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Mark 11

Mark places Jesus’ welcome into Jerusalem beside his judgment on the temple and his teaching about faith, prayer, and forgiveness.

Jesus approaches Jerusalem on a young donkey while crowds spread garments and branches along the road, hailing the coming kingdom of David. Over the next days, he curses a fruitless fig tree and drives buyers and sellers from the temple, declaring its purpose as a house of prayer for all nations. The withered tree leads to teaching about faith, prayer, and forgiveness. Back in the temple, religious leaders challenge his authority, and he questions them about John’s baptism.

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1When they came near to Jerusalem, to Bethsphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples
3If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs him;’ and immediately he will send him back here.”
4They went away, and found a young donkey tied at the door outside in the open street, and they untied him.
7They brought the young donkey to Jesus and threw their garments on it, and Jesus sat on it.
9Those who went in front and those who followed cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
10Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
11Jesus 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.
12The next day, when they had come out from Bethany, he was hungry.
13Seeing 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.
14Jesus told it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” and his disciples heard it.
15They came to Jerusalem, and Jesus entered into the temple and began to throw out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves.
17He taught, saying to them, “Isn’t it written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers!”
18The chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him. For they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching.
19When evening came, he went out of the city.
20As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away from the roots.
21Peter, remembering, said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered away.”
22Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God.
23For most certainly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is happening, he shall have whatever he says.
24Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you shall have them.
25Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions.
27They came again to Jerusalem, and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him,
28and they began saying to him, “By what authority do you do these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?”
29Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
30The baptism of John—was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me.”
31They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we should say, ‘From heaven;’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
32If we should say, ‘From men’”—they feared the people, for all held John to really be a prophet.
33They answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected.
Key verses
Mark 11:24Jesus calls for confidence in prayer, grounding this sweeping promise in his command to have faith in God.
Mark 11:25Jesus joins prayer to forgiveness, making the disciple’s treatment of others part of this teaching about approaching the Father.
Mark 11:23The image of a mountain cast into the sea shows the scale of what Jesus says faith in God can ask.
Where this chapter reaches

Matthew, Luke, and John also recount Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, sharing the event of the crowd’s welcome as he approaches the city. The crowd’s blessing draws on Psalm, while Jesus’ declaration about prayer for all nations quotes Isaiah’s description of God’s house.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What stands out when you read the fig tree scenes on either side of the temple confrontation?

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How does Jesus’ command to forgive shape what you want to write about prayer?

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Questions people ask about Mark 11

Why did Jesus curse the fig tree in Mark 11?

Mark says Jesus found leaves without fruit, although it was outside the usual time for figs. The tree’s cursing and withering surround the temple confrontation, suggesting an acted sign of judgment on fruitless worship. Jesus does not explain that symbolism here; his spoken response to Peter turns to faith and prayer.

Does Mark 11:24 mean God will give anything someone asks for?

Jesus uses sweeping language about believing prayer. The passage begins with “Have faith in God.” and then joins prayer to forgiving others. Its focus is confidence in God’s power and a relationship with the Father. It does not describe a technique for controlling God or explain every instance of unanswered prayer.

Why did Jesus ask the leaders about John’s baptism?

The leaders demand to know the source of Jesus’ authority. Jesus asks whether John’s baptism came from heaven or from men. Their discussion exposes the dilemma: affirming John would raise the question of their unbelief, while rejecting him would risk the crowd’s anger. They decline to answer, and Jesus withholds his answer.

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What the Bible says about forgiveness →

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).