Jesus
entered into the temple in Jerusalem. When he had looked around at everything, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Mark 11:11
Mark 11 [7.] They brought the young donkey to Jesus, and threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat on it. Many spread their garments on the way, and others were cutting down branches from the trees, and spreading them on the road. Those who went in front, and those who followed, cried out, “Hosanna! [b] Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord![c] Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
Mark 11 [11.] Jesus entered into the temple in Jerusalem. When he had looked around at everything, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Mark 11 [12.] The next day, when they had come out from Bethany, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came to see if perhaps he might find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. Jesus told it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” and his disciples heard it.
Meaning:
After the joyful procession and the cries of “Hosanna” (Mark 11:7-10), Mark’s account seems to end quietly. Jesus enters the temple, looks around at everything, and leaves for the night. Matthew and Luke move straight to the cleansing of the temple, but Mark shows that Jesus first came, saw and waited. This short verse is an inspection. The prophet Malachi had promised that “the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple” (Malachi 3:1). Now he had come.
- “Jesus entered into the temple in Jerusalem”
The temple of Jesus’ day had been rebuilt and greatly enlarged by Herod the Great, a project begun around 20 BC and still unfinished at that time. Its white stone and gold made it one of the wonders of the ancient world. Huge courts surrounded the sanctuary, including an outer court where Gentiles were allowed to come and pray.
This was the place where God had promised to hear his people. At its dedication Solomon prayed that God’s eyes would be open toward the house “night and day” (1 Kings 8:29-30). Jesus did not enter as a tourist or even simply as a pilgrim. He came as the Lord of the temple, and Malachi had warned, “But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears?” (Malachi 3:2).
- “When he had looked around at everything”
Mark often notes the way Jesus looked around. In a synagogue he “looked around at them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their hearts” (Mark 3:5). After the rich man went away sad, Jesus “looked around” and spoke about how hard it is for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom (Mark 10:23). His gaze is never idle; it weighs what it sees.
The Psalms describe the Lord in the same way: “Yahweh is in his holy temple. Yahweh is on his throne in heaven. His eyes observe. His eyes examine the children of men” (Psalm 11:4). Jesus looked past the impressive buildings to the heart of what was happening there, for “Yahweh looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). What he saw that evening led directly to his actions the next morning, when he drove out the traders (Mark 11:15-17).
- “It being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve”
Jesus did not act on impulse in the heat of the crowd’s excitement. He waited until the next day. His anger at what he saw was not a sudden outburst but a considered judgment.
Jerusalem was crowded at Passover, and many pilgrims lodged in the surrounding villages. Jesus returned to Bethany, the home of friends, and Luke says that during these days “every night he would go out and spend the night on the mountain that is called Olivet” (Luke 21:37). Throughout his ministry he withdrew to pray and to be with his disciples (Mark 1:35). In the days of greatest pressure, he kept that rhythm.
The Significance of Mark 11:11
- The Lord sees
Nothing is hidden from Jesus. He sees beyond outward religion to the heart. This is a warning for the careless and a comfort for those who seek him sincerely.
- Measured, not rash
Jesus looked, then waited a night before acting. His example teaches patience and careful thought, even when something is clearly wrong.
- Inviting his inspection
Instead of fearing the Lord’s gaze, believers can welcome it, praying with David, “Search me, God, and know my heart” (Psalm 139:23).
Cross-References:
Malachi 3:1: "Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, behold, he comes!" The Lord coming to his temple.
Psalm 11:4: "Yahweh is in his holy temple. Yahweh is on his throne in heaven. His eyes observe. His eyes examine the children of men." The Lord examines what he sees.
1 Samuel 16:7: "For man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart." God sees beneath the surface.
Luke 21:37: "Every day Jesus was teaching in the temple, and every night he would go out and spend the night on the mountain that is called Olivet." Jesus’ pattern during the last week.
Conclusion: After his royal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus went into the temple and looked around at everything. It was an inspection by the Lord of the temple, whose coming Malachi had foretold. Then, because it was evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. His careful look and his decision to wait set the scene for the dramatic events of the next day, and remind us that the Lord sees all that is done in his name.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible