As Mark recorded the final days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, he included incidents that fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. These he recorded as proofs that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Genesis 49:10-11 and Zechariah 9:9 both tell of the entry of the Messiah riding on a donkey’s colt. Jesus entered the city on a donkey’s colt in apparent triumph to the loud acclamations of “Hosanna”. Yet Jesus’ entry was to bring judgment as it marked the beginning of the end for Israel. The actions of faithless Israel brought down God’s wrath and judgment for Jesus was put to death at the hands of the Jewish authorities.
The cursing of the fig tree confirmed this judgment for it is a symbol of Israel. The Lord cursed it because it did not have fruit. It shriveled up from its roots. By this action, Jesus was demonstrating what was going to happen to Israel. Following this, the Lord cleansed the Temple as the beginning of God’s judgment and rule. The Jews had defiled His holy place and had also cheapened God’s word and His Law. The Lord cleaned out the Temple area called the court of the Gentiles, the place where non-Jews were supposed to be allowed to draw near and worship the Lord. They could not because the Jews prevented them from approaching the Lord even though God had commanded Israel to be His light to the nations. The Jews had ignored God’s word and openly despised the Gentiles. The church today must not exclude anyone from approaching the Lord for He desires to save sinners, losers, the downtrodden and outcasts, the people nobody else wants.
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