Mark 11:18

And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. Mark 11:18

Three points:

1. Heard and seek to destroy

The Lord Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem with the cheers of many people; he had also gone into the Temple to throw out the crooks, cheats, hucksters from it--just as we should today. The religious authorities were not pleased. They didn't like what the Lord Jesus was saying and doing, so the solution? Let's kill him. Speaking and living the truth sometimes will make enemies from very powerful people. They may seek our death, too, but we must still speak and live the truth.

2. They feared him.

Strange, why did they were they afraid of him? They knew He was speaking the truth that they were afraid to admit; they also knew He was living the truth. Despite knowing these things, they still chose to do evil and oppose the truth. They were afraid, too, of the crowd who at that point were shocked, amazed, and challenged by His teaching. What kind of teacher are we--like the religious leaders or like the Lord Jesus? Do we have the trash of the world in us? Matthew Henry points out that maybe they were afraid that He would throw them out, too; they were a living lie.

3. Astonished

Why the shock? They were simply blown away. They had not expected this. They expected an earthly kingdom, an earthly king, a messiah who would provide for all their needs, provide safety, and throw out the foreign rulers. The Lord Jesus came to reform their lives, to drive sin out, to promote holiness and holy living. Are we in shock when we read the Bible? Are we more interested in comfort or truth? Are we putting ourselves first or God? Are we treating others without bias and mistreatment?