Jesus Rides into Jerusalem
Open Your Bible
Mark 11:1-33, Psalm 118:25-26, Zechariah 9:9
BY Raechel Myers
The day our son was born, I was astonished.
The mere reality of birth was a surprise. One minute, there were four people in the room, and the next, there were five. He looked nothing like I’d expected, and his birth didn’t go anything like I’d planned. I was shocked by how immediately I felt the pride and protective instincts of a mother. The whole experience was unexpected, yet wonderful—astonishing.
Fast forward six years. I was at the grocery store when I heard the news that Sandy Hook Elementary had been attacked by a gunman. Children my own child’s age were terrorized, injured, even killed. When my son came home from school that afternoon he was fine—but I was not. I was not astonished that day; I was afraid, weeping into the night, praying for protection for my own son and comfort for those in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, whose lives would never be the same.
Astonished and afraid. There’s a big difference, isn’t there? When I read Mark 11, I notice both of these reactions to Jesus upon His arrival in Jerusalem. Just after Jesus overturned the tables and chairs in the temple, the chief priests began “looking for a way to kill him. For they were afraid of him” (Mark 11:18). But the crowd? In that very same moment, they were “astonished by his teaching.” Later, the chief priests weren’t able to give an answer to Jesus’s question about John’s baptism. Why? Because “they were afraid of the crowd” (v.32).
This dichotomy appears often in Jesus’s ministry: the crowds were astonished and the religious leaders were almost always afraid. In Mark 1, when Jesus cleansed a man of an unclean spirit, the crowd was “astonished at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority” (v.22). As we read about Jesus’s authority and those who hoped to explain it away, I wonder, How do I react when I encounter Jesus’s authority in my own life?
Am I afraid? Does it compel me to hold tight to the things I love, afraid He’ll shake up my plans? Do I feel astonished at His power, like I was when meeting my son? Am I surprised and delighted by the way Jesus works in ways I don’t expect?
As we read Mark 11 today, let’s notice the authority with which Jesus rides into Jerusalem like the King that He is, and how He surveyed the temple quietly, then commanded the fig tree to wither. Let’s watch the unexpected, yet wonderful way Jesus cleanses His Father’s house and answers the chief priests as they attempt to usurp Him.
Because Jesus is God’s Son and our King, His authority doesn’t have to make us afraid. We can simply watch, astonished by the King of kings, who has all authority in heaven and on earth. We can praise Him, saying, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9).
57 thoughts on "Jesus Rides into Jerusalem"
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I love Mark 11:24-25 – Pray and believe. Then wait expectantly. While you’re waiting, forgive. Simple! Not at all easy, but simple.
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Sweet Katie B… I will lift you in prayer, asking Jesus to calm your racing heart and mind. I also struggle with, actually battle anxiety. It is exhausting.
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Oh, Curchmouse, I am in total agreement with you. We are loosing things we will never get back. Christians must stand firm on their foundation.
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Praying for you Katie. May you know the peace that can only come from Jesus.
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Yes Churchmouse! Your words hit home with me. Thank you for sharing your heart and your vulnerableness.
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The question of whether we react in astonishment or fear of Gods power and authority in our lives is such a challenging one. I’m sure at times I have reacted in both ways. Last week when I joined the SRT I was astonished by how God was using scripture to talk to me, maybe I was also a little afraid, what he would uncover over time. But just like we read a few days ago, I’ve already been saved and Jesus speaks with so much compassion!
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Katie, I pray you have an amazing time with your daughter this weekend. I pray for God’s peace and strength to go before you. Also, know you don’t have to enough, since our God is more than enough. I remember that first year of motherhood, it can be so hard. Know that it will get easier and things will get better. I hope you’re finding help for your postpartum depression.
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Thank you all for the revelations on the Fig Tree story. I was always wondering. It is such a parable isn’t it. A tree with full leaves looks healthy, but its fruit is the ultimate purpose of the fig tree. Jesus is the Vine, and the branches connected to Him will bear fruits. This also reveals a spiritual death that renders the tree barren. May we bear good fruits for God’s Kingdom by connecting to Jesus daily for spiritual nutrients, not just a display of pretentious mass green foliage.
@Churchmouse, praying for your anxiety. You describe it so well the heartbreaking issues of our days. Truly nothing is new under the sun and nothing can surprise our God. He has seen it all. And I believe He always has a rescue plan for us. Remember how Noah’s family was picked out before the flood. Lot was warned and spared in the utter destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The plagues came down in Egypt but all the Israelites in the same land got spared. The evil agenda may look like they prosper right now in the land, but God’s rescue plans are there because HE IS FAITHFUL to his children. May the joy of the Lord be your strength, may He guard your heart with courage and peace each day. You are so sweet. Be blessed!
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