Origins of Palm Sunday
There are many "special" Sundays that non-Christians may know by name. Easter and Christmas are the two most named. Palm Sunday probably ranks third. Pentecost Sunday is a distant fourth. In some parts of the country, Advent is recognized as well. But Mark 11:1-10 is where Palm Sunday comes from. Christ was entering Jerusalem for his final visits. He wouldn't be going out evangelizing the outer areas of Israel any more. This marked the beginning of His end of time walking as man on Earth.
He sent two of his disciples ahead of Him to get a colt to ride into the city on. The owner wanted to know why they were taking the colt, and they replied as Jesus had instructed that the Master needed the colt, and the man let them take the colt away.
He came into the city of Jerusalem with as much glory, pomp, and circumstance as a conquering general might have in the day. The people threw garments in front of the colt and put palm fronds in His path. They cried out praises to Him, Hosanna's to the king. They blessed Him as coming in the name of the Lord and recognized His ancestry back to David. They continued praising God in the highest.
And yet, just days later they would have switched and would be crying out for Him to be crucified. Their hearts would have been turned by the religious leaders who opposed Christ. Many more realized that in spite of being led into the city as a conquering hero, He wasn't planning to reverse the oppression of the Romans at this point in time, and turned against Him because He didn't do what they wanted, when they wanted it. Does any of this sound familiar?
There used to be political seasons. Anymore, it seems like it's all really just one big political season. It seems like the party that lies the most gets in (unless the previous party has done something monumentally stupid, which happens). Then they go about their business just like they please, especially if they are term limited and don't have to worry about being elected again.
Christ, however, never said He was going to overthrow the Romans. He never told the people what they wanted to hear. He always told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, although He did occasionally couch the truth in parables. He was an honest preacher, prophet, and the Messiah. The people just didn't realize that He wouldn't be setting up His kingdom for a long time. And because of this, the people who lauded Him in this section of Mark's gospel, turned against Him.
How often are we like that? Many times I've heard people make comments like "If God really created all of this, why has He let it go to pot?" or "Doesn't God care about X?" where X is something very important to them. Perhaps a relative died or was suffering from a disease or had come on other hard times. The answer, of course, is that God cares about all of those things, but that way back in the day, Adam and Eve made a choice to disobey God's simple command and got thrown out of the garden of Eden. If they hadn't done so, they might still be alive today. Don't laugh - Enoch and Elijah are still alive, awaiting the time to come back and testify against the anti-Christ's kingdom.
We don't get what we want when we want it and turn against God. Over and over. There have been many prayers that I have prayed that have yet to be answered. Some weren't, to my knowledge. And yet, I know that I must accept that God has a plan that overrides everyone else's plan. If some of our requests can be answered affirmatively and it doesn't mess up His overall plan and doesn't make the recipient's life worse in the long run, or those around them, then like any other Father, He might be inclined to say yes and grant the request. It isn't that He isn't able to do anything we ask. But sometimes, like earthly fathers, He knows better than to grant some requests.
We need to accept that God is in control. Even Christ asked that if there was any way for what was coming to be avoided that God would choose that path. But Christ also knew enough to ask for God's will to be done.
Don't run hot and cold based on what God does or doesn't do that should be right or is wrong in your opinion. We're all just Mark 1 human beings. We aren't God. If things aren't going the way you think they should go, keep praying. Don't give up. But also ask God why and listen for the answer or read the Bible and maybe the answer will pop off the page as you read. Stay pro-God, even if things don't go according to your plan.
Salvation, through the cross, was a far better thing for humanity than overthrowing the Roman empire. And believe it or not, that empire did eventually implode, even if it wasn't in the time frame that the Jewish people wanted. God's plans are always better than our plans unless we are walking 100% in the direction of the Holy Spirit like Jesus did. Then our plans should overlap His. Don't stop praising. Continue to give Him Hosannas, even when you don't feel like it. Truly, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Cursing the Fig Tree
Mark 11:11-14 brings a hungry Jesus to a spot where He could see a fig tree. He knew the season, but when He arrived, there were no figs on the tree, so he made the statement that nobody would eat from its fruit ever again. In Mark 11:19-21 Peter notices the fig tree the next day, that it is withered away. Jesus then embarks on a discussion of faith, discussed below.
It is my prayer that for me and other Christians, God will never look at us like the fig tree. He looked to the tree expecting fruit. He has similar expectation of us. It is hard to write commentaries. It is easy to feel that both there is nothing new to be said, under the sun, and that nobody will be changed by reading them anyway. I sometimes get saddened by the lack of desire to learn that I see in the church today as I try to teach. And yet, this seems to be my thing. So, regardless of whether anybody comes to eat or not, I try to produce fruit. Maybe, like the fig tree, if nobody comes to eat, the fruit will simply fall to the ground and rot. But I want the fruit to be there when somebody comes. I won't know till heaven whether I've really made a difference in any person's life with what I've written, taught, or donated, but I hope there is at least one person in heaven because of me. Hopefully lots more, but at least one. But I have no control over that. It's up to the Holy Spirit to direct people to come and to open their hearts to read and understand, to listen and absorb. I can't do anything about that.
But I would implore every Christian to think about what heaven will be like. Read about what Jesus said about fruitless vegetation. He might have patience to read one parable, but eventually He expects fruit to be produced. Do your best to bear whatever fruit He has called you to produce. Don't delay. The time is short before the harvest.
The Money Changers
In Mark 11:15-18, Mark records Jesus interaction with the money changers in the temple. He overthrew their tables and cast them out of the temple. He also cast out those selling doves for sacrifices. The Bible isn't clear about whether these people's actions were a common occurrence or if they were just active because it was almost Passover and there were many Jews from foreign lands who had come on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and needed to exchange foreign money for local currency and needed to purchase sacrifices because they couldn't bring them from afar.
Regardless of the reason, the activity shouldn't have been going on in the temple, and that was what Jesus was offended at. He may not have approved if they were being greedy in what they charged for the sacrifices or if the exchange rates were crooked, but that isn't mentioned. All that the Bible talks about is where they chose to set up their business. He does call them thieves, so I suspect they were being dishonest. But regardless, they were doing their work in the wrong place. Stealing would have been wrong, no matter where they did it, but doing it in the house of God was what got Jesus attention, and caused Him to act.
The scribes and priests were mad. It would be speculation, but they may have had an arrangement with those doing the work. I would find it hard to believe that people would just set up commerce in the temple without paying off someone. Maybe not all the religious officials were in on it, and maybe some of them were just as offended as Christ was, but were afraid to act because of who had given the okay. All speculation, but likely to be true. The people had gotten used to this business being transacted. It was probably convenient for them. So they were astonished when Christ took issue as well. The scribes and Pharisees huddled together in fear and wanted to kill Him.
I won't speak to the Christian church around the world, as I know little of what goes on in other places. But I can say that the Christian church has some big issues today. If Christ came to your denominations annual meeting and heard what was discussed, what would He do? Would He drive some of the leaders out? Sin issues have broken up denominations lately, particularly homosexuality in leaders and in the church, and whether or not women should preach. I don't know where God would come down on women preachers. I know many women are mentioned in both testaments who did great things for God. But I don't think God has changed what He wrote in His word about homosexuality. So I think there would be a temple cleaning. Read the Bible and judge for yourself.
It is possible to love the sinner, and hate the sin. And that is what we are called to do. We aren't called to cozy up to politicians and the world to get them to favor us. We're called to be Christ like and act in the power of God. We're to live separated lives from the world - not physically out of the world - but not participating in the evil aspects of the world. And that doesn't mean we won't make mistakes during our lifetimes. Heaven knows I've made many. But we need to try to follow Christ as best we possibly can and ask for forgiveness when we fail. Let the power and love of God through the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit draw people to God. Don't try to cuddle up to evil politicians (or even those rare good politicians) to elevate yourself. Christ has said the world will hate because the world hated Him. If the world doesn't hate us, we're either doing something wrong, or not doing enough that is right. Don't be a money changer.
Faith
After Peter sees the fig tree and mentions it to Christ, Jesus gives a discourse on faith in Mark 11:22-26. He starts by simply commanding us to have faith in God. He gives what might seem like an extreme example in saying that a nearby mountain would be cast into the sea if you are in God's will and have no doubts in your heart that it will happen. Believe and you will receive.
James has some more to say about this saying that we need to pray in God's will, and that when we pray for things just to fulfill the lusts of our own desires, we shouldn't expect an answer. Both of these are true. Jesus was successful because He was in tune with the Holy Spirit which kept Him abreast of what God's will was in every situation. When He prayed, He already knew what God's will was, and He had complete faith in God, and His prayers were always answered. Some will say that this was to show He was the Messiah, and this is true. But it is just as important to God to answer prayers that are in His will today as a testimony that He is, Christ was and is, and Christianity is the only way to reconcile sinful man to God.
There's a great old hymn titled Standing on the Promises. I miss hymns. Pop praise is fine for a bit, but the messages of the hymns were important, and are lost to so many churches today. If you believe that God has shown you His will about something, there are promises in the Bible that you can stand on when you pray that indicate what God is prepared to do, and you have met the preconditions of the promises, then pray and have faith. Trust and believe. Don't give up faith. And record and testify about each answered prayer that you get to bolster both your faith in the future and the faith of those around you - Christian or not.
Forgiveness
In Mark 11:25-26, Christ admonished the disciples to forgive everyone, every trespass or sin that they had committed against you so that God would forgive you. He warns that if you don't forgive, God won't forgive your trespasses either. What a warning for our generation.
It seems today that people take offense at the smallest thing, and then carry that offense forever. What I said in the previous chapter about divorce is a prime example. People can hurt each other in many ways. But we must forgive, no matter what has happened. We must love everyone - those the world would call our enemy and those the world would call our friend. We must love and forgive everyone.
Divorce is one example. If you've lived with an abusive parent or parents, with parents who have substance abuse problems, or if the situation is reversed and you're the parent and a child or other relative or maybe your spouse or significant other is abusive or addicted to something, you must continue to love and forgive, no matter how hard it seems. God calls you to do this. Many things are hard, but if that is the cross that you must bear, He calls on you to forgive and love.
I know that grace plays a huge part in our salvation. By grace are we saved by faith, indeed. But Christ also said these words warning us to forgive. I realize He is talking about trespass and not sin. No matter what the issue, don't take a chance and forgive. Call on the Holy Spirit to help you do so. Ask for God to let you see with the other person's eyes if needed to see both sides to help you to forgive. But forgive. It is so important for your heart and future.
Authority
Mark 11:27-33 closes the chapter with the chief priests, scribes, and elders coming to Christ when he reaches the temple the next day and asking Him by what authority He has taught, healed, and done miracles. Talk about the blind leading the blind, there was some serious sight issues with the Jewish leadership.
They were clearly trying to trap him into saying the wrong thing again, but instead He says He'll tell them if they answer a question for Him about whether or not John's baptism was of heaven or just by John. Jesus and the religious leaders knew that the people looked up to John as a prophet so they didn't want to get out of favor by the people by declaring John a false prophet, and yet if they didn't, then Christ would ask why they didn't listen to what John testified to like the dove coming down at Jesus baptism along with the voice from heaven saying that Christ was God's son. So they declined to answer and due to that Jesus refused to answer as well.
Let the Holy Spirit guide you in how you answer. Clearly Jesus could have answered with an unambiguous declaration that God was His authority, but the Holy Spirit directed Him to answer as He did. Perhaps this was because they would have taken Him immediately and He still had a few more things like communion to teach. I don't know. But I do know that the answer He gave diffused the situation and let Him carry on. Listen to the Holy Spirit, and He'll guide you in what to say or write or do to achieve the best outcome.