The Send: A Life of Christ-Like ActionSýnishorn

Additional Context:

Mark 11 is full of references to the Old Testament. Mark wants you to see that even though Jesus doesn’t look like the sort of king people were expecting and praying for, He is the king that God promised to send when he spoke through the prophets. If you have time to dig deeper, look up the following verses and consider what they tell you about Jesus’ actions and the reactions of those around him.

1. Zechariah 9:9-17 – Zechariah was a prophet after the Jewish exiles returned to Jerusalem from their Babylonian captivity. Zechariah prophesied about the day when God would set up His eternal kingdom in Jerusalem, finally freeing them from their enemies. When Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, he is evoking in the crowds all of the expectations and hopes present in Zechariah 9:9-17.

2. Psalm 118 – Psalm 118 is a song of thanksgiving in which the community thanks God for delivering them from their enemies. The crowds quote it as Jesus enters Jerusalem, expecting that he would soon bring the victory celebrated in the song. Jesus also quotes this psalm in Mark 12:10-11.

3. Isaiah 56:1-12 – In Isaiah 56, the Lord speaks of a coming day when people of all nations would gather in Jerusalem to worship him as God. He then condemns Israel’s leaders for being blind and seeking their own gain. Jesus quotes Isaiah 56:7 in Mark 11:17, making it clear that his actions are a prophetic demonstration of God’s own condemnation of the Temple establishment.

4. Jeremiah 7:1-29 – Jesus also quotes Jeremiah 7:11 in Mark 11:17. Jeremiah 7 is another message of judgment against the corrupt Temple establishment. In it, the Lord calls out his people for going through the motions of Temple worship while still oppressing the poor and worshiping other gods. He warns that the Temple won’t keep them safe from the coming judgment.