Have faith in God

Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem suitably climaxed His earthly ministry, which largely consisted of preaching, ‘the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel’, Mark 1. 15. By riding a colt into Jerusalem the Lord Jesus declared Himself to be Israel’s Messiah and invited national recognition.

The practical and verbal adulation of the crowds was full of messianic implications. ‘Many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way’, as though welcoming a worthy monarch. They cried out, ‘Hosanna (save now); Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest’, vv. 9, 10. The worship of the multitudes clearly identified the Lord Jesus as Israel’s Messiah.

But instead of rejoicing in their Messiah, Zech. 9. 9, the religious leaders were envious of His popularity, Mark 15. 10, and filled with fear, they sought to destroy Him, 11. 18. Within a few days the crowds demanded His crucifixion.

Returning to Jerusalem the morning after His triumphant entry and feeling hungry the Saviour saw a fig tree. Although from a distance it had leaves, suggesting fruitfulness, on closer inspection it bore no figs. Christ cursed it so that by the following morning it was ‘dried up from the roots’, v. 20. Like the fig tree the majority in Israel bore little spiritual fruit. But individuals could move mountains and achieve the impossible, through believing prayer: ‘have faith in God’, vv. 22-26.

‘Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves’, v. 15. This anticipated His future return when He will come suddenly to His temple with irresistible power ‘to purify the sons of Levi’, Mal. 3. 3. As in those ‘last days . . . out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem’, Isa. 2. 2, 3, the people were‘astonished at [Christ’s] doctrine’.