes "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Loving God is the most important and fundamental thing about being a christian. We believe in a God who loved us so much that he saved us from our sins through Jesus's death and resurrection, and therefore we respond by loving Him with our lives. Whether it is singing praise and worship during church, spending time with God through devotions and prayer, studying for tests and quizzes to honor the education God has given us, or even enjoying life with young life leaders and friends, these are all ways we show and live our love for God by loving and honoring him in all parts of our lives, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

By loving God, we are also able and called to love others, as we love ourselves. Especially in the world and society we live in today that emphasizes so much on self care and success, putting others, including our enemies, on the same level as ourselves can be a difficult thing to do. However, as Christians, we are called to serve and love, and to "do to others what you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12), and if this command comes right after the command to love God, then we better pay attention and make sure this gets incorporated in our lives!

Often Jesus's teachings may be confusing or hard to understand. But here Jesus puts in plainly and clearly for all to understand what God values the most: loving Him and loving others. Are we doing this?

Mark 12:18-27

18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

-Mark 12:18-27

---

What a super weird question to ask Jesus?  Why did the Sadducees pose this seemingly random scenario about people getting married and dying?  Of all the things you an ask Jesus, why this?

It’s because the Sadducees was a group that didn’t believe in the resurrection and possibly didn’t even believe in an afterlife.  They didn’t believe in the idea of resurrection and so created this playful scenario to mock and trap Jesus.

But look at the authority in which Jesus answers their mock riddle.  First he declares that their’s no marriage in heaven since everyone will be relationally intimate with everyone else in heaven.  How would Jesus know this unless he himself has been to heaven to begin with!

Second, he reaffirms that the famous Old Testament figures in the Bible are all still alive—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—but they are alive with God in heaven.

All of the hopes and foundations of Christianity rests upon the resurrection.  The resurrection is a reversal of not just death, but a reversal of all the consequences of sin.  To say like the Sadducees that resurrection is not possible nor the divine plan is to say that God either doesn’t have the power to restore the messed-up-ness of the world or He doesn’t care enough to do so.  Both are blatantly false and would demote God from being God.

A loving and just God would yearn for a resurrected world much like a mother who yearns for the healing for her sick child.  And our God’s love for us goes far deeper and far truer than even the abiding love of a mother.  God loves you more than even your mom does, more than your significant other, more than anyone else in the world.  In His way and in His time He will restore you.  The resurrection is real.

Mark 12:13-17

13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn't we?"

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?"

"Caesar's," they replied.

17 Then Jesus said to them, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."

And they were amazed at him.

- Mark 12:13-17

---

After Jesus came to Jerusalem in Chapter 11, we continue reading about the Pharisees (Jews) who keep trying to outsmart Jesus and find a way to kill him. In this passage, they are again trying to act dumb in front of Jesus. But of course, Jesus knows everything. He knows their tricks and foolery and asks straight up, "Why are you trying to trap me?" Honestly, no one can fool Jesus...

During that time period, people had to pay taxes to Caesar, the Roman emperor, under the government law. The Pharisees purposely asked that question about paying the taxes to see who Jesus would side with. Would Jesus say "Yes, it is right to pay" and support such a secular law, making a statement to the rest of the people? Or would Jesus say "No, do not pay it" and let those Pharisees take him away for saying something against the law?

Jesus gave such a smart answer telling them to obey the rules and respect authority while also listening to God's commands. Amazing, to the point that they were also shocked at his teaching. Jesus is unstoppable.

The Pharisees themselves know what Jesus is like. They literally spoke out of their own mouths describing Jesus as someone who is "a man of integrity", "not swayed by others", "pay no attention to who they are", "teach the way of God in accordance with the truth." These are all facts about Jesus. But, why can't they see the goodness of him? Why are they so mean and evil?

Personally, these are all characteristics of Jesus that I aspire to be. I wish I was always full of integrity.. Not swayed by others or paying attention to them.. Especially in today's society, it is so hard not to listen to other people and their expectations. I strive to be someone like Jesus who is so peaceful and real even knowing that his death will soon come.

We are so like these Pharisees sometimes. We know who Jesus is. We know what kind of good person he was and why we learn about him. But like these Pharisees, for some reason, we can't reflect Jesus in our own lives. We turn against him and question his morals time to time. Why is it so hard for us to understand and see the answer right in front of our eyes?

As we read and reflect on this devotional, we should pray to God to open our eyes and hearts. No more acting dumb because there is no way out. Jesus is truly full of integrity. The truth is right there in front of our eyes. So, let's just continue to take in Jesus' teachings and obey God's word.

Mark 12:1-12

12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:

“‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

11 the Lord has done this,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

-Mark 12:1-12

---

Why does it seem like Jesus has no chill?  This parable that Jesus tells is pretty dark.  Yet, we need to remember that we’re about a few chapters away in the Gospel of Mark from Jesus’ death.  His time on earth is beginning to diminish so Jesus is trying to relay some pretty important information quickly.

In nutshell, this passage tells us that God is patient and slow to anger but one day His judgment will come.  The landowner in this story is God.  The landowner’s servants are God’s prophets.  The son of the landowner is Jesus.  The tenants are the people of Israel who have kept rejecting God for thousands of years.

God is shown as patient because he kept sending his prophets and even sent Jesus to warn people to turn back from their sin.  But people just kept rejecting God’s invitation to repent and eventually God’s judgment comes.

This is warning to us.  Some of us have the mentality, “I’m just going to put God at the back-burner right now.  I’l really start following Him seriously later in life.  But right now, I’m going to do my own thing.”

That’s not how this Christianity thing works.  You can’t game the system.  There’s no hack for Christianity.  God knows our hearts and our secret thoughts.  You can’t out-trick or out-think God.  When we’re say we’re focus on our relationship with God LATER, we’re saying that God isn’t really that important.  We’re saying that God isn’t really God, it’s whatever else we’re focused on.  What we’re really doing is rejecting God the same way the people of Israel kept rejecting God. 

Are you putting God on the back-burner right now?  Good thing we can come to Him even with out messed up motivations and stubborn hearts.  He still receives us with open arms.  But just like this story tells us, each of us have to decide if we’re going to follow Him or reject Him.  In fact, we have to make that choice on a daily basis.  What are you choosing today?

Mark 11:27-31

27 They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28 “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

29 Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!”

31 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)

33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

---

Answer the Question

In this short but interesting passage, you can feel the increasing tension between the religious leaders and Jesus. The religious leaders are trying to get Jesus to say something "heretical" that could go against the teaching of the Jewish religion. But rather than answer directly, Jesus answers with a question regarding the authority by which John the Baptist baptized people. The question leaves the religious leaders dumbfounded, but Jesus uses their uncertainty to refuse to answer their question.

I could imagine this would be the kind of situation that people today would be able to create some pretty funny Internet memes, in which Jesus comes off as the brazen victor and the religious leaders as humiliated or confused.

But in all fairness, the religious leaders did ask a good question to Jesus... “By what authority are you doing these things?” If some high school student showed up up at AYL club and started doing miracles and things, I think we leaders may ask a similar question, like, "How are you able to do this?"

I think the answer to Jesus's question may have gone something like this... "I can do these things because God enables me. I am God in human form."

I am pretty sure if Jesus had said this so directly, the religious leaders would have gone crazy. But in essence, this is what we later learn to actually be true about Jesus. His authority comes from God because He is God.

Let that sink in for a moment... If this is true that Jesus is God in human form, then shouldn't we be following Him in everything we do?

Mark 11:12-25

12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in 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. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And 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.’”

18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples[e] went out of the city.

20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” 

-Mark 11:12-25

---

What a weird passage.  This is like “mean” Jesus.  Jesus curses a fig tree and it dies and then Jesus goes postal and starts flipping tables at the temple.  What’s going on?

This passage is portraying Jesus as a righteous judge.  As Christians and sinners, we love the loving Jesus.  The cuddly Jesus.  But Jesus is not cuddly.  I love Christian author C. S. Lewis’s depiction of God as a magnificent lion named Aslan in his Chronicles of Narnia book series.

“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"..."Safe?" said Mr. Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.” -The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe

Jesus isn’t going postal in this passage when he curses the fig tree or causing a ruckus at the temple.  He’s demonstrating his power as the king of the universe.  He’s warning us all that one day judgment is coming.  As king, he’s going to deal with all the injustice, all the sin, and all the messed-up-ness of the world and make it right.  That’s what a good king does—make things right.

In this passage, merchants were using the temple courts and using religion to take advantage of everyday people by charging exorbitant prices for animals necessary for sacrifice in the Jewish religion.  Jesus said that’s messed up that you’re using religion to get rich for yourself so he overturned their tables as a sign of judgment.  As king, Jesus was dealing with an injustice.

This passage should give us comfort that we have a God who loves justice.  All the injustices in the world will one day be made right, if not here on earth, then certainly on the Day of Judgment before the throne of God. 

Mark 11:1-11

As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 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. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’”

4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

10 “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

-Mark 11:1-11

---

When we think of a king, we probably expect a certain type of king. Maybe someone who will get rid of all the bad things in the world, someone who is very powerful and sits on a golden throne with a very expensive crown, someone who is very different and clearly better than us, someone who could replace a faulty government and make it perfect. If I was living back in Jesus’ time, this is probably the kind of king that I would’ve expected.

But Jesus is not the king that people thought he would be. He was a very humble God who served his people. We see in the passage that He didn’t come into Jerusalem on a chariot with majestic horses but instead, He used and sat on a colt. He didn’t have a red carpet with gold lining coming in but instead, people spread their cloaks on the road. He also didn’t brag about the things that he could do and showed that he was invincible. But instead, he showed how human he was and how he met us at our level. A God who is the highest of all humbled himself and became one of us and served us. He even washed his disciples’ feet. Instead of perishing all the sinners and the bad guys, he himself died to save us sinners who are not worthy. That’s the kind of King he is – a very humble servant leader.

This is something to be celebrated! People celebrated the king who would save us from beyond our comprehension. People back then probably expected him to save them from the Roman government and overthrow them, but Jesus wanted to save us beyond that. He would save us from our sins. And that’s the Hosanna we should shout for even today!

But then in this passage, there will be a quick turnaround in the next chapters. As people are celebrating the king and rejoicing, they didn’t know what was about to happen. That in just a couple of days Jesus would suffer and be humiliated. He would be whipped and get mocked. He would be carrying the cross that he would be nailed to and die. That’s how he is saving us, by taking and carrying our sins. I think this shows us how we can have hope in God as well. Because Jesus transformed all that pain and suffering and made it redemptive. He used that suffering so that he could save us and transform us.

This reminds me of our current situation. Earlier this year we were just celebrating the holidays and we were on vacation enjoying our time with our friends and family. We didn’t know what was about to happen. No one expected that we will be in a global pandemic. Now we are locked in our homes and many are affected and suffering. But we should have hope in God. During this low time, we should remind ourselves of what kind of God we have, who through his pain gave us a chance to live with him in eternity. He was able to transform suffering and gave us peace and joy. He can do that for us today too. We are not stuck in the horrible things that are happening in the world but instead, we can find God in our current situation because he could bring peace and joy to us.