Mark 11:1-6 1Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples 2and said to them, “Go into the village which is in front of you, and immediately as you enter into it you will find a colt that has been tied, on which no person has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. 3If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and immediately he will send it back here.’ ” 4And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. 5And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6And they told them just what Jesus had said, and they permitted them.
Mark’s Gospel makes a significant change in chapter 11 as the group journeyed from Jericho to Jerusalem, an uphill journey of over 3,000 feet. The storyline slows down dramatically with the final week of Jesus’ life. Many things will take place in the following three chapters. Chapter 11 gives the details related to the first day in Jerusalem. It was the time of the annual Passover feast with pilgrims coming from all over the Mediterranean region. The time seemed ripe to throw off the yoke of the Romans. The ancient Roman road followed the path from Bethphage to Bethany and on to the Mount of Olives. These places can be visited today and hold significance in the story of Jesus’ last week. The Mount of Olives was an important meeting place and where Jesus spent time in prayer. It rises 2,600 feet above sea level, which would make it quite a climb from Jericho, which was 846 feet below sea level. This mount had messianic significance. Ezekiel had a vision of the glory of the Lord departing from Jerusalem and coming to rest on the Mount of Olives (Ezekiel 11:23). Jesus and the disciples spent the night in Bethany (verse 11).
Jesus had a special plan for entering Jerusalem, which becomes the focus of this passage. Mark does not record the names of the two disciples or the village to which they went. The focus is more on the miracle of Jesus’ accurate prediction of what they would find and the response they would receive after their declaration of the Lord’s word. Jesus’ directions are precise, which serves to highlight his power as a prophet. Colt can refer to either the young of a horse or donkey, though donkeys were more common in that area. An unridden colt would typically be difficult if not impossible to control, but not for Jesus, which is another indicator of his power over creation. In addition, the horse or donkey of a king should never be ridden by anyone else. This was a special colt, reserved only for King Jesus.
Mark’s keyword immediately shows the readiness of the situation and that the disciples would not need to search far for what Jesus meant. They simply needed to obey his directions, and everything would work out for them. Their response about the Lord’s need for the colt would show that they were not stealing the animal but only borrowing it. How the animal got back to the owner immediately is never stated, but this note implies another miracle.
The disciples find the situation just as Jesus said. They also got the question Jesus predicted, and so they were ready with an answer. The story lacks details, for example, how did the owners know who the “Lord” was? Had they heard Jesus? Were they moved by the Holy Spirit, perhaps through a vision or a sense of what they should do? A king could commandeer a beast of burden at that time. This part of the story is a subtle indicator of Jesus’ kingship and prepares for the rest of the account.
For older posts, click here.