Mark 11:1-11

Pastor Kurt Gebhards returned to our study of The Gospel of Mark today:

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.

What kind of Christian are you? Are you a follower or Christ “if only”? Or are you a follower “even though”.

This passage shows an example of “if onlys”. It’s also the beginning of Christ’s final week on earth and shows both His authority and humility.

Jesus is getting ready to enter Jerusalem. All of history was waiting for this. And He tells His disciples to get a donkey. This was to fulfill prophecy: Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

When people rode horses back then they did it to show their military might. Zechariah tells us Jesus would ride in on a donkey to show His humility.

He would have ridden about 2 miles and all along the way people were drawn to come and lay down their cloaks and wave their palms.  They shouted Hosanna, which means, “Oh! Save!” It’s a desperate cry of a heart that realizes it needs to be saved. Of course later they showed they didn’t understand the way He was saving them or what He was saving them from. They wanted an earthly king who would get them out from under Roman rule and because He didn’t do that they turned against Him. They would be followers “if only.”

And between Sunday and Friday they went from shouting, “Hosanna!” to “Crucify Him!”