Mark 11:1

The Gospel of Mark condensed a great detail of material into the remaining six chapters, and not all of it is in strict chronological sequence. However, in this eleventh chapter, there are three successive days designated (Mark 11:11:11; Mark 11:11:12; Mark 11:11:20; and Mark 11:11:27). In the designed brevity of the gospel, it was inevitable that some events would be recorded with many details omitted and that some things would be omitted altogether. The sections of this chapter are devoted to: the triumphal entry (Mark 11:1-11), withering of the fig tree (Mark 11:12-14 and Mark 20:25), the second cleansing of the temple (Mark 11:15-19), and the question concerning the authority of Jesus (Mark 11:27-33).

THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY

This event is recorded in all four of the gospels, a testimony of the great importance attached to it. The four accounts are independent, historical, and exceedingly significant, each in its own right. There is absolutely no ground whatever for making any one of them the "original" in its relation to the others. All are original in the sense of being founded on the event itself and bearing the most convincing evidence of being truthful accounts of the facts related.

One grows weary of the knee-jerk repetition in so many of the commentaries, as, for example, in these lines from Cranfield: "The Markan account provides vividness of detail with the most notable restraint regarding Messianic colour."[1] Cranfield said this with reference to the event of the triumphal entry, despite the simple fact that Mark provided less "vividness of detail" than any of the other sacred authors. Here are the details supplied from the other three gospels which Mark omitted:

The mother of the colt was a necessary part of the whole event; the colt would not have followed without her!

Both animals were brought to Jesus.

Garments were spread on both of them.

Jesus sat on both animals (his feet probably on the colt).

The colt was unbroken, unusable except in connection with its mother.

The dramatic descent from the Mount of Olives.

The hailing of Jesus as the King of Israel.

The request of the Pharisees that Jesus rebuke such exclamations.

The presence of two converging multitudes, one from the city coming out to meet Jesus, the other following from Bethany.

The element of the resurrection of Lazarus stimulating the size of both converging multitudes.

The stirring up of the whole city.

Christ's reply to the Pharisees that, if the multitudes should remain silent, the very stones would cry out.

The frustration of the Pharisees who said, "Behold how ye prevail nothing; lo, the world is gone after him."

The astounding fact of the Gospel of Mark is not "vividness of detail," as so monotonously alleged, but rather an astounding lack of detail as in the instance before us. The significance of this is that the "vividness of detail" allegedly found in Mark is the principal prop of the so-called Markan theory. This pattern of Mark's omission of details supplied by the other gospels extends throughout the gospel, the few instances in which he gave more details being utterly outweighed by those in which, as here, he gave far less. Therefore, it may be dogmatically affirmed that Mark's overwhelming superiority in the matter of "vivid details" is a scholarly conceit void of all Scriptural support. The "greater vividness of details" assertion is contradicted by the very size of the gospel itself, being by far the shortest. Furthermore, there is the fact, already noted, that Mark's style is somewhat verbose, using more words to convey fewer thoughts. Note the following:

MARK 8:11

And the Pharisees came forth, began to question with him, asking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.

MATTHEW 16:1

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and tempting him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven.

In the above, Matthew with one less word gives all of the facts recorded by Mark, plus the added information that the Pharisees were accompanied by the Sadducees. This is characteristic throughout the gospels.