11:16 not allow anyone to carry wares. Jesus did not want people to continue the practice of using the court as a shortcut through which to carry utensils and containers with merchandise to other parts of Jerusalem because such a practice revealed great irreverence for the temple—and ultimately for God Himself.
11:17 Jesus defended Himself by appealing to Scripture (see note on Matt. 21:13) after His actions had caused a crowd to gather. a house of prayer for all nations. The true purpose for God’s temple. Only Mark includes “for all nations” from Isaiah’s text (56:7), probably because he was mainly addressing Gentiles. The Court of the Gentiles was the only part of the temple they were permitted to use for prayer and worship of God, and the Jews had frustrated that worship by turning it into a place of greedy business. a ‘den of thieves.’ Using Jeremiah’s phrase (Jer. 7:11), Jesus described the religious leaders as robbers who found refuge in the temple, comparable to how highwaymen took refuge in caves with other robbers. The temple had become a place where God’s people, instead of being able to worship undisturbed, were extorted and their extortioners were protected.
11:18 scribes and chief priests. Here Mark uses this combination for the first time. These men were among those who comprised the principal leadership in the Sanhedrin (see notes on Matt. 2:4; 26:59). sought how they might destroy Him. See note on 3:6. The leaders had continuing discussions on how to kill Jesus. astonished at His teaching. See note on 1:22.
11:19 went out of the city. Jesus’ practice during the first 3 days of Passion Week was not to leave Jerusalem until sunset, when the crowds dispersed and the city gates were about to be closed.
11:20 in the morning. See note on v. 12. dried up from the roots. The tree blight that prevented fruit (v. 14) had spread upward through the tree and killed it. Matthew described the event in a more compact fashion, but his account still allows the same time frame as Mark’s (see note on Matt. 21:19).
11:21 Rabbi. See note on 9:5.
11:22 Have faith in God. A gentle rebuke for the disciples’ lack of faith in the power of His word. Such faith believes in God’s revealed truth, His power, and seeks to do His will (cf. 1 John 5:14; see note on Matt. 21:21).
11:23 this mountain…into the sea. This expression was related to a common metaphor of that day, “rooter up of mountains,” which was used in Jewish literature of great rabbis and spiritual leaders who could solve difficult problems and seemingly do the impossible. Obviously, Jesus did not literally uproot mountains; in fact, He refused to do such spectacular miracles for the unbelieving Jewish leaders (see note on Matt. 12:38). Jesus’ point is that if believers sincerely trust in God and truly realize the unlimited power that is available through such faith in Him, they will see His mighty powers at work (cf. John 14:13, 14; see note on Matt. 21:21).
11:24 whatever things you ask when you pray. This places no limits on a believer’s prayers, as long as they are according to God’s will and purpose (see note on Matt. 17:20). This therefore means that man’s faith and prayer are not inconsistent with God’s sovereignty. And it is not the believer’s responsibility to figure out how that can be true, but simply to be faithful and obedient to the clear teaching on prayer, as Jesus gives it in this passage. God’s will is being unfolded through all of redemptive history, by means of the prayers of His people—as His saving purpose is coming to pass through the faith of those who hear the gospel and repent. Cf. James 5:16.
11:25 stand praying. The traditional Jewish prayer posture (cf. 1 Sam. 1:26; 1 Kin. 8:14, 22; Neh. 9:4; Matt. 6:5; Luke 18:11, 13). Kneeling or lying with one’s face on the ground was used during extraordinary circumstances or for extremely urgent requests (cf. 1 Kin. 8:54; Ezra 9:5; Dan. 6:10; Matt. 26:39; Acts 7:60). anything against anyone. An all-inclusive statement that includes both sins and simple dislikes, which cause the believer to hold something against another person. “Anyone” incorporates believers and unbelievers. forgive. Jesus states the believer’s ongoing duty to have a forgiving attitude. Successful prayer requires forgiveness as well as faith. See notes on Eph. 4:32.
11:26 See notes on Matt. 6:15; 18:21–34. This is the only occurrence in Mark of “trespasses,” a term that denotes a falling aside or departing from the path of truth and uprightness.
11:27 temple. Again this was the Court of the Gentiles; this time more specifically Solomon’s porch or the royal porch on the S side of the court (cf. v. 11; John 10:23; Acts 5:12). chief priests. See note on Matt. 2:4. The group that met Jesus might well have included Caiaphas and Annas, who served concurrently for several years (Luke 3:2). Because of the importance of this confrontation, the captain of the temple, the second highest official, may also have been present.
11:28 By what authority. The leaders wanted to know what credentials Jesus—an untrained, unrecognized, seemingly self-appointed rabbi—claimed that would authorize Him to do what He was doing. They had recovered from the initial shock of the previous day’s events, and had become aggressive in demanding an explanation (see note on Matt. 21:23; cf. John 2:18). these things. Primarily a reference to His actions in cleansing the temple. But the undefined, vague nature of this expression leaves open the inclusion of everything Jesus had been doing and teaching during His public ministry.
11:30 baptism of John. See notes on 1:4; Matt. 21:25. Jesus put them on the defensive and made their evaluation of John’s authority a test case for their evaluation of His own authority. was it from heaven or from men? Jesus gave the Jewish leaders only those two alternatives in judging the source of John’s authority, and by implication, His own authority. Christ was in effect forcing the men to carry out their roles as religious guides for the people and to go on record with an evaluation of both John’s and His ministries (see note on Matt. 21:25). Answer Me. This challenge by Jesus is only in Mark’s account. It implies that the Jews did not have the courage to answer His question honestly.
Mark 12
12:1–12 Jesus taught this parable to confront the chief priests and elders and reveal their hypocritical character.
12:1 them. The chief priests, scribes, and elders (cf. 11:27). parables. See notes on 4:2, 11. vineyard. A common sight in that region. The hillsides of Palestine were covered with grape vineyards, the backbone of the economy. Here it is a symbol for Israel (cf. Ps. 80:8–16; Is. 5:1–7; Jer. 2:21). Jesus uses Is. 5:1, 2 as the basis for this imagery (see note on Matt. 21:33). a hedge. Lit. “a fence.” It may have been a stone wall or a hedge of briars built for protection. wine vat. Located under the winepress. The grapes were squeezed in the press and the juice ran through a trough into this lower basin, where it could be collected into wineskins or jars. tower. This structure had a 3-fold purpose: 1) it served as a lookout post; 2) it provided shelter for the workers; and 3) it was used for storage of seed and tools. leased it to vinedressers. Jesus added to the picture from Is. 5:1, 2. The owner makes an agreement with men he believes are reliable caretakers, who are to pay a certain percentage of the proceeds to him as rent. The rest of the profit belonged to them for their work in cultivating the crop. The “vinedressers” represent the Jewish leaders.
12:2 vintage-time. Better translated, “harvesttime.” This usually occurred for the first time in the fifth year after the initial planting (cf. Lev. 19:23–25). servant. All the servants in the parable represent the OT prophets.
12:6 son, his beloved. The son represents Jesus Christ (see note on Matt. 21:37).
12:7 the inheritance will be ours. The vinedressers were greedy; because they wanted the entire harvest and the vineyard for themselves and would stop at nothing to achieve that end, they plotted to kill the owner’s son. Because Jesus had achieved such a following, the Jewish leaders believed the only way to maintain their position and power over the people was to kill Him (cf. John 11:48).
12:9 destroy the vinedressers. The owner of the vineyard will execute the vinedressers, thus serving as a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70) and the nation of Israel. According to Matthew, this verdict was e
choed by the chief priests, scribes, and elders (see note on Matt. 21:41). give the vineyard to others. This was fulfilled in the establishment of Christ’s church and its leaders, who were mostly Gentiles.
12:10, 11 This messianic prophecy is a quotation of Ps. 118:22, 23 from the LXX. Jesus continued His teaching in the form of a parable, but here His kingdom is seen as a building instead of a vineyard. The point is that the rejected son and the rejected stone represent Christ.
12:10 The stone which the builders rejected. Builders typically rejected stones until they found one perfectly straight in lines that could serve as the cornerstone, which was critical to the symmetry and stability of the building. In Jesus’ metaphor, He Himself is the stone the builders (the Jewish religious leaders) rejected (crucified). But the resurrected Christ is the cornerstone (cf. Acts 4:10–12; 1 Pet. 2:6, 7; see note on Matt. 21:42).
12:12 against them. The chief priests, scribes, and elders were completely aware that Christ was condemning their actions, but it only aroused their hatred, not their repentance.
12:13–17 The second of a series of questions that the Jewish religious leaders hoped would trap Jesus into declaring Himself an insurrectionist (cf. 11:28). This one concerns the controversial issue of paying taxes to Rome.
12:13 Pharisees and the Herodians. Matthew indicates that disciples of the Pharisees accompanied the Herodians. The Pharisees may have hoped that Jesus would not recognize them and be caught off-guard by their seemingly sincere question. The Herodians were a political party of Jews who backed Herod Antipas, who in turn was but a puppet of Rome (see note on Matt. 22:16).
12:14 regard the person of men. This speaks of impartiality, or showing no favoritism. While this was flattery on the part of the Pharisees and Herodians, it was nonetheless true that Jesus would not be swayed by a person’s power, prestige, or position. taxes to Caesar. The Gr. word for “taxes” was borrowed from the Lat. word that gives us the Eng. “census.” The Romans counted all the citizens and made each one pay an annual poll tax of one denarius (see note on Matt. 22:17).
12:15 hypocrisy. The Pharisees and Herodians, using feigned interest in His teaching, attempted to hide their true intention to trap Jesus. But He perceived their true motives (cf. John 2:25). Why do you test Me? Jesus’ response exposed the true motive of the Pharisees and Herodians and revealed their hypocrisy. denarius. This small silver coin, minted by the Roman emperor, was the equivalent of a day’s wage for a common laborer or soldier (see note on Matt. 22:19).
12:16 image. On one side of the denarius was likely the image of the current emperor, Tiberius, though at that time it could have also been Augustus, since both coins were in circulation. Tiberius is most likely because the response was “Caesar’s,” indicating the current ruler rather than the past one. inscription. If the coin was minted by Tiberius, it would have read, “Tiberius Caesar Augustus, the son of the Divine Augustus” on one side and “Chief Priest” on the other. See note on Matt. 22:19.
12:17 Render to Caesar. The Gr. word for “render” means, “to pay or give back,” which implies a debt. All who lived within the realm of Caesar were obligated to return to him the tax that was owed him. It was not optional. Thus Jesus declared that all citizens are under divine obligation to pay taxes to whatever government is over them (cf. Rom. 13:1–7; 1 Pet. 2:13–17; see note on Matt. 22:21).
12:18 Sadducees. The most wealthy, influential, and aristocratic of all the Jewish sects. All the High-Priests, chief priests, and the majority of the Sanhedrin (see note on Matt. 26:59) were Sadducees. They ignored the oral law, traditions, and scribal laws of the Pharisees, viewing only the Pentateuch as authoritative (see note on Matt. 3:7). who say there is no resurrection. The most distinctive aspect of the Sadducees’ theology, which they adopted because of their allegiance to the Pentateuch and their belief that Moses did not teach a literal resurrection from the dead. With such a disregard for the future, the Sadducees lived for the moment and whatever profit they could make. Since they controlled the temple businesses, they were extremely upset when Jesus cleansed the temple of the money changers because He cut into their profits (11:15–18)—the reason they also wanted to discredit Jesus in front of the people.
12:19 The Sadducees were summarizing Deut. 25:5, 6, which refers to the custom of a levirate marriage (marriage to a dead husband’s brother). God placed it in the law of Moses to preserve tribal names, families, and inheritances (see note on Matt. 22:24). Moses wrote. The Sadducees appealed to Moses because they were fully aware of Jesus’ high regard for Scripture, and therefore believed He would not contest the validity of the levirate marriage.
12:24 the power of God. Their ignorance of the Scriptures extended to their lack of understanding regarding the miracles God performed throughout the OT. Such knowledge would have enabled them to believe in God’s power to raise the dead.
12:25 neither marry. Marriage was designed by God for companionship and the perpetuation of the human race on the earth. Jesus was emphasizing the fact that in heaven there will be no exclusive or sexual relationships. Believers will experience an entirely new existence in which they will have perfect spiritual relationships with everyone else. like angels. Believers will be like angels in that they will be spiritual, eternal beings who will not die (cf. 1 Cor. 15:39–44, 48, 49; see note on Matt. 22:30).
12:26 book of Moses. The Pentateuch—the first 5 books of the OT. Jesus appealed to the only Scriptures the Sadducees held as completely authoritative. the burning bush passage. A reference to Ex. 3:1—4:17 where God first appeared to Moses at the bush. how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am.’ By keying on the emphatic present tense of Ex. 3:6, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,” Jesus was underscoring the personal and perpetual covenantal relationship God established with the 3 patriarchs. Even though all 3 were dead when God spoke to Moses, God was still their God just as much as when they were alive on earth—and more so in that they were experiencing eternal fellowship with Him in heaven (see note on Matt. 22:32).
12:27 You are…greatly mistaken. Jesus accused the Sadducees of making a complete error in teaching that there is no resurrection.
12:28 scribes. See note on 1:22. Which is the first commandment. The rabbis had determined that there were 613 commandments contained in the Pentateuch, one for each letter of the Ten Commandments. Of the 613 commandments, 248 were seen as affirmative and 365 as negative. Those laws were also divided into heavy and light categories, with the heavy laws being more binding than the light ones. The scribes and rabbis, however, had been unable to agree on which were heavy and which were light. This orientation to the law led the Pharisees to think Jesus had devised His own theory. So the Pharisees asked this particular question to get Jesus to incriminate Himself by revealing His unorthodox and unilateral beliefs.
12:29 Hear, O Israel. By quoting the first part of the Shema (Deut. 6:4, 5), which is Heb. for “hear,” Jesus confirmed the practice of every pious Jew who recited the entire Shema (Num. 15:37–41; Deut. 6:4–9; 11:13–21) every morning and evening.
12:30 love the LORD. Taken from Deut. 10:12; 30:6, Jesus used God’s own word from the Pentateuch to answer the question, indicating the orthodox nature of His theology. See note on Matt. 22:37.
12:31 the second. Jesus took the Pharisees’ question one step further by identifying the second greatest commandment because it was critical to an understanding of the complete duty of love. This commandment, also from the books of Moses (Lev. 19:18) is of the same nature and character as the first. Genuine love for God is followed in importance by a genuine love for people (see note on Matt. 22:39). neighbor. Cf. Luke 10:29–37.
12:32, 33 the scribe said. The scribe’s response reveals he understood OT teaching that moral concerns took precedence over ceremonial practices (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22; Is. 1:11–15; Hos. 6:6; Mic. 6:6–8).
12:33 burnt offerings. Sacrifices that were completely consumed on the altar (cf. Lev. 1:1–17; 6:8–13).
12:34 n
ot far from the kingdom. Jesus both complimented and challenged the scribe. Jesus acknowledged the scribe’s insight regarding the importance of love. Yet by stating that the scribe was “not far” from the kingdom He emphasized that he was not in the kingdom. He understood the requirements of love, he needed only to love and obey the One who alone could grant him entrance to the kingdom.
12:35 Jesus’ question exposed the Jewish religious leaders’ ineptness as teachers and their ignorance of what the OT taught regarding the true nature of the Messiah. temple. See note on 11:11. Christ. This is a translation of the OT Heb. word “Messiah,” which means “anointed one” and refers to the King whom God had promised. Son of David. The common messianic title that was standard scribal teaching. The religious leaders were convinced that the Messiah would be no more than a man, thus they deemed such a title appropriate (see notes on 10:47; Matt. 22:42).
12:36 David himself said by the Holy Spirit. David used his own words, yet he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Sam. 23:2). The LORD said to my Lord. In this quote from the Heb. text (Ps. 110:1), the first word for “LORD” is Yahweh, which is God’s covenant name. The second word for “Lord” is a different word that the Jews used as a title for God. Here David pictures God speaking to the Messiah, whom David calls his Lord. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day recognized this psalm as messianic.
12:37 David himself calls Him ‘Lord.’ Jesus interpreted Ps. 110:1 for the Pharisees. David would not have called one of his descendants “Lord.” Thus the Messiah is more than the “Son of David”—He is also the “Son of God.” Jesus was proclaiming the Messiah’s deity, and thus His own (cf. Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8; see note on Matt. 22:45). common people. The multitude of people who observed this confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders.
The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV Page 485