When Jesus entered the Temple, as recorded in Mark 11, He looked past the disguise of religion and saw God's people being exploited. The motivation for His dramatic response was not anger, but a holy zeal for God's glory. Alistair Begg teaches us that in this scene, Jesus once again reveals His divine authority.
Evil in the Land
1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2“Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. 3Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. 4Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’
5“For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, 6if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, 7then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.
8“Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. 9Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, 10and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? 11Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
15And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. 19And when evening came they2 went out of the city.
Series: The Gospel According to Mark, Volume 5
Other messages in: The Gospel According to Mark, Volume 1
Mark’s Gospel, the first to be written, emphasizes the certainty that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the fulfillment of God’s purpose. In the pages of Mark’s account, we come to know Him as the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, the Son of God, the Risen Christ, and the Returning King. With nearly a third of the narrative dedicated to the passion and the resurrection of Jesus, the Gospel of Mark aims to persuade all who read to believe.
The first two chapters of Mark reveal Jesus as He interacted with those around Him, including His enemy, the devil. We are reminded that Christ’s arrival onto the stage of human history was a redemptive event that was ordained by God. As Alistair Begg takes us through this section of Scripture, we discover that Jesus deals with a common theme – sin. Whether we are indifferent towards sin or think that our goodness neutralizes our sin, every person must realize that we are lost apart from the forgiveness available in Christ.
Other messages in: The Gospel According to Mark, Volume 2
Mark’s Gospel, the first to be written, emphasizes the certainty that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the fulfillment of God’s purpose. In the pages of Mark’s account, we come to know Him as the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, the Son of God, the Risen Christ, and the Returning King. With nearly a third of the narrative dedicated to the passion and the resurrection of Jesus, the Gospel of Mark aims to persuade all who read to believe.
As Alistair Begg teaches from Mark 3 through 5, we are introduced to a variety of individuals, including Jesus’ motley crew of disciples, a suffering woman, and a naked, demon-possessed man. Their stories of radical transformation testify to Christ’s power. Mark’s parables and miracles remind us that, although life brings struggles, there is ultimately One who rules and reigns, and He will eventually make all things right.
Other messages in: The Gospel According to Mark, Volume 3
Mark’s Gospel, the first to be written, emphasizes the certainty that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the fulfillment of God’s purpose. In the pages of Mark’s account, we come to know Him as the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, the Son of God, the Risen Christ, and the Returning King. With nearly a third of the narrative dedicated to the passion and the resurrection of Jesus, the Gospel of Mark aims to persuade all who read to believe.
As Alistair Begg takes us through Mark 6 and 7, we see Jesus demonstrating His divine nature, calling stubborn people to faith and repentance. These accounts illustrate that the depravity of the human heart is the same today as it was when Jesus walked the earth. Some people are simply indifferent toward the Gospel, others are beguiled by their own lust, and still others place their confidence in religious externalism. Despite all of our contemptible ways, we who trust in Christ like a child will be healed, guided, and kept by the great Shepherd of our souls.
Other messages in: The Gospel According to Mark, Volume 4
Mark’s Gospel, the first to be written, emphasizes the certainty that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the fulfillment of God’s purpose. In the pages of Mark’s account, we come to know Him as the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, the Son of God, the Risen Christ, and the Returning King. With nearly a third of the narrative dedicated to the passion and the resurrection of Jesus, the Gospel of Mark aims to persuade all who read to believe.
In Mark Chapters 8 and 9, Jesus’ followers struggled to understand who He really was and the implications of His mission. Jesus patiently taught His disciples with the same grace that He shows us. Alistair Begg takes us through Jesus’ teachings on matters which are as applicable to us today as they were then: the cost of discipleship, sin, and hell. These discussions lead to the ultimate questions we all must consider: who is Jesus, why did He come, and what does that mean for us?
Other messages in: The Gospel According to Mark, Volume 5
Mark’s Gospel, the first to be written, emphasizes the certainty that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the fulfillment of God’s purpose. In the pages of Mark’s account, we come to know Him as the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, the Son of God, the Risen Christ, and the Returning King. With nearly a third of the narrative dedicated to the passion and the resurrection of Jesus, the Gospel of Mark aims to persuade all who read to believe.
In chapters 10 and 11 of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus revealed His eternal wisdom as He interacted with those around Him. In their normal pattern, the Pharisees sought to undermine the divine authority of Jesus by questioning His understanding of the law. The disciples, who thought they knew the purpose of Jesus’ mission, displayed great pride and ignorance by their actions. Others sought to prove to Jesus that they were righteous by their own merit. Alistair Begg shows us that God’s people should humbly receive the truth like a little child, knowing that without His grace we are helpless.
Other messages in: The Gospel According to Mark, Volume 6
Mark’s Gospel, the first to be written, emphasizes the certainty that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the fulfillment of God’s purpose. In the pages of Mark’s account, we come to know Him as the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, the Son of God, the Risen Christ, and the Returning King. With nearly a third of the narrative dedicated to the passion and the resurrection of Jesus, the Gospel of Mark aims to persuade all who read to believe.
In Mark 12 and 13, Jesus was repeatedly confronted by those who sought to question and undermine His authority. One by one, He shut down their challenges with surprising answers that revealed His divine nature. Alistair Begg helps us see ourselves in these instances and points us to the One who can open our spiritually blind eyes. Christ, through His unchanging Word and the work of the Holy Spirit, will prepare and sustain His people until He returns in glory.
Other messages in: The Gospel According to Mark, Volume 7
Mark’s Gospel, the first to be written, emphasizes the certainty that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the fulfillment of God’s purpose. In the pages of Mark’s account, we come to know Him as the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, the Son of God, the Risen Christ, and the Returning King. With nearly a third of the narrative dedicated to the passion and the resurrection of Jesus, the Gospel of Mark aims to persuade all who read to believe.
In Mark 14, we see God’s hand continues to orchestrate His redemption plan, despite attempts to thwart Christ’s mission. The evil actions of men like Judas did not take God by surprise. We cannot always understand why God uses sin and affliction to carry out His will, but it is always for the ultimate good of His people. Alistair Begg shows us that even Jesus, in His humanity, asked His Father to remove the suffering that was planned for Him, but through His obedience, we are reconciled to God.
Other messages in: The Gospel According to Mark, Volume 8
Mark’s Gospel, the first to be written, emphasizes the certainty that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the fulfillment of God’s purpose. In the pages of Mark’s account, we come to know Him as the Messiah, the Suffering Servant, the Son of God, the Risen Christ, and the Returning King. With nearly a third of the narrative dedicated to the passion and the resurrection of Jesus, the Gospel of Mark aims to persuade all who read to believe.
The final volume of this series brings us to Jesus’ death and resurrection. Alistair Begg reminds us that we can see a bit of ourselves in each person who played a role in the crucifixion story. We may be shaken in our faith like Peter, indifferent like Pilate, or frightened like the women who discovered the empty tomb. We too must deal with the fact that Jesus died to make atonement for sin, but rose again to reign in Heaven. What we do with this information is a decision with eternal consequences.
