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Mark 11:14
   The disciples heard it. Interesting. Mark, of course, tells us this so that we will know how they knew later that the tree withered due to his words. But, it also tells us something else. Jesus didn’t yell at this tree. He didn’t make a big deal out of it. Our verse here makes it sound as if they just barely overheard his words. It may have been ‘under his breath’ so to speak.
   Why would I say this? Am I thinking Jesus was trying to hide what he said? No. It just reveals the tone and tenor of his words. He wasn’t happy. Part of his displeasure over the fruitlessness of the people of God was dispensed on this tree
    And this highlights yet another point. Though Jesus already knew before he ever came to Earth that this would be the outcome, he was still displeased. So, Just as he came to his people anyway, he was displeased anyway. This gives us a glimpse into the inner workings of God’s thought process. He knows all of everything from the outset. He operates outside of time. Place and circumstance have no pull with him. And yet, we see him operate throughout history as though he were one of us. And this is because he is personal and alive. A living person interacts with time and space and circumstances as they are. God does no less, though he is in no way dependent upon any of it. It is because of this that we see the progressive buildup of his wrath, and the linear nature of the dispensation of his mercy.

Heavenly Father, you are such a wonderful person! Though we do not deserve to live, you have considered your glory, and that is naught but good for us. Your mercy sweeps over us as you have planned a way to make us once again your beautiful creation. It’s all about you, for it must be. Only you would have the love and patience to make us what we ought to be. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you. Amen.

Mark 11:13
   Though on the face of it this verse seems to be quite straightforward, it has been the cause of much consternation to Bible scholars. And why is this? It is due to the wording here. It sounds as if Jesus is looking for fruit on a tree, and doesn’t know that there is no fruit on it. As we know he proceeds to curse the tree, so that it will bear no more fruit.
   Well, this causes all kinds of problems. Why would he not realize that there was not fruit on this tree? Isn’t cursing a fruitless tree a bit harsh? So, we see there are some serious interpretive challenges here.However, as always, we must consider the issues in context.
   It is in this passage that Jesus finds the nation of Israel sadly lacking in their faith. It is here that he begins to think in earnest of the cross. It is at this time that the nature of the Suffering Servant comes into view. That the Messiah has come to be the sacrifice we now see.
   And how does this bear upon our verse? Well, we realize that it was not a regular occurrence. We are not usually told where Jesus found his meals. And, it is not to be expected that he was in the habit of cursing things. More than that, we have already seen in the context that though Jesus knew the nation of Israel would reject him, he came into his temple anyhow.
   This reveals then that the following is the sense of this verse. Jesus sees a fig tree with leaves. Though it was not at that time the season for figs, the leaves would indicate that there were figs present. Jesus knows all along that there is not fruit, but the tree serves as a perfect example of the fruitlessness of the Jews. It advertised fruit, but it was barren. The nation of Israel was the same way. Advertisements of fruit were found everywhere, but actual fruit was scarce. This is why Jesus curses the tree, as an example of the judgement of the false fruit of hypocrisy.

Heavenly Father, your careful love so much reflects the heart of a gardener. You nurture us and you look for fruit. Thank you for working in us to produce the fruit of the Spirit. It is the ambition of our lives to be better than we are. We fall so far short, but that is when we rely only on ourselves. In Christ we can bear much fruit. He is worthy of our sacrifice of praise, our fruitfulness for his kingdom. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 11:11
This is one of the very interesting verses of Scripture. Jesus comes into the temple, looks around really good, and then leaves. Strange! Why this weird behavior? Well, it is not strange at all when you put it in context. Scripture reveals to us what he was looking for, and what he found.
This is prophesied in Malachi 3:1. Jesus had come into Jerusalem as the King on this day. He, the Lord, came to His temple. And what was he looking for? Genuineness. Faithfulness. Love. Truth. Now, some might object, saying that Jesus knew he wouldn’t find these things. Ah, but that is the point, he came anyway. The chance was given. The Lord came as he said he would.
We will see in the coming verses what he did as a result of what he did find on this occasion.

Heavenly Father, when you inspect our hearts, which are your temple, may you find nothing but praise for you. We want our sanctuary to be a holy place that is comfortable to you. We want you to see love for you all over in there. You are worthy! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 11:10
Make sure to understand one thing here. The kingdom is not the kingdom of David because Jesus’s kingdom is the kingdom of David. The kingdom is Jesus’s kingdom, and David’s kingdom is tied to that. In other words, even though David’s kingdom came first, the kingdom belongs to Christ, and always has. But God, in His Infinite Wisdom has identified the throne of David, the kingdom of David, with the kingdom of Jesus Christ. This is because Jesus is physically in the line of David. Thus it is a physical and a spiritual Kingdom.
Also, we see the people saying ‘hosanna in the highest’. The reason for the phrase ‘in the highest’, is that it is a way to say the name of the Lord without saying the name of the Lord. This is standard Hebrew usage. It is due to the command not to take the name of the Lord in vain. As a result of this command, the Jews would avoid using the Lord’s name altogether.

Heavenly Father, we can never cease to thank you for Jesus Christ. It is so wonderful to have salvation in him. But we know that his kingdom is both physical and spiritual. Though we have salvation spiritually in him, we look forward to that day when he will reign physically on Earth. He is glorious and wonderful. We will work for his glory in this life and in the next. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pay and praise you, Amen.

Mark 11:9
What a fine procession! The imagery is amazing here. The whole crowd cries out in unison whether before or behind. It must have been something to see and hear. And Jesus was the center of all of it.
The word we see here, ‘Hosanna’, needs some explanation. Very often we find that words in the original languages that don’t translate easily are transliterated. Transliteration just means that the letters of a word in one language are changed to the similar letters in another language.
Hosanna is even more unique in that it is the English transliteration of a Greek word that comes directly from Hebrew. It comes from Psalm 118:25-26, which is what the people are quoting here. It means, save us now!

Heavenly Father, we don’t really say Hosanna anymore. After you have saved us, we tend to not cry out to you for anything like this. We just deliver our wish lists. We act as if all there is for you to do is to maintain the status quo. But you want to do so much more! You want to use us in ways that we cannot imagine. Hosanna! Save us from complacent attitudes. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 11:8
What were they doing? Making a way fit for a king! Jesus deserves the best. Do we always treat him this way? No. But we should. He is worthy.
The fact that they had the needed tools to cut branches from the trees indicates the involvement in this activity. This crowd wasn’t only made up of Jesus’s followers. It also included the local inhabitants of the area.

Heavenly Father, you are so wise! You know how to bring our souls to a place of exultation. You see our need to worship because you made us. You give us the opportunity to be involved in the work of your dear Son. Thank you for integrating us into your bigger plan. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 11:7
I’ve always thought it strange that they immediately knew what Jesus had in mind. But, really it isn’t strange at all. They knew that the Messiah would take his place as the King on the throne of David. And Jesus will indeed do this. But, at this point he finds the nation not ready to accept him.

Heavenly Father, thank you for all that you do, and how that you do it. But, may we still see that your plan is full of wisdom even when we don’t really see how. We realize it is your prerogative to lead us as you will. We will glorify you, no matter what. You are always faithful to us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 11:6
To how many of us has he said, I have need of you! Yet we will willingly offer our colt. Of whatever we may have we find something to give, but not what he seeks. He has need of us. But we fail to see what being needed by him really means. We fail to see it for the honor that it is.

Heavenly Father, to know your glory and to participate in your gigantic plan for this world is an honor that we cannot understand well. Jesus holds out to us the opportunity to be involved in something eternal, and we cannot look past today. Thank you for your patience with us! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 11:5
The disciples are interrogated, likely by the owners of the animal. Why would Jesus choose this particular colt? One good reason is the place where the colt was. It was in open view. It is not as if the disciples crept into someone’s back yard to take it.
Was it a theft? Well, Jesus may very well have known the people that owned the colt. But, even if he did not, it wasn’t a theft becuase the disciples were allowed to take the animal. Jesus didn’t tell the disciples for sure that somebody would ask about the colt, he said if. But, Jesus knew that the owners would send the animal. Besides this, it was likely returned shortly.

Heavenly Father, thank you for providing for us. You already have everything we need ready to go. Yo know where it will all come from. Thank you for using us! We praise you for your faithfulness. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.