Mark 11:1-26: WWJD? Cursing Fig Trees and Overturning Tables

The Rev. Thomas Eckstein, pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Jamestown, ND, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Mark 11:1-26.

As Jesus rides triumphantly into Jerusalem on a colt, greeted by jubilant crowds waving palm branches, the atmosphere is charged with anticipation. Yet, beneath the surface, tension simmers as Jesus confronts the religious establishment and challenges their practices. We then witness a powerful demonstration of Jesus' authority, as he curses a barren fig tree, and cleanses the temple, symbolizing the impending judgment.

Beneath the fast-paced action of Jesus' ministry in the Gospel of Mark lies a profound theological message: we are all in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. Though Jesus performs mighty deeds and calls people to repent, they repeatedly fail to understand his true identity and mission. Even his disciples abandon him in his darkest hour. Yet Jesus willingly suffers and dies on the cross as a ransom for many, accomplishing what we could not do ourselves - securing our justification before God. Mark presents Jesus not just as a miracle worker but as the divine Savior whose atoning sacrifice makes salvation possible for lost sinners.