Mark 11

King James Version

Full text for Mark Chapter 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,

2And 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.›

4And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.

5And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?

6And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.

7And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.

8And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed [them] in the way.

9And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

10Blessed [be] the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

11And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

12¶ And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

13And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not [yet].

14And Jesus answered and said unto it, ‹No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever.› And his disciples heard [it].

15And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

16And would not suffer that any man should carry [any] vessel through the temple.

17And he taught, saying unto them, ‹Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.›

18And the scribes and chief priests heard [it], and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

19And when even was come, he went out of the city.

20And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

21And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

22And Jesus answering saith unto them, ‹Have faith in God.›

23‹For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.›

24‹Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive [them], and ye shall have [them].›

25‹And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.›

26‹But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.›

27¶ And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,

28And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

29And Jesus answered and said unto them, ‹I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.›

30‹The baptism of John, was [it] from heaven, or of men? answer me.›

31And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?

32But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all [men] counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

33And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, ‹Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.›

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jesus enters Jerusalem triumphantly on a colt, acclaimed by the crowds with shouts of "Hosanna." He then cleanses the temple, overturning tables and rebuking those who made it a "den of thieves." Later, he curses a barren fig tree, which withers, and teaches his disciples about the power of faith and the importance of forgiveness. Finally, he silences the chief priests and elders who question his authority by posing a question they cannot answer.

Medium Summary

Mark 11 begins with Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, riding a colt procured by his disciples as prophesied. Crowds spread garments and branches, shouting "Hosanna" and acknowledging him as coming in the name of the Lord. Upon entering the city, Jesus inspects the temple before returning to Bethany. The next day, Jesus curses a barren fig tree, which later withers from the roots, serving as a lesson. He then returns to the temple, where he casts out merchants and moneychangers, declaring it a house of prayer, not a "den of thieves." This act provokes the scribes and chief priests, who begin to seek his destruction. Jesus subsequently teaches his disciples about the power of faith in God and the necessity of forgiveness in prayer. The chapter concludes with religious leaders challenging Jesus' authority in the temple, to which Jesus responds with a counter-question about John's baptism, leaving them unable to answer and thus silencing their inquiry.

Long Summary

Mark 11 opens with Jesus' approach to Jerusalem from Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives. He dispatches two disciples to find a colt, specifically one "whereon never man sat," instructing them to say "the Lord hath need of him" if questioned. The disciples find the colt as foretold and bring it to Jesus, who then rides it into Jerusalem. Crowds spread their garments and cut down branches, crying "Hosanna" and proclaiming the coming kingdom of David, acknowledging his divine authority. Jesus enters the temple, observes his surroundings, and then withdraws to Bethany with the twelve as evening falls. The following day, returning from Bethany, Jesus, being hungry, approaches a fig tree with leaves, hoping to find fruit, but finds none as it was not the season for figs. He curses the tree, saying, "No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever," which his disciples hear. Upon reaching Jerusalem, Jesus enters the temple and forcefully expels those who were buying and selling, overturning the tables of moneychangers and the seats of dove sellers. He declares that his house should be a "house of prayer for all nations," not a "den of thieves." The chief priests and scribes, hearing these things and fearing Jesus due to the people's astonishment at his teaching, begin to plot his destruction. The next morning, the disciples observe the cursed fig tree withered from its roots. Peter recalls Jesus' words, prompting Jesus to teach about the power of faith in God, stating that with unwavering belief, one can command a mountain to be cast into the sea. He further instructs that whatever is desired in prayer, if believed to be received, shall be granted. Additionally, Jesus emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, stating that one must forgive others to receive forgiveness from the Father in heaven. Later, while Jesus is walking in the temple, the chief priests, scribes, and elders confront him, demanding to know by what authority he performs these actions. Jesus responds by offering to answer their question if they first answer his: whether John's baptism was "from heaven, or of men." The religious leaders deliberate amongst themselves, fearing both the people's belief in John as a prophet and Jesus' potential counter-argument. Unable to answer, they confess their ignorance, and Jesus, in turn, refuses to disclose his authority.

Core Concepts

  • Triumphal EntryJesus' symbolic entry into Jerusalem on a colt, fulfilling prophecy and being hailed by crowds with "Hosanna," signifying his messianic claim as the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
  • Cleansing of the TempleJesus' forceful expulsion of merchants and moneychangers from the temple courts, asserting its purpose as a "house of prayer for all nations" and condemning its desecration into a "den of thieves."
  • Cursing of the Fig TreeAn object lesson demonstrating the consequences of barrenness and hypocrisy, as the tree with leaves but no fruit is cursed and withers, serving as a visual parable of spiritual unfruitfulness.
  • Power of FaithJesus' teaching to his disciples that unwavering faith in God enables them to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks, such as moving mountains through prayer, if they believe they shall receive.
  • Importance of ForgivenessJesus' instruction that forgiveness of others is a prerequisite for receiving forgiveness from God for one's own trespasses, emphasizing a reciprocal relationship.
  • Questioning of AuthorityThe confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders who challenge his authority, which Jesus skillfully deflects by posing a question about John's baptism that they cannot answer, highlighting their hypocrisy and fear of the people.