Category: Uncategorized

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.

Mark 11:4
Wasn’t this a strange place to leave a colt tied? Not necessarily. Since there were people around, they may have tied it there temporarily and planned to get it later. It was, however, quite a convenient location for the disciples, being easy to find.
This is a miniature commentary on how God’s omniscience works. Jesus could have just had a colt appear in this location, without an owner. But, he uses a colt already there. Our modern minds would think pulling a colt out of thin air would be better. But, that’s just not the case.
The fact that Jesus uses this colt glorifies him in several ways. For one, it shows his wisdom. Had he made a colt appear out of nowhere the people would have thought he had a demon for sure. Using a colt already in existence reminds his followers that he is the Creator. It all belongs to him. Also, the fact that he knew about the colt was an indication of his omniscience. So, choosing to use existing circumstances is a way that God illustrates his knowledge of everything, and his mighty power.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your knowledge! It is so comforting to know that you know everything. Your goodness to us is amazing! Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 11:3
Jesus demonstrates his omniscience very clearly in this verse. How would he know that whoever had the colt would respond positively to his instructions to the disciples? Because he knows everything. So, already he has made clear his omnipotence and omniscience in this passage about the Triumphal Entry.

Heavenly Father, help us to understand that you have given us everything in Christ. We must realize what a privilege it is to serve him. Never will we ever exhaust his praises. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 11:2
I just love the fact that Jesus points out the nature of this colt. He tells us that the colt had never been ridden before. Now, he could have gotten his disciples to go get it without mentioning that fact. But, he throws it in because, well, it’s glorious!
You don’t just go find a colt and sit on it. There’s a domesticating process. But for Jesus, that was totally unnecessary. Jesus knew what he was doing. And he knew that this was the Triumphal Entry. And there was no reason to hold back on his power. There was no reason not to make it clear that he was going to ride a colt that had never been ridden before.

Heavenly Father, thank you for making your glory clear to us. It makes it so wonderful to serve you. We feel like we’re doing something great when we serve in your ministry. And, we know that you don’t mind if we’re proud to belong to you. You want us to be happy that we are your servants. Thank you for making your service such a joy! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 11:1
The Mount of Olives is on the east of Jerusalem. This was a special place for Jesus and his disciples. It is so interesting to study how Jesus spent his free time. We don’t know much, but we do know that Lazarus and his sisters were his friends.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the friends that you give us in this life. It is good to have people we can share our thoughts with. It is wonderful to be able to fellowship with each other in Christ. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.