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The Gospel of Mark

Chapter 11:27 - 12:44: The Exposure and Rejection of the Leaders

Published since 02. Sep. 2025
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Mark 11:27 - 12:44
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And they come again to Jerusalem. And as he walked about in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders come to him, and they say to him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority, that thou shouldest do these things? And Jesus answering said to them, *I* also will ask you one thing, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John, was it of heaven, or of men? answer me. And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we should say, Of heaven, he will say, Why [then] have ye not believed him? but should we say, Of men--they feared the people; for all held of John that he was truly a prophet. And they answering say to Jesus, We do not know. And Jesus [answering] says to them, Neither do *I* tell you by what authority I do these things. And he began to say to them in parables, A man planted a vineyard, and made a fence round [it] and dug a wine-vat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and left the country. And he sent a bondman to the husbandmen at the season, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
But they took him, and beat [him], and sent [him] away empty. And again he sent to them another bondman; and [at] him they [threw stones, and] struck [him] on the head, and sent [him] away with insult. And [again] he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. Having yet therefore one beloved son, he sent also him to them the last, saying, They will have respect for my son. But those husbandmen said to one another, This is the heir: come, let us kill him and the inheritance will be ours. And they took him and killed him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others. Have ye not even read this scripture, The stone which they that builded rejected, this has become the corner-stone: this is of [the] Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes? And they sought to lay hold of him, and they feared the crowd; for they knew that he had spoken the parable of them. And they left him and went away. And they send to him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, that they might catch him in speaking. And they come and say to him, Teacher, we know that thou art true, and carest not for any one; for thou regardest not men's person, but teachest the way of God with truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? Should we give, or should we not give? But he knowing their hypocrisy said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Bring me a denarius that I may see [it]. And they brought [it]. And he says to them, Whose [is] this image and superscription? And they said to him, Caesar's. And Jesus answering said to them, Pay what is Caesar's to Caesar, and what is God's to God. And they wondered at him. And Sadducees come to him, that say there is no resurrection; and they demanded of him saying, Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if any one's brother die, and leave a wife behind, and leave no children, that his brother shall take his wife, and raise up seed to his brother. There were seven brethren; and the first took a wife, and dying did not leave seed; and the second took her and died, and neither did he leave seed; and the third likewise. And the seven [took her and] did not leave seed. Last of all the woman also died. In the resurrection, when they shall rise again, of which of them shall she be wife, for the seven had her as wife? And Jesus answering said to them, Do not ye therefore err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God? For when they rise from among [the] dead they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as angels [who are] in the heavens. But concerning the dead that they rise, have ye not read in the book of Moses, in [the section of] the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, *I* [am] the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of [the] dead, but of [the] living. *Ye* therefore greatly err. And one of the scribes who had come up, and had heard them reasoning together, perceiving that he had answered them well, demanded of him, Which is [the] first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, [The] first commandment of all [is], Hear, Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thine understanding, and with all thy strength. This is [the] first commandment. And a second like it [is] this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is not another commandment greater than these. And the scribe said to him, Right, teacher; thou hast spoken according to [the] truth. For he is one, and there is none other besides him; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the intelligence, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbour as one's self, is more than all the burnt-offerings and sacrifices. And Jesus, seeing that he had answered intelligently, said to him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no one dared question him any more. And Jesus answering said [as he was] teaching in the temple, How do the scribes say that the Christ is son of David? [for] David himself said [speaking] in the Holy Spirit, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand until I put thine enemies [as] footstool of thy feet. David himself [therefore] calls him Lord, and whence is he his son? And the mass of the people heard him gladly. And he said to them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, who like to walk about in long robes, and salutations in the marketplaces, and first seats in the synagogues, and first places at suppers; who devour the houses of widows, and as a pretext make long prayers. These shall receive a severer judgment. And Jesus, having sat down opposite the treasury, saw how the crowd was casting money into the treasury; and many rich cast in much. And a poor widow came and cast in two mites, which is a farthing. And having called his disciples to [him] he said to them, Verily I say unto you, This poor widow has cast in more than all who have cast into the treasury: for all have cast in of that which they had in abundance, but she of her destitution has cast in all that she had, the whole of her living.

In this passage, we see the Lord Jesus presented to the nation as the King—the Son of David—only to be rejected by the leaders who sought to destroy Him. This section of the Gospel reveals the true condition of the various leaders of the nation and their rejection by Christ.

(Mark 11:27-33) The most bitter opponents of Christ are, as always, the religious leaders of a corrupted system. The chief priests, scribes, and elders are the first to be exposed in the presence of the Lord. Through His divine power and grace, the Lord had given sight to a blind man, entered Jerusalem as the Son of David, and cleansed the temple. Unfortunately, these religious leaders, preoccupied with their own reputations and authority, were indifferent to the needs of the people and the sanctity of God's house. They sought to maintain their own control and were jealous of any religious actions taken without their direction. Indifferent to the corruption within the House of God and incapable of addressing it themselves, they opposed the One who could—Jesus—by questioning His authority.

The Lord counters their opposition by asking them a question about John the Baptist. Since they claim the role of religious leaders, they should be able to determine whether John's authority came from heaven or from men. His question not only highlights their inability to judge matters of authority but also exposes their insincerity in raising the issue.

Their internal reasoning before answering demonstrates their lack of principle. Regardless of their actual beliefs, they were willing to give a politically convenient answer but feared that either response might lead to condemnation from Jesus or from the public. Consequently, they opted for silence, replying, "We cannot tell." With their hypocrisy exposed, the Lord refused to answer their question.

(Mark 12:1-12) The religious leaders, revealed as hypocrites who cared only for their own reputations and feared the people rather than God, are confronted by the Lord through a parable. This parable illustrates the moral history of the nation, showing that, just like the chief priests of that time, leaders throughout history have repeatedly failed in their responsibilities. The Lord foreshadows the judgment that will come upon the leaders and the nation.

In the parable, Israel is likened to a vineyard established in a choice land, set apart from other nations by a law that governed their lives, acting as a hedge around them. Provisions were made for the nation to produce fruit for God, represented by the vine fat, and they were protected from enemies, symbolized by the tower in the vineyard. The nation was given the responsibility to uphold its unique status and bear fruit for God.

In due time, God sought a return from the nation for all His goodness. Unfortunately, this moral trial of humanity, as demonstrated in Israel's history, only serves to reveal humanity's utter ruin. Even when abundantly blessed by God, man has shown little heart for Him, despite every opportunity to recognize and respond to His goodness.

Every effort by God to seek fruit from the nation is not only repulsed but met with growing resentment. The first servant is sent away empty; the second is treated with insult. Subsequent servants face not just insults but persecution and even death. This increasing response demonstrates humanity's failure under responsibility. However, there is one final test to determine if it is possible to reach the heart of man. One Son—the beloved Son—will be sent, and if there is any glimmer of goodness in the husbandmen, they will surely honor Him. While there may be causes for dislike or even hatred in the best of prophets and kings, there should be no cause for animosity towards the Son. Tragically, He has to say, "They fought against Me without a cause. For my love, they are my adversaries … they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love" (Psalm 109:3-5).

The coming of the Son reveals the true state of the human heart. Israel desires a kingdom without Christ, while the Gentiles want a world without God. Just as the husbandmen in the parable say, "This is the heir; come, let us kill Him, and the inheritance shall be ours." This mirrors the attitude of the leaders of Israel in the Lord's day, as well as that of the world today. We increasingly see that humanity's will is to exclude God from His own creation: the evolutionist seeks to eliminate God from creation, the politician aims to exclude God from governance, and the modernist desires to shut God out of religion.

Here, we can observe the true nature of the flesh within us. It can appear patriotic, social, and religious, but if given its way, it will ultimately reject Christ and cast Him out of the world. The Christ of revelation is the true test, exposing that, despite the flesh's outward appearance, it is fundamentally opposed to Christ.

This rejection of Christ results in governmental judgment upon the nation and may lead to others being chosen from whom God will seek fruit. The Lord quotes their own Scriptures (Psalm 118:22-23) to convict them of their sin in rejecting Him. By committing this grave sin, they are acting in direct opposition to God; for the One they are about to nail to a cross, God will exalt to the highest glory. Nevertheless, the Lord indicates that a time will come when a repentant remnant will recognize that what the Lord has done is marvelous in their eyes.

When the conscience is touched but the heart remains unreached, man becomes increasingly irrational. Thus, these wicked men sought to capture Him, but for the moment, they were hindered by political concerns because they feared the people. So, "they left Him and went their way." How hopeless is the condition of those who consciously turn their backs on Christ and choose to walk away.

In verses 13-17, after exposing the religious leaders' hatred of Christ, we now see the revelation of the leaders of various factions within the divided nation. First, the Pharisees and Herodians approach the Lord. Though opposed to one another, they unite in their hatred of Christ and their desire for self-exaltation in this world. The Pharisees pursue a religious reputation through the outward observance of rituals and ceremonies, while the Herodians seek advancement in social and political spheres. Naturally, both groups find that the One who is entirely for the glory of God must condemn their ambitions, leading them to oppose the Lord. Everything He is, every truth He teaches, and every action He takes springs from motives entirely different from those that drive these men.

Thus, when they approach Christ, it is not to learn from Him but to trap Him in His words. Their worldly motivations have so entirely blinded them to Christ's glory, fueling their arrogance and self-importance, that they mistakenly believe they can catch the Lord of glory in His own words.

Moreover, they assume that the tactics that often succeed with their fellow men will work on the Lord. By using flattery and deceit, they attempt to entrap Him. They say, "You are true and do not care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men but teach the way of God in truth." While this statement is true, it does not reflect the true nature of their wicked hearts. After attempting to pave the way with flattery, they pose their question: "Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?" Their malicious minds have concocted a question that they believe will compromise Him, regardless of whether He answers "Yes" or "No," casting him into conflict with either Jews or Gentiles.

The Lord exposes their hypocrisy with the question, "Why do you tempt Me?" In their attempt to catch Him in His words, they fall into their own trap, revealing their low condition both before men and morally before God. When the Lord asks for a coin, a penny is brought to Him. He then asks, "Whose image and superscription is this?" They reply, "Caesar's." Therefore, it belongs to Caesar; so it is only right to "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." The Roman authority found no fault with the principle of giving to Caesar what is his, while the Jews could agree with the notion of giving to God what is His. The fact that Caesar's money circulated in their land testified to the nation's low condition, being in bondage to the Gentiles. Sadly, despite their humiliating state, there was no true repentance, as they continually rebelled against Caesar and rejected their own Messiah. Although they marveled at the wisdom of the Lord's reply, they lacked a true conscience toward both God and man.

After the Pharisees and Herodians were silenced in the presence of the Lord, the Sadducees approached Him next, only to have their ignorance and infidelity exposed. The Sadducees were the materialists of their time, representing a form of infidelity focused on worldly matters. It has been aptly said that "the strength of infidelity lies in putting forth difficulties, raising imaginary cases that do not apply, and reasoning from the things of men to the things of God." In this instance, these wicked men tried to undermine the truth by ridicule. They proposed an imaginary case to showcase what they thought was the absurdity of resurrection. As is common with infidels, they displayed a gross ignorance of Scripture and overlooked the power of God. If the Scriptures had indicated that people marry in the resurrection state, their imaginary case might have presented a genuine difficulty. However, if God had no power, the resurrection itself would be impossible.

There is no passage in Scripture stating that earthly relationships will continue in heaven. We will not rise as husbands and wives, parents and children, or masters and servants, but we will be like the angels in this respect. We will not become angels, as some mistakenly believe, but we will be free from earthly relationships. Believers will enjoy privileges and heavenly relationships far superior to those of angels, transcending the temporary relationships of this life.

Regarding the resurrection, the Lord again highlights their ignorance of Scripture. They had quoted Moses in an attempt to show that His teachings were contrary to those of Moses. In response, the Lord refers back to Moses to reveal their misunderstanding of his words. It is written in the book of Moses that "in the bush God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'" When the incident at the bush occurred, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had long been dead. Yet God still refers to Himself as their God; He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. Though they may be dead in this world, they still live and will rise again to enjoy the promises of God, which can only be fulfilled in the resurrection because of sin's intervention. Thus, the Lord can say to the infidels of His time, as He can today, "You therefore do greatly err."

The Sadducees were followed by a representative of the Scribes, who were interpreters of the law and believed that some laws held greater importance than others. He asked the Lord to provide His judgment on "Which is the first commandment of all?" In His perfect wisdom, the Lord chose not to focus on the Ten Commandments, which would typically come to mind. Instead, He highlighted key exhortations from the Pentateuch that summarize the law and express humanity's overall duty to God and to each other.

The foremost responsibility of man is to uphold the unity of the Godhead, as illustrated in the Scripture: "Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord." This indicates that mankind must love God above all else, excluding any competitors for that affection; in addition, individuals are called to love their neighbors as themselves. This encapsulation of the law presents the essential duty of humanity on Earth. If these two commandments were observed, none of the other laws would be broken.

The scribe acknowledged the perfection of the Lord's reply. His conscience affirmed that the Lord had conveyed the truth. He recognized that giving God what is due and behaving correctly toward one's neighbor is more valuable than all external forms and ceremonies of the law. As is always true in God's eyes, the moral condition of the soul holds far greater significance than outward displays of piety.

The Lord recognized the sagacity of this lawyer. In terms of understanding and a genuine acknowledgment of the truth, he was close to the kingdom of God. However, he still remained outside. Although he grasped the essence of what Christ said, he failed to see the glory of Christ or to acknowledge the truth of His identity. As one has noted, "Whether a person is near or far from the kingdom of God, it is equally destructive if they do not enter it." The lawyer understood the law but overlooked his profound need; he had entirely failed to meet the law's demands. Consequently, he could not recognize the glory of Christ and the grace offered to those who have completely failed in their responsibilities.

After this exchange, no one dared to question the Lord any further. Representatives from all classes—priests, rulers, Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, and lawyers—had come with their inquiries, attempting to challenge the Lord, only to find themselves exposed and silenced. The Pharisee, who claimed to uphold religion, had failed to render to God the things that belong to Him. The Herodian, who professed to maintain Caesar's political interests, had not given Caesar what is due. The Sadducee, who prided himself on his intellect, was surprisingly ignorant. Meanwhile, the Scribe, who was supposed to expound the law, had not kept it. Despite their differing positions, they were all united in their opposition to Christ, revealing humanity's complete failure to fulfill its responsibilities.

(Vv. 35-37). After addressing all questions and silencing every opponent, the Lord Himself poses a question of immense importance, as it touches on the glory of His Person, which is the foundation of all blessings for humanity. He asks, "How can the scribes say that Christ is the Son of David? For David himself, by the Holy Spirit, said, 'The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies your footstool.'" While the scribes accurately recognized that the Messiah would be the Son of David, they failed to understand, as stated clearly by the Holy Spirit in their own Scriptures, that He is not only David's Son but also David's Lord. How can He be both? The only answer lies in the truth that He is fully human while also being a Divine Person. By refusing to acknowledge this truth about His identity, they miss the blessings, and the One they reject ascends to the right hand of God, awaiting the time to deal with all His adversaries in judgment.

(Vv. 38-40). Following the exposure of the leaders, the Lord issues a warning against those who present themselves with a great religious facade but whose true motive is self-exaltation. These individuals love to display their piety with "long clothing," seek public recognition through "salutations in the marketplaces," desire religious prominence by occupying "the chief seats in the synagogues," and seek social status by taking "the uppermost rooms at feasts." They engage in self-aggrandizement even at the expense of widows and practice religious ostentation, making "long prayers" just for show. How solemn are the Lord's words: "These shall receive severer judgment." The greater the pretension, the heavier the judgment.

(Vv. 41-44). In contrast to those exposed as religious hypocrites, we see individuals whom the Lord delights to acknowledge, represented by a poor widow. This devoted soul, reminiscent of the godly remnant that returned from Babylon in the days of Ezra to rebuild the House of God, gave all she had to support God's House. Although she may have been unaware that man had corrupted this house and was soon to be destroyed in judgment, her heart was right with God, and her motives were pure. She contributed only two mites, yet in God's eyes, it was more than all the others gave, despite their larger contributions. They gave from their abundance, while she gave out of her poverty, casting in all she possessed, even her entire living. God assesses the value of a gift not by the amount given but by what is held back for oneself.

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