Mark 11:12 - Barnes' Book Notes

Mark 11:12

10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David
That comes¹ in the name of the Lord!
^aHosanna in the highest!”

11 ^aAnd Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

The Fig Tree Withered

12 ^aNow the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.

13 ^aAnd seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

15 ^aSo they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold ^bdoves.

16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.

17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ^a‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ^b‘den of thieves.’ ”

18 And ^athe scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because ^ball the people were astonished at His teaching.

19 When evening had come, He went out of the city.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree

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

21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.

23 For ^aassuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

24 Therefore I say to you, ^awhatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Forgiveness and Prayer

25 “And whenever you stand praying, ^aif you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

26 But ^aif you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Jesus’ Authority Questioned

27 Then they came again to Jerusalem. ^aAnd as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.

28 And they said to Him, “By what ^aauthority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

Book Notes:

Barnes' Book Notes

Preface to Mark

Of Mark, the writer of this Gospel, little is certainly known. He is commonly supposed to be the same that is several times mentioned in the New Testament. He was not an apostle, or companion of the Lord Jesus, during his ministry, though some of the fathers affirm that he was one of the seventy disciples. This is improbable, as he is mentioned by Peter I Peter 5:13 as "his son;" from which it is supposed that he was converted by the instrumentality of Peter.

From the New Testament we learn that he was sister' s son to Barnabas Colossians 4:10; and that his mother' s name was Mary, a pious woman in Jerusalem, at whose house the apostles and primitive Christians often assembled, Acts 12:12.

His Hebrew name was John Acts 12:12, and it is probable that he adopted a name better known or more familiar when he visited the Gentiles, a practice not uncommon in that age. He was at first the companion of Paul and Barnabas in their journeys to propagate Christianity, Acts 12:25; Acts 13:5; Acts 15:37. He chose not to attend them through their whole journey, but left them in Pamphylia, and probably returned to Jerusalem, Acts 15:38. Probably at this time he was the companion of Peter, and traveled with him to Babylon, I Peter 5:13. Afterward he went with Barnabas to Cyprus, Acts 15:39. Subsequently he went to Rome, at the express desire of Paul, in company with Timothy, II Timothy 4:11. He remained at Rome while Paul was a captive there, but how long is uncertain, Colossians 4:10; Philemon 1:24. From Eusebius, Epiphanius, and Jerome we hear that Mark went from Rome to Alexandria, in Egypt, where he planted a church, and died in the eighth year of the reign of Nero, 64 ad

The time when this Gospel was written is not certainly known. It is supposed to have been between the years 56 and 63 a.d. It is allowed by all that it was written at Rome; of course it was during the latter years of his life, after the apostles had left Judea, Mark 16:20. Mark was for a considerable time the companion of Peter. Though he had not himself been with the Saviour in his ministry, yet, from his long acquaintance with "Peter," he was familiar with the events of his life, and with his instructions. The uniform testimony of the fathers is that he was the "interpreter" of Peter, and that he wrote this Gospel under the eye of Peter and with his approbation. It has come down to us, therefore, with the sanction of Peter' s authority. Its right to a place among the inspired books has never been questioned. That it was written by Mark, that it was with Peter' s approbation, that it was a record of the "facts" which Peter stated in his ministry, and that it was therefore an inspired book, has never been questioned.

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