Mark 11 - Palm Sunday

Kicking Off Holy Week

Well, hey, welcome to The Well. If we have not met yet, my name is Brad. I’ve had the privilege of hanging around this place for a long, long time, and we get to open our Bibles tonight to Mark chapter 11. I know what you might be thinking: “Wait a second, I thought we were in a series in First Timothy.” Yes, we were. But considering it is the beginning of Easter week, and midweek is a little unique, we’re going to teach a Palm Sunday message a couple of days early because it is Thursday. We figured, hey, let’s go ahead and kick it off right. We’re going to pull out of our series just for a little bit to talk about Jesus.

Before we get into that, though, I want to offer a special welcome to the guests who might be here. We’ve been meeting a lot of new people lately. Our online attendance is dropping and our in-person attendance is growing because people are saying, “Hey, it’s time.” I’m just thankful you’re here. Welcome back to the family—moving from the virtual family to the real family. If we can help you in any way, please let us know. There’s been a lot of isolation over the last couple of years. A lot of people are alone and hurting, and we would love to come alongside you, encourage you, and get you connected into some community life environments.

As you turn to Mark 11, let me set up how we’re thinking about this Easter week. Obviously, we have Palm Sunday, which we’re dealing with tonight. Then, on Thursday, we’re going to have a Passover Seder that releases online. It’s a nice Jewish Passover experience, complete with recipes and teachings. It’s a really well-shot video; if you’ve seen it before, you know that is not my kitchen. I wish it was my kitchen, but it’s the most beautiful kitchen I’ve ever seen in my life. Then Friday, we’re going to do a Good Friday gathering. That will be a little different for us—a bit darker, focusing more on the cross and the grave. Finally, we’re going to gather outdoors for Easter Sunday, everyone together. One of our newer staff gals asked, “How many people do you think are going to come to the outdoor gathering?” I said, “Welcome to The Well Community Church, because we have no idea.” It could be anywhere between 1,500 and 4,000. We’ll see what happens! We will have online content for those who aren’t ready for a crowd that big, but we’re excited to be together.

The Gospel According to Peter

Let’s talk about this event called the Triumphal Entry. It’s recorded in all four Gospel accounts. There are only about ten events in the life of Jesus recorded in all four. You’ll find it in Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, and John 12. The significance of that is simple: if an event is in all four Gospels, the Holy Spirit inspired all four authors to include it because it was vital.

Now, each Gospel brings a different nuance. Matthew highlights the kingship of Jesus. Mark highlights the servanthood of Jesus. Luke shows His humanity, and John shows His deity. So: King, Servant, Man, God. But who is Mark? If you read through the names of the disciples, you don’t see a “Mark.” He’s often referred to as John Mark. It was common to have two names: a Hebrew name for family time and Shabbat, and a Greek name for the marketplace.

We first find him in Acts 12. Peter is locked in jail, and the church is praying for his release. When Peter is miraculously delivered, he knocks on the door of the house where they are praying—and that looks to be John Mark’s home. Later, he goes with the Apostle Paul on the first missionary journey. Paul was not afraid of conflict; he gets to the island of Cyprus and confronts a magician, things go bad, and Paul powers up. It’s as close to a fight as you’ll get in your Bible. Unfortunately, John Mark wasn’t ready for that intensity. He abandoned the work.

This became a major issue. When the second missionary journey was being planned, Barnabas—the “son of encouragement”—wanted to give John Mark another chance. He wanted to get the boy back on the horse. Paul said, “No. He’s a quitter. He abandoned me. I’m not bringing him.” Barnabas and Paul actually split over this. Barnabas took Mark back to Cyprus to restore him. I hope you have a Barnabas in your life; they are a gift. Eventually, Barnabas introduces Mark to Peter. In 1 Peter 5, Peter refers to him as “my son Mark.” This wasn’t a biological son, but a spiritual son. Peter discipled him.

In many ways, Mark became to Peter what Luke was to Paul. He hung out with Peter and wrote down what happened. So, when you read Mark, you’re really reading Peter’s Gospel. You can even write “Peter’s Gospel” in the margin. This is why Mark reads so differently. It’s staccato. The word “immediately” is used 40 times. It’s like Peter’s personality: “Let’s go! Let’s go!” There’s not much backstory or fluff; it’s just the action.

The Mission and the Donkey

Another interesting thing about the Gospels is the law of proportion. The first 30 years of Jesus’ life are covered very quickly. In Mark, chapters 1 through 10 cover 30 years. But chapters 11 through 16 cover just nine days. What does that tell you? It suggests that what happened in those nine days was so important that everything slows down. Every detail mattered.

As they approached Jerusalem, near Bethphage and Bethany by the Mount of Olives, Jesus sends two disciples ahead. He tells them, “Go into the village. Immediately you’ll find a colt tied there that no one has ever sat on. Untie it. If anyone asks what you’re doing, say, ‘The Lord has need of it.’”

Mark 11:1-6 (NASB)

As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, and said to them, ’Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied [there], on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it [here]. ’If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ you say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he will send it back here.’ They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it. Some of the bystanders were saying to them, ‘What are you doing, untying the colt?’ They spoke to them just as Jesus had told [them], and they gave them permission.

This feels like something out of a Jason Bourne film. “Go to this street, find this animal, use this code word.” It sounds like they’re stealing a colt, but Jesus has it all set up. Matthew’s Gospel tells us this was to fulfill the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9: “Behold, your king is coming to you… humble and mounted on a donkey.” The fact that no one had ever ridden the colt meant it was permissible for sacred duties. Jesus, the King of Kings, intentionally and methodically fulfills the scriptures.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus often seems to be meandering. He’s in Galilee, then Jerusalem, then Caesarea Philippi. He’s unhurried. In John’s Gospel, He repeatedly says, “My time has not yet come.” He wouldn’t let people rush the plan. But here in Mark 11, the meandering stops. The time had finally come.

Hosanna: God, Save Us

There was a massive expectation for a King. From Genesis 3, where a serpent-crusher is promised, to Abraham being told his descendant would bless all nations, to David being promised an eternal throne—the people were waiting. We have the advantage of looking back and saying, “Duh, it’s Jesus.” They didn’t have that. They just had a hopeful expectation. When Jesus reads Isaiah in the synagogue and says, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing,” people started wondering, “Is this the one?”

So, as Jesus sits on that donkey, hope is rising.

Mark 11:7-10 (NASB)

They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it. And many spread their coats in the road, and others [spread] leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting: ‘Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Blessed [is] the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!’

They are shouting “Hosanna!” In Hebrew, it’s Hoshihanna, which means “God, save us.” This was a phrase used during the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles). During that feast, the priest would pour water on the altar while the people cried out, “Hosanna! Save us! Give us rain! Give us a harvest! Protect us from our enemies!”

Jesus actually interrupted that feast in John 7. While they were crying for water, He stood up and shouted, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink!” He was showing them that while they were looking at the water, they should have been looking at Him. He was the fulfillment of everything they were crying for.

In Mark 11, the crowds are in front and behind Him. The streets in Jerusalem are narrow—maybe five feet wide. It’s not like I-5 with plenty of lanes. It’s tight. And they are all shouting that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. They aren’t calling Him a “good teacher” or a “nice person.” In this moment, they are calling Him the Savior of the world.

The Triumphal Procession

They were waving palm branches, which is why we call it Palm Sunday. While palm branches were used at Sukkot in October, using them now most likely connected to Roman culture. Rome loved to celebrate itself with something called a “Roman Triumph.” A conquering general would ride into the city on a chariot with four horses. His captives would be marched through the city, stripped and humiliated, while the bounty of war followed in wagons. It was a massive “I’m awesome” parade.

If you go to Rome today and see the Arch of Titus, you’ll see a depiction of a triumph where they are carrying the menorah and treasures from the destroyed Temple in Jerusalem. It was a display of the glory of the conqueror and the shame of the conquered.

Jesus is presenting His own version of a triumph. He is the conqueror, and the crowds are honoring Him as King. Paul uses this imagery later in his letters, saying that God always leads us in triumph in Christ and that Jesus made a public display of the powers of darkness, triumphing over them. The expectation was reaching a fever pitch. Even the religious leaders tried to quiet the crowd, and Jesus told them that if the people were silent, the very rocks would cry out.

Looking Around the Temple

After this grand entry, Jesus goes into the Temple.

Mark 11:11 (NASB)

Jesus entered Jerusalem [and came] into the temple; and after looking around at everything, He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.

He looks around at everything and then leaves for Bethany because it was late. Mark tells us He cleanses the Temple the next day. But I want to ask: what did He see when He looked around?

Jerusalem was packed with millions of people for Passover. Jesus walked through the Temple Mount—a 37-acre complex. He saw all the worship and all the sacrifices. If you’ve ever tried to read Leviticus, you know it’s a bloody mess of burnt offerings, grain offerings, and guilt offerings. That’s the point. The law showed that we can’t live up to God’s standard, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

Jesus was looking at atoning sacrifices that only covered sin. They never took it away. He knew that for the first time in history, an offering was about to be made that wouldn’t just cover sin, but remove it. He was looking at the system He was about to fulfill once and for all. He knew that soon, He would sit at the right hand of God, and anyone who believed in Him wouldn’t have to bring offerings over and over again. He would be enough.

Managing Expectations and the Reality of Sin

Nobody else caught this. The crowds wanted a king, but they didn’t know what they needed saving from. If you asked them, they would have said, “Save us from Roman occupation!” They wanted someone to help them thrive, prosper, and get through the day.

But that’s not why Jesus came. Jesus is not just a moral teacher. He didn’t come to just help us be “better.” If you grew up in a moralistic church that said, “If you live right, God will love you,” you missed the point. We have a sin issue. There is no “living right” when you have a heart of sin. Jesus didn’t come for behavior modification; He came for sin removal.

Is Jesus what you expected? A lot of people are disappointed with Jesus because their expectations are tweaked. They think, “If I trust Jesus, I’ll never suffer. Life won’t be hard. My marriage will be fixed instantly. I’ll never struggle with my old life again.” When those things don’t happen, they think He failed. But those things are byproducts, not the primary purpose. He came to deal with the root issue of sin. He came to renovate our hearts and re-establish our relationship with God.

As we head into this Passion Week, I want to give you three practices to enter into.

First, open your heart to who Jesus really is. That might mean getting “downwind of yourself.” I went on a walk with my dog today. It’s a good time to pray, even though the dog wants to smell everything and it can be frustrating. I just said, “Lord, search me. Know my heart. See if there is any hurtful way in me.” And He actually shared some things with me—not audibly, but I realized I have issues with patience, anger, control, and wanting to be right all the time. The longer you walk with the Lord, the more you learn to manage sin rather than hate it. Don’t just tolerate it. Ask God what needs to be dealt with.

Second, embrace what He’s done for you. Be thankful. I am so thankful for the Gospel because I know who I was, and I know who I would be today apart from the Holy Spirit and the grace of Christ.

Finally, be mindful of those who don’t know Him. We are an equipping church, but I bet there are people in your life who need the Gospel. Pray for them. Invite them. Maybe grab one of the “Egg Your Neighbor” baskets on the way out and use it as an invite. Let’s remember that He is indeed the Savior of the world.

Father, I’m thankful that You push on our expectations. You didn’t come simply to make us moral; You came to pay the price for sin. On the cross, You took our place—the just for the unjust. We are grateful. As we head into this week, help us not to just click through the days of a religious holiday, but to open our hearts to You afresh. Show us what needs continued redemption in our lives. We thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.