Jesus enters Jerusalem Mk 11 1-11 Gospel of Mark Series

THE BIBLE Gospel of Mark series icon 

During 2019, each week, I will write a weekly post about the Gospel of Mark, as I review and explore each of the 16 chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. If you are following this series for the first time, you will find this series under Scripture- New Testament- Gospel of Mark. 

JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM  Gospel of Mark series 

Click here to read the first post in the series. I have written this series in different years (2012, 2015, 2018) with some irregularity, but am determined to complete this series this year since I am more than half way through this Gospel.

My goal is to understand and pray the Gospel of Mark. I hope you will join me on this journey as we travel through the liturgical season.  In today's post we explore chapter 10:46-52 which is called Jesus enters Jerusalem

Jesus enters Jerusalem

Jesus draws near to Jerusalem at Bethpage and Bethany to enter the city from the mountain of Olives to the east, since He had come from Jericho near the Jordan River.  Jesus is about to begin in Jerusalem what Mark’s gospel is a brief ministry.

The prophecy of Zechariah may be in Marks thoughts as he describes the preparation for the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, not on a horse’. but humbly on the donkey.  Jesus tells his disciples to bring a young donkey from a village.

Some of the disciples spontaneously place their garments, on the donkey.  Others spread them on the roadway before him, which again reminds us of ‘’the way’’ along which Jesus leads His disciples.  Others cut leafy branches, from the fields on the mount of Olives.

Some disciples go before him and some and follow, but without the great crowds which we find in the gospel of Matthew.  They jointly sing hosanna, which literally means ‘’please save’’ and was commonly used as a joyful cry of praise to God.  They shout and sing together, that Jesus is one blessed by God who is coming to Jerusalem in His name.

He comes as a humble servant ready to give even his life, to ransom the people into the freedom God’s kingdom.  This humble entry reveals He is the Messiah to those in of faith in God, but conceals it from those who seek a different kind of messiah.

Jesus enters the temple.  He looks around and then with the twelve leaves the city to spend the night at Bethany on the Mount of Olives.

JOURNAL REFLECTIONS

In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:

• Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this passage of scripture?

• Imagine that you are one of the disciples- What do you see and hear and feel. What can I learn from this?

• Imagine being one of the disciples placing the branches on the donkey or following along the way behind Jesus  who can now see.- what would you have felt?  

• What is reading the Gospel passage with the eyes and ears of disciple mean to me?

• How does Jesus invite me to look at in my life?

• What are the areas in my life I need to bring to Jesus? What questions do I want to ask Him about my life and what following Him as a disciple means?

• Am I willing to look into myself with honesty and ask how much do I grasp what it means to be a true disciple of Jesus with sight in the light of this teaching? 

• Is my faith in the divine power of Christ, whom we follow, large enough to make us ready to walking faithfully his ‘’way’’?

• In the light of this passage, how will you respond to Jesus as a true disciple?

• If a fellow parishioner had read this passage, what might he/she say about this passage?

• In the light of this Gospel passage what positive change will you adopt in your life and in your spiritual life.  How will you implement these changes?