Mark 11:11 Jesus went into the temple...

At the time Jesus entered Jerusalem, the Jerusalem Temple (the so-called “second temple,” the rebuilt
temple of Solomon) was the most magnificent structure in all the Middle East. In its splendor, it rivaled
anything found in Greece, Rome, or Egypt. The temple lay at the heart of Jewish the nation. It was not
only the religious center of the land and that place where Jewish pilgrims flocked for the various feasts,
but the temple was also the symbol of the nation’s political and historical life. The temple was
everything to Jews at the time of Jesus. So much so, the temple had actually become a stumbling block
to faith in YHWH. If the people had such a glorious temple, why do they need a Savior? People relied
upon the temple and its ceremonies, not upon YHWH’s grace and mercy. It was thought that to possess
such a magnificent temple, was to possess the righteousness and blessing of God. Not true. --KR