Notes 2

Mark 11:20-12:12New International Version (NIV)

20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree
withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus,
“Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[a] I tell you, if
anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’
and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say
will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you,
whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it,
and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold
anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in
heaven may forgive you your sins.” [26] [b]
The Authority of Jesus
Questioned
27 They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking
in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and
the elders came to him. 28 “By what authority are you doing
these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do
this?”
29 Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I
will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 John’s
baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!”
31 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say,
‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe
him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the
people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)
33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing
these things.”
The Parable of the Tenants
12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man
planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the
winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to
some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he
sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the
fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him
away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them;
they struck this man on the head and treated him
shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He
sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.
6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him
last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come,
let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him
and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and
kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you
read this passage of Scripture:
“‘The stone the builders rejected

     has become the cornerstone;

11 the Lord has done this,

     and it is marvelous in our eyes’[c]?”

12Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders
looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken
the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so
they left him and went away.

Courson Notes:

“Mark 11:25, 26

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also
which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will
your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

The Obstacle to Faith

Because Jesus clearly links faith to forgiveness, if we’re not forgiving, the power of faith
is short-circuited. Why? Because a person who does not love or will not forgive cannot
be entrusted with that kind of power. He’ll misappropriate it. She’ll hurt herself and
others with it. That is why Paul makes it clear that faith works by love (Galatians 5:6).

“Mark 11:27 (a)

And they come again to Jerusalem…

As Jesus reenters Jerusalem, He will face a series of questions concerning His

authority, integrity, theology, and priorities. Yet unbeknownst to His interrogators, even
their questions perfectly fulfill Biblical prophecy and typology. You see, when the
Passover was instituted, the lamb that was to be slain for the family was to be set apart
and observed, scrutinized, examined for four days before it was slain lest any fault or
spot or blemish be found upon it that would disqualify it from being the Passover lamb.
So, too, the events before us taking place four days before Passover, it is only fitting
that Jesus, the Passover Lamb, would be carefully scrutinized as well.”

“Mark 11:27 (c)–28

…there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, and say unto him,
By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these
things?

The first group to question Jesus was comprised of chief priests, scribes and elders,
questioning His authority. “By what authority do You come in here turning over tables,
driving out cattle, and interrupting the sacrificial system?” they asked Jesus. They said
this to place Him upon the horns of a dilemma, for if Jesus answered, “By My own
authority,” they would have labeled Him a lunatic. But if He said, “By God’s authority,”
they would accuse Him of blasphemy.

“Why did Jesus raise this particular question concerning the baptism of John? Because
this was the point where the priests, scribes, and elders first took a wrong turn. They
rejected the truth John shared about the One who would follow him. Thus, their rejection
of John set the stage for their final rejection of Jesus.”