Suddenly … Nothing Happened
“Suddenly … nothing happened” – June 16th, 2024 (Mark 11)
A few months after we moved to Atlanta, our ears perked up at an announcement at our church that a guest speaker would be coming the following Sunday. Not just any guest speaker, but a hero of the faith whose life-changing story had greatly influenced our lives several years earlier. Sunday came, and we eagerly arrived a few minutes earlier than usual. Suddenly … nothing happened. The parking lot was completely empty. Had we missed an announcement about a change in location? Had the service been cancelled? It was Sunday, right? This was 1989, before the age of cell phones. We waited and waited and wondered what to do next. Within the hour, people began to arrive, and we learned something new that day in late October. We had never experienced daylight savings time before!
About a decade after that, with a car full of young children, we took a four-hour detour to visit some loved ones on one of our long road trips. We pulled into the driveway, rang the doorbell, and suddenly … nothing happened. No one was home! Figuring they had gone for a quick trip to the store, we called them up and were pretty surprised to hear, “We went out of town … we forgot you were coming.”
A couple of years ago, Paul and I were returning home after visiting Peter and Alex on the other side of the pond. The boarding call for the last and shortest leg of our journey came about an hour later than scheduled. Excited to be on our way home again, we brushed this minor delay aside, found our seats, and went through the usual routines, stowing our carry-on items, buckling our seatbelts, and zoning out during the safety demonstration. Our plane taxied for about fifteen minutes, pausing on the tarmac, waiting for our turn to take off. Suddenly … nothing happened. We waited and waited … two and a half hours later, an announcement came: bad weather meant that our flight was canceled. Our plane taxied back to the gate where we deplaned and wondered what would happen next.
Have you ever had an experience like that, where you were full of anticipation and even confidence that something significant was about to occur, and then, suddenly … nothing happened? Maybe it was a mistake we’d made, maybe it was the result of someone else’s choices, maybe it was due to circumstances beyond our control, or maybe a combination of things.
In Mark chapter 11, Jesus had a suddenly … nothing happened kind of experience, too. As I read today’s Scripture, I want to encourage you to engage your imagination as much as possible. Try to picture the scene described in Mark 11:1-11 (NRSV) – “1 When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he [Jesus] sent two of his disciples 2 and said to them, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. 3 If anyone says to you, “Why are you doing this?” just say this, “The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.”’ 4 They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, 5 some of the bystanders said to them, ‘What are you doing, untying the colt?’ 6 They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. 7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. 9 Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ 11 Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.”
We may have heard this story described as “The Triumphal Entry” or “Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King.” It’s a story that we often hear right before Easter, as these events occurred a few days before Jesus’ crucifixion.
Before we look more closely at what didn’t happen that day, let’s step back and look at the big picture narrative of what would unfold that week. In what’s known as “the Jerusalem section” of the Gospel of Mark, the story slows down a lot. Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a terrifying situation where time seemed to slooooow dooooown? In today’s passage, the pace of the story has slowed way down, and in this single chapter we see not just one but three visits to the temple on three consecutive days. The first visit (aka “checking”) is in these first eleven verses of Mark chapter 11. The second visit (aka “cleansing”) is in verses 12-19, and the third visit (aka “confronting”) is in verse 20 through to the end of the chapter and beyond. We are only looking at the first visit today, but when you read the rest of this chapter this week, remember that this was only the first of three visits, each one becoming progressively longer and more significant. As an aside, it’s good to know that each of the four gospels contains an account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, with variations, as you would expect with multiple authors.
The first question we might ask about our passage today is, “Why did Jesus come to Jerusalem and visit the temple?” Before we answer that, let’s consider why any Jewish person then would go to Jerusalem and visit the Temple. In Judaism there were three major festivals known collectively as “The Three Pilgrimage Festivals” – the Festival of Unleavened Bread (aka Passover, or Pesach), the Festival of Harvest (aka Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks), and the festival of ingathering (aka Sukkot, or the Feast of Booths). All able-bodied Israelite men were expected to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem, per God’s instructions in Exodus 23:17 (NRSV) – “Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord God.”
But Jesus did not come to Jerusalem as a pilgrim devoted to the Temple.
To answer the question as to why Jesus came to Jerusalem that day and visited the temple, we need to look back to the second half of the Old Testament book, Zechariah. Zechariah is a prophetic book which is very difficult for us to understand because of its nonlinear nature and its use of startling and unfamiliar imagery. The second half of Zechariah is described by “The Bible Project” as “a kaleidoscopic collage of poems and images about the future messianic kingdom.” Chapters 9 to 11 “describe the coming of the humble messianic king who is riding a donkey into the new Jerusalem to establish God’s kingdom over the nations.” Listen to Zechariah 9:9 (NRSV) – “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” But then the imagery shifts, and “this king is symbolized as a shepherd over the flock of Israel.” Zechariah 9:16a (NRSV) says that “on that day the Lord their God will save them for they are the flock of his people.” Zechariah 10:2 (NRSV) tells us that “the people wander like sheep; they suffer for lack of a shepherd.” This humble messianic king shepherd is then “rejected, first by his own people, but then also by their leaders, who are also symbolized as shepherds. And so, God hands Israel over to these corrupt shepherds. And it raises the question: Will Israel’s rejection of their king last forever?”
Chapters 12 to 14 of Zechariah provide us the answer to this question: a resounding “No!” The Bible project describes this section as “another mosaic of poems and images about the future messianic kingdom” in which we see “the new Jerusalem as the place where God’s justice will finally confront and defeat evil among the nations … God also will confront the rebellion within the hearts of his own people. He’s going to pour out his Spirit on them, he says, so that they can repent and grieve over the fact that they have rebelled and rejected their messianic shepherd.”
In the final chapter, God promises living water and healing for all people and all of creation. Zechariah 14:8-9 (NRSV) – “8 On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea; it shall continue in summer as in winter. 9 And the Lord will become king over all the earth; on that day the Lord will be one and his name one.” Zechariah prophesied these things over 500 years before Jesus entered Jerusalem that day, to encourage God’s people to place their hope not in the chaos around them but in the coming of God’s kingdom and in the Messiah who was to come. Jesus did come to Jerusalem that day in astounding fulfillment of these prophetic predictions, as the humble messianic shepherd king, the Messiah.
In addition to being the fulfilled of messianic prophecies, Jesus’ visit is also a clear reference to a well-known ritual for entry processions when a hero (often a distinguished regent or ruler) arrived in a city. Literary accounts, coins, and monuments have helped theologians to identify various types of Ancient Near East entry processions, all of which shared welcoming behaviors and practices:
- The hero approaches the city.
- Local religious leaders lead a welcome procession that escorts the hero into the city.
- Crowds, sometimes wearing festival attire, welcome the hero with shouts, praises, and decorations.
- The hero goes to a temple for prayers, hymns, and sacrifices.
We have written accounts of many entry processions, including those for Greek King of Macedon Alexander the Great, Roman General Marcus Agrippa, and Jewish priest and revolutionary leader Judas Maccabaeus. Baroque composer George Frideric Handel wrote a famous oratorio, Judas Maccabaeus, which made famous a hymn we know as “Thine Be the Glory, Risen Conquering Son.” As I read a few lines from the English translation, notice the similarities to Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem in today’s Scripture:
See, the conqu’ring hero comes!
Sound the trumpets, beat the drums.
Sports prepare, the laurel bring,
Songs of triumph to him sing.
See the godlike youth advance!
Breathe the flutes, and lead the dance;
Myrtle wreaths, and roses twine,
To deck the hero’s brow divine.
Who was present during Jesus’ entry procession that day? The gospel of Mark mentions Jesus’ disciples, the larger group of men and women who followed Jesus. We are also told that “many people” were ahead, alongside, and following. The gospel of Matthew describes “a very large crowd,” multiple crowds, and even “the whole city.” The gospel of John notes that “some Greeks” (i.e. non-Jews) were present. The gospel of Luke tells us that in addition to “whole multitudes of disciples,” Pharisees were also in the crowd. All four gospels emphasize the sense that everyone (except the Pharisees) was wholeheartedly welcoming and praising Jesus. Their actions showed that they saw Jesus as a king to whom they were professing their allegiance, a liberator in whom they were placing their hopes. Could this be their long-awaited humble messianic shepherd king, the Messiah? Listen again to the first part what the crowd shouts in Mark 11:9-10a: “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!” These are actually quotes from Psalm 118, which was recited during festivals such as Passover (which was just a few days away): Psalm 118:25-27 (NRSV) –“25 Save us, we beseech you, O Lord! O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! 26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. 27 The Lord is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.”
And the last part of Mark 11:10, “Hosanna in the highest heaven!” is a reference to the first verse of Psalm 148. Listen as I read this Psalm and notice the call to all of creation to praise the sovereign God:
“1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host! 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars! 4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. 6 He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, 8 fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command! 9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! 10 Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! 12 Young men and women alike, old and young together! 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven. 14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord!”
By blessing Jesus as the one who comes in the name of the Lord, the crowd identifies Jesus as the one sent by God. By crying to Jesus, “Hosanna,” which means “O save!” the crowd looks to Jesus to be their Savior. By waving branches in this festal procession, the crowd welcomes Jesus as the King of the blessed coming kingdom.
All of the dots are connecting now. Jesus came to Jerusalem that day as not just a king, but as the King above “all the kings of the earth and all peoples.” This was a celebration of not just a returning or conquering hero, but a celebration of God’s supreme rule over all people and all of creation, forever and ever!
There are some notable differences, though, between the traditional entry processions and Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem that day. Let’s take a brief look at three of these differences.
The first difference involves the mode of transportation upon which Jesus arrived. Our passage indicates just the word “colt,” which could be either a horse or a donkey. Donkeys could be associated with kings, but they were also figures of scorn and derision, as everyday beasts of burden. A king’s arrival on a horse symbolized a declaration of war; a king’s arrival on a donkey symbolized peace. The gospel of Matthew clarifies that Jesus rode a donkey’s colt. Jesus ushered in the kingdom of God, described in Romans 14:17 (NRSV) as “not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” The kingdom of God is a kingdom of peace!
The second difference has to do with the manner in which Jesus acquired his mode of transportation. Unlike Roman commanders and rulers who routinely and roughly requisitioned labor, lodging, portage, and provisions from the locals over whom they ruled, Jesus shows us what love looks like. It’s interesting to notice how Jesus instructed his disciples to respond if asked why he needed the colt: “The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.” No poor villager would be disadvantaged by losing their source of income for that day’s bread. No animal would be harmed. Jesus cares deeply for all – all persons, all animals, all of his beloved creation!
The third difference is that although in traditional entry processions, the hero is escorted into the city and then the hero is welcomed with shouts, praises, and decorations, Jesus did not actually enter Jerusalem until after the procession. The procession occurred outside of the city gates.
I hope you enjoy as much as I do the unpacking of these ancient prophecies and practices in order to get a clearer picture of what was going on that day.
We’re at the last verse of today’s passage now. In Mark 11:11, we see that Jesus “entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.” Suddenly … nothing happened! Jesus arrived in peace at Jerusalem as the long-awaited humble messianic shepherd king, the Messiah, the King! Jesus’ arrival was celebrated widely, joyfully, and colorfully by almost everyone in the city! Jesus entered the city. Jesus went to the Temple. But when he got there, there were no prayers, no hymns, no sacrifices, no kingly acts of power. Jesus simply looked around at everything. The Greek word used there indicates not a casual glance, but close observation with an all-encompassing look, strongly emphasizing a high level of personal involvement. Some commentators note that it implies Jesus’ authoritative, angry, and judgmental gaze (which we see more clearly in his return visits to the Temple in the days following). Jesus looked around, and then went back to Bethany, the very place where his journey that day had begun. Suddenly … nothing happened! The popular title of “The Triumphal Entry” is a bit of a misnomer, because although there was an entry, there was also an exit, and it was far from triumphal … yet. It seems anticlimactic, doesn’t it?
But even though Mark leaves us in suspense, and even though it seemed like nothing happened that day, the most monumental and world-changing events of all time were about to unfold. The greatest thing that has ever happened was about to occur. The disciples, the crowds, the whole world waited and wondered what would happen next. Jesus’ imminent death and resurrection were so powerful that they would break open not only the Temple curtain but all of human history. Every enemy, including sin and death, would be defeated, and the way would be opened for the salvation, restoration, and transformation of every human heart and every part of creation. Suddenly … nothing happened … yet!
