June 10, 2010
AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!
Mark 11:1-14
Luke Friesen
Central Truth
Rejoicing in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection is the only thing that leads to a life of authentic, jubilant, and constant praise.
Key Verse | Mark 11:9
Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." (Mark 11:9)
Mark 11:1-14
The Triumphal Entry
1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus 1 11:1 Greek he sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” 4 And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5 And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6 And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. 7 And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. 8 And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. 9 And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
11 And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
Dive Deeper | Mark 11:1-14
I love the crowd’s reaction to Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem. “Hosanna! Hosanna!” What exactly were they saying? "Hosanna" means “a cry of acclamation and adoration.” The expression can also mean “save.” With all their hearts and lungs, the people were praising Jesus, expressing how much they loved and worshiped Him, and asking Him to save them. Feel familiar? I've been there.
Fast-forward to Mark 15:8-15. Jesus had been arrested and brought before Pilate, who confirmed that Jesus had done nothing wrong. When Pilate asked the crowd what they wanted him to do with Jesus, their tune changed from “Praise Him!” to a frenzied “Crucify Him!”
What a switch! How could some of the same people praise Jesus so authentically and then curse Him so vehemently? I'd point fingers if I weren't so guilty of this contradiction myself.
The passage in Mark made me think of James 3:10 (NIV), which says, “Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.” In college I was especially guilty of this—praising God on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays in chapel and church, and letting my profane mouth run wild every other day of the week in rugby practice and games.
A few years later, I can still see that dichotomy in my life at times. While thankfully the Lord cleaned up my mouth to rid me of much of the unclean speech (Colossians 3:8), my reactions to Christ aren't always what they should be. I praise Him one day and question Him the next. That comes from not focusing on God’s truth or trusting His plan. The Jews lost sight of Christ’s true purpose and ended up screaming for His head.
But God’s plan is good! While the adoration of the triumphal entry gave way to the horror of the crucifixion, it led to the ultimate triumph of Christ demolishing the power of sin and death through His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
Coming back – ALWAYS coming back – to the truth of the gospel is the only thing that fuels a life of constant praise.
Discussion Questions
1. What characterizes your interactions with and attitude toward God? Is it praise and adoration or cursing and mistrust? If it's both, why is that?
2. What are you praising God for? Is it because He’s providing what you think you want and need at that moment, or is it because of the gospel?
3. What steps can you take to follow James’ exhortation to have only blessings come out of your mouth?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever gone to a parade to see someone famous?
2. Why had the people spread their cloaks (coats) and branches on the road in front of Jesus?
3. What were the people shouting as He passed?
4. “Hosanna” means “Save now.” The people were praising Jesus because they believed He was going to save them. How do you praise Jesus each day for saving you?