Entry, Clearance, Withers, Questions...

Mark chapter 11 verses 1-33

• ·         All that made up their identity (Sanhedrin;chief priest) was being stripped and torn down
• ·         The things they did that were wrong validated them
• ·         People bondage ( fear of people and what they are going to say)
• ·         They had a man-made authority not a God willed authority
• ·         They were powerless and they recognized that
• ·         Jesus expressed his anger toward their wrong action but loved them enough to teach them through their wrongs and from a place of authority and dominion and power
• ·         Jesus didn’t teach from His self (flesh) but from God
• ·         Jesus cannot do anything with I don’t know v.33 (reminds me of your either hot or cold, but lukewarm then he will spit you out and also anything other than a Yes is a No to God!)

This text is quite powerful. We see Jesus operating in his dominion, power and authority and the people responding to it. The chief priests are fearful and doubtful of Jesus which is symbolic for their very belief in God. Of all people, it should have been the chief priest who recognized Jesus as the messiah. Yet it shows that they were in people bondage (fear of what others will say about them). The held themselves up to this superior level and wanted the validation that came from it. I think we must be careful to keep God in the midst of everything we do, because no matter how far God elevates us, we must remember that it’s not us that did But God! And we cannot live out our God given purposes without Jesus! We can attempt and obtain temporary things and facades but deep inside their will be no sustenance. Jesus is such an awesome teacher. He had a way with the people that was amazing. He commanded their attention in a non-abusive manner. He talks with God as He was God. He understood who He was and the God he is connected to which allowed Him the favor, grace, compassion, love and authority that he taught with. The symbolism within the text is quite beautiful. The fig tree withering as a symbol of the Sanhedrin courts in Bethpage about to wither and be replaced with a heavenly kingdom is amazing. The fact that Adam and Eve ate from a fig tree as they ushered in sin and Jesus cursing the fig tree as symbolism of an End to come of sin is awesome.

The disciples were obedient to God. They trusted what he told them and when they did as He told them; it worked out in their favor. If they didn’t follow His instructions then they wouldn’t have obtained the colt and something disastrous could have happened in the midst of them obtaining the colt.  Obedience is better than sacrifice. Jesus speaks on the prophetic and speaking and operating in the prophetic. In verses 22-26 He tells the disciples to have faith and that which they speak in prayer shall be given unto them only if they believe. Sounds like Jesus is setting them up for something bigger to come. A test, trial, challenge, tribulations…perhaps. Jesus is so good that He instructs us as we go along. He corrects us firmly in love and then teaches us the why, how, what, when, where…and he is a gentle and loving God. He doesn’t impose, force his self on any of us but gives us the choice to choose Him. Jesus is so awesome. His love is everything!

I really need to study Jesus more so I can become a great teacher as He was and is today. His ability to command the attention of the audience and meet a ton of people where there at while giving one message is wonderful.

I know Jesus cleared the temple out so good! I could only imagine how angry he was but how justified he was at clearing the temple and knocking over tables and such. I wonder how this clearing of Gods temple is symbolic to clearing out of our own bodily temples that God gave us. When we ask God to clean us out and purify us, is this how He desires to do it? Maybe Jesus desires to come to our temples and do check up and see what is righteous in us and what is working against God in us and then when He spots it, he knocks over our pride, greed, lust, lying, etc., and not allows anyone to carry merchandise (pride, anger , bitterness, idols, etc.) through our temples. Then he teaches us and if we allow Him to teach us after the purifying process then we can be restored. So He cleans us out and then He pours into us his teachings straight from the thrones of heaven. God is so good.

So it is not enough to ask God to purify us and clean us out…we have to be willing to be still after that process and allow Him to teach us the ways of his heavenly Father, our Heavenly Father.

Read Mark 11.

Questions to Consider:

Who are you?

What is your identity embedded in?

What are you operating in?

 Why is it better to be obedient than to sacrifice?

What other symbolism can you draw out this text?

Prayer:

Dear heavenly Father,

We thank you Lord for who you are. We love you and honor you. We thank you for being the beginning and the end. We thank you for being our God, our Savior, our Healer, our Deliverer, our Restoration, our Reconciliation, the Lover of our Soul...we thank you Lord. We come asking for you forgiveness Lord for those things we have done that were not pleasing to you. The things we have done intentional and unintentional Lord, we ask your forgiveness for. We ask Lord that you waste nothing! We pray you use all our good and our bad for your Glory Lord! We thank you for your Forgiveness. For your Grace and your Mercy! Thank you for your unfailing love. We thank you Lord! We pray that you clean out our temples. that you remove, tear down, turn over, extract ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that is not like you in the NAME OF JESUS!!! We thank you Lord! And pour into us your teachings, your word and fill our temples with your anointing. We thank you Lord. We thank you Jesus! We love you Jesus! We seal this prayer in the Blood of Jesus! In Jesus Mighty Name We Pray, AMEN! AMEN!AMEN! 

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