Week 9: Chapter 8 — The Temple

1.Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey — fulfilling Zechariah 9:9, a prophecy of a humble, peace-bringing king, not a military conqueror. Keller contrasts this with the Roman triumphal entry, in which a conquering general would ride a warhorse. What does the choice of a donkey say about the kind of king Jesus is? How does this challenge both ancient and modern expectations of power?

2.Jesus curses the fig tree and then cleanses the Temple — and Mark sandwiches these two events together in a way that is clearly intentional. Keller argues that the fig tree interprets the Temple action: Israel (and the Temple system) has the appearance of fruitfulness but not the reality. Where do you see that pattern — religious form without genuine fruit — in churches or in your own life?

3.In the Temple, Jesus quotes Isaiah 56 ("a house of prayer for all nations") and Jeremiah 7 ("a den of robbers"). Keller argues that Jesus is not primarily upset about financial corruption but about exclusion — the Court of the Gentiles had been turned into a marketplace, preventing non-Jews from approaching God. How does this reframe what the cleansing of the Temple is really about? What does it say about who belongs in God's presence?