COMMENTARY ON MARK
LESSON NUMBER 119
“ Mark 11:1 And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, He sendeth forth two of His disciples, 2 And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. 3 And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. 4 And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. 5 And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? 6 And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.”
(Mark 11:1-6; Matthew 21:1-3; Lk 19:28-34)
PREPARING FOR THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY
INTRODUCTION
We are now entering into the last two weeks of Jesus’ ministry among the people. Within seventeen days, He will have been raised from the dead, and His last forty days of ministry among His disciples will commence. That means 38% of Mark’s Gospel is devoted 4% of His presence among men – including His death, burial, resurrection, and 40 days with the disciples. In Matthew it is 29%, in Luke 19%, and in John 48%. There is an obvious accent on this period of time. We should expect our Lord’s words at this time to be weighty, and the events to be of great significance. He is focused on the commandment He had received from the Father to lay down His life and take it up again (John 10:17-18). Although Jesus has commenced speaking at length to His disciples about His impending death, the weight of it all has not yet registered upon their hearts. Simultaneous with their obtuseness, the opposition of the Jewish leaders is growing, and coming to a boiling point. Yet, in this kind of environment, that would be utterly distracting to anyone else, Jesus is a picture of perfect spiritual composure. In Him we have the premier example of peace ruling the heart and keeping the mind (Phil 4:7; Col 3:15). We must learn from this that faith sustains the soul in its most trying times, and Divine enablement is given to those who live unto the Lord, to address and complete the most difficult assignments. This is all being lived out in the final days of our blessed Savior among men.
WHEN THEY CAME NEAR TO JERUSALEM
“ Mark 11:1 And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, He sendeth forth two of His disciples.”
NIGH TO JERUSALEM. The previous events of record took place in and just outside Jericho – Jesus’ going to the house of Zacchaeus (Lk 19:2-27), and then healing blind Bartimaeus just outside the city (Mk 10:46-52). Luke states that Jesus then”went before, ascending up to Jerusalem” (Lk 19:28). This was a journey of approximately seventeen miles, a journey estimated to have required a traveling time of about seven hours. According to those familiar with the lay of the land, the terrain between Jericho and Jerusalem was hilly, rugged, and desolate. Notwithstanding, the arduous nature of the journey, and the time required to make it, Matthew, Mark, and Luke leap forward to when Jesus was in the vicinity of the holy city. This will introduce us to the last week of Jesus’ life prior to the evening of His betrayal.
The words “nigh to Jerusalem” mean they were approaching the city – the place where Jesus would lay down His life, a ransom for many. Jerusalem is an example of a city “set on a hill,” being situated on mountains, requiring that anyone approaching it be ascending, or going up. However, Jesus is going there to address His mission in a state of weakness, for that will be required in order for Him to lay down His life. He in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwelt “bodily” (Col 2:9) will be “crucified through weakness” (2 Cor 13:4).
From the standpoint of experience, Jesus was descending into a valley, and would walk through it with poise and determination, fulfilling the 23rd Psalm. However, from the standpoint of purpose, He was ascending into the holy city to “accomplish” a death that would make it “just” and righteous for God to be the Justifier of sinners, and impute His righteousness to them (Rom 3:26). It is the latter view that is compelling Him to go forward. At this time, He is no doubt beginning to consider the joy that had been set before Him. This consideration would also enable Him to endure the cross, even despising the shame (Heb 12:1-2).
In all of this we are given a glimpse of the manner of the Kingdom of God. Jesus is declared to be “the Forerunner” – the One who has gone before us, entering into heaven itself. The running part of His mission commenced here on earth, as He made His way to the place of sacrifice, like Abraham made His way to the mountains of Moriah to offer Isaac. Just as with Abraham, this required resolve, and a refusal to be turned from the mission. Just as with Abraham, the experience into which he would enter was not a pleasant one, and joy would only come after due obedience had been rendered. This is the manner in which heavenly commissions are fulfilled. Whether it is Moses leading Israel out of Egypt to Canaan, Jesus offering His life, Paul fulfilling His apostleship, or believers running the race that has been set before them, it is the path of Jesus that must be followed. That includes the requirement for determination and perseverance, encountering some form of resistence, and suffering. No kingdom-person will be excluded from these requirements, for “The disciple is not above his Master, nor the servant above his Lord” (Matt 10:24).
BETHPHAGE. This city is only mentioned in relation to this journey of Jesus to Jerusalem. Historians describe it as a “village on the Mount of Olives along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, and situated in a fork of the road.” McCLINTOK-STRONG Traditionally it is viewed as a city in which the priests dwelt. However, in Scripture, the city can claim no distinction other than the fact that Jesus passed by it en route to Jerusalem, sanctifying thereby it.
BETHANY. This was a city “less than two miles from Jerusalem” NIV (John 11:18), of which several things are said. Simon the leper, who once had Jesus in his home (in which the woman with the alabaster box anointed Jesus), was in Bethany (Matt 26:6). This is where Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus resided (John 11:1). It is also where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:20-45). It is also the place where a special supper was made for Jesus (John 12:2). Coincidently, with the exception of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, every one of these accounts occurred during this trip to Jerusalem. The time when Lazarus was raised from the dead was the last time Jesus had spent time in that area (John 11:18).
The supper prepared for Jesus in Bethany apparently took place during the time of our text. John provides the details of that time, although the other Gospel writers omit them. That was the occasion when Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with some “very costly” ointment, and dried them with her hair (John 12:1-8). At that time, many people heard Jesus was there, and came to see Him, “not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom He had raised from the dead” (John 12:9). Also, at that time, the chief priests consulted how they might “put Lazarus also to death,” for he was a walking testimonial to the power of Jesus (John 12:10-11). Jesus spends the night there, resuming His journey in the morning (John 12:12).
THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. This is the place – “at the mount called the mount of olives” (Lk 19:28) – where Jesus stops, and makes arrangements for His entrance into Jerusalem. This mount is mentioned several times (John 8:1; Matt 24:3; 26:30; Lk 19:37; 21:37; 22:39). With the exception of John 8:1, these all had to do with the time of our text and forward.
THE STATING OF THE MISSION
“ 2 And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. 3 And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.”
TWO DISCIPLES SENT. Our text says that from the mount of Olives Jesus sent forth “two of His disciples.” We do not know the identity of these two disciples. Later, Jesus will send Peter and John to prepare the Passover for Him and the disciples (Lk 22:8). Here, however, we are entering an event in which the Lord Jesus Himself is the focus, and the disciples are incidental – even though they were “chosen” and “ordained” (John 15:16).
This is a Kingdom perspective that needs to be more fully developed in our time. There comes a time when people – even believing people – are not longer the focus. This is a time when what the Lord is doing is the point, and everything and everyone else must recede into the background. A Savior who is not the focus is really no Savior at all. A Lord who is not the dominant consideration is no Lord at all. As simplistic as this may appear, our salvation, from beginning to end, hinges on the discernment of Christ’s absolute priority.
THE COMMISSION. All three Gospels say the same thing. The two disciples were to go “into the village over against you.” Other versions read, “the village opposite you,” NKJV “ahead of you,” NIV “in front of you,”AMPLIFIED and “facing you.” NJB The “village” was no doubt Bethphage, which was between Bethany, where Jesus spent the night, and Jerusalem. As the men came down from the mountain, and were pointing in the direction of Jerusalem, this small and relatively unknown town was situated. However, the fulfillment of a prophecy will come to pass because of a resource supplied by that small town.
“As soon” as the disciples entered into the city, they would find a colt tied. It would be a colt that had never before been ridden. They were to loose the colt and bring it to Jesus. Matthew says they would find “an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them and bring them to Me” (Matt 21:2). The Lord did not explain what was going to be done with the colt, for “He giveth not account of any of His matters” (Job 33:13). It is true that Jesus later told His disciples, “all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you” (John 15:15). However, this was done with holy discretion, and in a timely manner. At this point, it was not necessary for the disciples to know anything other than what they were to do.
There are times – and they are more frequent than some imagine – when we are simply to do what we are told, trusting the Lord that it is right and needful. In a way, such times are a test of our faith. How thoroughly do we trust the Lord? Can we do what He commands when there is no apparent reason for it? When it comes down to the bottom line of human reasoning, “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deut 29:29). In this case, the will of the Lord was made known, but the purpose that drove that will remained “secret,” or hidden. However, what had been revealed belonged to them, and therefore they could act confidently upon the word of their Lord. They were to, (1) Go into the city that was ahead of them. (2) Find a colt that was tied up, and which had never been ridden. (3) They were to untie and loose the colt. (4) they were to bring the colt to Jesus. How did they know no one had ever ridden this colt? Were there physical indications of this? Did they have expert judgment in such matters? Was it the first colt they saw? Did they have to ask someone? I do not know the answer to this, and it is not necessary that it be known – although Matthew’s account suggests that the colt being tied with its mother indicated it was probably still being nursed, and therefore had not been ridden . The point is, when they returned to Jesus they had to have a colt that had never before been ridden. It was their business to ensure that this was precisely fulfilled. In a way, that is characteristic of all obedience, whether it is Naaman dipping seven times in the Jordan, or Saul of Tarsus arising and being baptized, washing away his sins. Jesus is to be obeyed!
WHAT TO TELL AN INQUIRER. Being a small village, it would probably be apparent that the two disciples were not from there. If someone saw them untying the colt, they might suppose they were stealing it, and would ask them, “Why are you doing this?” NKJV The answer they were instructed to give was straightforward: “The Lord has need of it; and immediately He will send it back here.” NASB That is, “The Lord is going to briefly borrow this colt, and as soon as He is finished will return it to this exact place.”
Oh, the blessedness of the person who can yield to the will of the Lord. It may be Moses giving God is rod (Ex 4:20), David loaning his sling (1 Sam 17:50), Peter letting Jesus use his boat (Lk 5:3), or a lad giving Him his lunch (John 6:9-11). It may even be Hannah lending her son Samuel to the Lord for as long as he lived (1 Sam 1:28). When, as the Psalmist said, people are “willing in the day of His power” (Psa 110:3), they will not question the need or correctness of anything the Lord tells them to do.
OBEDIENCE AND PROMISE
“ 4 And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. 5 And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? 6 And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.”
THEY WENT THEIR WAY. Technically, the “way” they went was the Lord’s way. He is the One who was going to Jerusalem to lay down His life. He is the One who ga ve the commandment. He is the One who told them what to do and say. Yet, the disciples had received and embraced what He said, so the way became their way, or path, as well. You might say they hid His word in their heart, keeping it prominent in their thinking (Psa 119:11). From another vantage point, they ran the race that was “set before” them(Heb 12:1). This is another way of saying they ran “the way” of His commandments (Psa 119:32).
THEY FOUND THE COLT. Just as Jesus said they would, they found the colt tied. Of course, they had to look for the colt, for only those who “seek” find (Matt 7:7-8). All of this assumes that what is being sought has been identified, and the people know what they are looking for.
The Lord does not tell us to seek aimlessly – looking for something, for example, that will satisfy our cravings. This is what men do by nature, seeking here and there for something that has not been identified. They are looking for something that will meet their perceived needs, but are not able to give it a name. Paul refers to such quests as beating the air – like a fighter who has no real opponent (1 Cor 9:27). The Psalmist also referred to laboring “in vain” (Psa 127:1), engaging in pointless activities (Psa 127:1).
The Lord still identifies what men are to seek, and if they seek such things, they will find them, just as surely as these two disciples did. Ponder some of the things we are told to seek. 1 – The kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt 6:33). 2 – Glory, honor, and immortality (Rom 2:7). 3 – Excelling to the edifying of the church (1 Cor 14:12). 4 – Those things which are above (Col 3:1). 5 – God Himself (Heb 11:6). 6 – Peace (1 Pet 3:11). We can learn from this text that when we look for what Jesus says in the place where He sends us, we will find it.
A PLACE WHERE TWO WAYS MET. We should not consider it a strange thing that the colt they were seeking was found “where two ways meet.” Most other versions read that the colt was found “on the street” or “in the [winding] open street.” AMPLIFIED The idea here is that, from the standpoint of the colt, it stood where all points converged, or “met.” That is, this was the most important place in the town at that time – where the colt was! The citizens of the town were not the point, nor were the structures located there. When the two disciples entered the city, whatever attractions might have been there, all roads, so to speak, led to the colt.
This is characteristic of everything we are told to seek. At some point, Divinely appointed quests are to dominate our attention, else we will never find the object of those quests.
THEY WERE ASKED WHAT THEY WERE DOING. As the Lord said, someone asked the disciples, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” NASB In fact, more than one asked the question, for it is said to have been asked by “them.” These were certain dwellers in the village who were standing there. Luke says they were “the owners” of the colt (Lk 19:33). Matthew omits all of these details. You can imagine how the whole matter looked to them. Two men, who were obviously from another place, come walking into town, go straight to a colt, and loose it right before the owners. How will all of this play out?
First, the disciples have already been alerted to the possibilities, so they are not surprised by the question. Jesus has prepared them for the occasion. The Lord told them what to answer, but did not tell them how the inquirers would respond. Here is where faith must be found.
THEY LET THEM GO. The disciples told the men precisely what Jesus had told them to say. “The Lord needs it, and He will send it back here presently.”AMPLIFIED Now, the Lord is managing this whole situation from afar. He can, as the Scriptures affirm, “turn” men’s hearts (Prov 21:1). He can make enemies be at peace with the man whose ways please Him (Prov 16:7). But what of owners whose property, according to appearance, is being taken from them Does the Lord have any control over them? Our text reads, “and they let them go,” or “they gave them permission.” NASB
This kind of response contradicts human nature. From one point of view, the “owners” may have heard of, or even seen, the Lord Jesus at some previous time. If that was the case, the words, “The Lord hath need of him,” would certainly be reason enough to let the colt be taken. Or, the Lord simply could have stopped them from interfering like He did not allow Abimelech to touch Sarah (Gen 20:6), or gave the disciples favor in the eyes of the owners as he did Joseph in the eyes of the prison keeper (Gen 39:21). The thing to be seen is that the Lord is active in the work He gives His disciples to do. He not only gives them power to do His will, but, when it is appropriate, he inclines potential adversaries to be amiable toward them.