Jesus Curses The Fig Tree
Lead Up to Easter 2017 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 2,322 viewsHaving a form of Godliness but denying its power
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Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Context
Context
Context
Context
Jesus goes into Jerusalem on Sunday riding a donkey.
After entering the city he goes to the temple.
He sees the condition of religious worship in Israel.
He sees that that they have the priesthood, they have the temple, and they have the sacrifices.
In short, He sees that they have everything that they need to fulfill their role in the world as God assigned it.
What does He find instead?
He finds hypocrisy and among the Pharisees.
He finds the Sadducees having been permitted by a calloused priesthood to turn God’s house into a banking house and a market for animals to be sacrificed.
He finds that the chief priests have become more interested in politics than in truly accomplishing the ministry that had been entrusted to them.
He learned firsthand on Sunday that they wanted nothing to do with God’s program, they wanted to be wealthy, important, and they wanted it on their terms.
Monday Morning
Monday Morning
Jesus is hungry, and sees a fig tree.
He walks over with His disciples to the tree to get something to eat.
There are no figs on the tree, so He curses it.
2 Questions:
Why did He curse the fig tree?
He walked over to pick fruit off of a tree that was not His. Was our Lord trying to steal fruit without anybody else knowing about it?
Why Curse the Tree
Why Curse the Tree
Figs are ripe in Judea as early as the Passover.
The fig tree puts on fruit first and then the leaves. Seeing the leaves meant that there should have been figs.
Just like the city of Jerusalem, whose center of worship, He had visited on Sunday, the tree gave every indication that it should fulfill its God given role.
When the stranger approached, however, he would go away hungry and without having his needs met.
It was an illusion, a fool’s hope.
God isn’t going to allow His name to be associated with a fraud or phony.
It impunes His character.
It dishonors Him.
He is not in the business of false hope.
And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Law Breaker?
Law Breaker?
God knows the thoughts and the intents of our heart.
says that He knows everything about us.
He knows the words I’m about to say even before they’re on my tongue.
He knows my lying down, and my rising up.
He saw my unformed substance.
He had the number of the days of my life written in His book before the first one ever existed.
Even the most secret things or the most minute.
If Christ had broken the law or even intended to break the law, He was no longer the spotless lamb.
Therefore, He could not pay my sin debt.
He wouldn’t have just broken man’s law, He would actually violated one of His own 10 commandments.
So, what gives?
Jesus was not breaking the law here, and this is why:
If there were fruit or tress within a well defined distance of the road, it was permitted by custom for travelers or passersby to pick the fruit and eat it without it being theft.