A Quick Summary...

 

Mark 11:27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, 28 and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” 31 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Having told His followers for the third time of what was going to happen to Him, it was now time for a quick review.  The triumphal entry reminded them of everything they had learned about Him: He was the King, the Son of God, the Savior they had been waiting for to deliver them. His example of the withering fig tree was a reminder of everything He had taught them about prayer: God cares, He can, & He does.  The repeat of the cleansing of the temple reminded them that their manmade system of holiness did not work and was about to be replaced.  Finally, He once again reemphasizes His authority by leaving the religious leaders who challenged Him speechless.  Like everything else in this gospel, this summary is fast-paced, but it also is more than a review; it is preparation for what would happen His last week of ministry.