Fig Tree Theology

Sermon Scripture

Matthew 21:18–19 NIV

18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

Introduction- What Would Jesus See If He Showed Up at His Places of Worship today?

Temple of the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ESV

19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

Temple of the Living God

2 Corinthians 6:16 ESV

16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Transition To Body- When the long awaited messiah arrives in Jerusalem

When Jesus’ Followers (Disciples) Obey His Instructions (the City Is Stirred Up- people are set-in motion to receive Jesus)

Matthew 21:6–11 ESV

6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Body- Fig Three Theology

Jesus’ High Expectations For His Redeemed People

Matthew 21:18–19 NIV

18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

As illustrated with Jesus being hungry and seeing the fig tree

New Testament 21:18–22—The Power of Faith

By this time of year fig trees near the Mount of Olives would have leaves, but only green fruit with an unpleasant taste appeared this early; edible figs appeared around early June. Often the green fruit would fall off, leaving only leaves.

John 4:34 ESV

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

Luke 2:49 ESV

And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

Expectations of Jesus (the LORD God)

Matthew 21:12–13 ESV

12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

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Jesus’ High Expectations For His Redeemed People

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Inadequacy Of Godly Form Without Spiritual Power

God’s people having a form of godliness but denying its power (2 Timothy 3:5) as illustrated by Jesus going to the fig tree and finding leaves but not any fruit

Matthew 21:19 NIV

19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

Form follows function is a principle of design associated with late 19th- and early 20th-century architecture and industrial design in general, which states that the shape of a building or object should primarily relate to its intended function or purpose.

The Kingdom of God Is A Matter Of Power

1 Corinthians 4:20 NIV

20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

Romans 14:17 ESV

17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Recognized By Our Fruits

Matthew 7:15–20 ESV

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

The Fruit Of Our Hearts

Matthew 12:33–35 ESV

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.

Having An Appearance of Godliness

2 Timothy 3:5 ESV

5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

Power of the Holy Spirit

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

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Jesus’ High Expectations For His Redeemed People

Inadequacy Of Godly Form Without Spiritual Power

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Jesus Performs The Miraculous Through Faithful Followers

Power of God to perform the miraculous in those who pray with unwavering faith as illustrated by having faith and not doubting when asking through prayer

Matthew 21:20–22 NIV

20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. 21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

God’s Power Unleashed in a Holy Temple

Matthew 21:14–16 ESV

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “ ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?”

Do not doubt

to make a judgment on the basis of careful and detailed information

Removing Mountains

New Testament 21:18–22—The Power of Faith

“Removing mountains” was a figure of speech for doing what was virtually impossible; here Jesus promises that nothing would be impossible for them. This promise is reminiscent of the miraculous activity that characterized the ministry of some Old Testament prophets, like Elijah and Elisha.

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Jesus’ High Expectations For His Redeemed People

Inadequacy Of Godly Form Without Spiritual Power

Jesus Performs The Miraculous Through Faithful Followers

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Transition To Close- Without Faith Is Is Impossible To Please God

A BUSINESSMAN had to travel to a small town for a meeting and invited his wife to come with him. She was excited about the trip until she learned her husband was going to be flown to the small town in a twin-engine Cessna plane. “Honey, I’ve decided not to go.” “What! Why not?” “I am not going on a little-bitty, twin-engine Cessna.” Her husband smiled and knowingly said, “Honey, your faith is too small.” She quipped, “No, the plane is too small.” The businessman really wanted his wife to go with him, so he canceled the Cessna and booked travel on a major airline. His wife went with him because, as she put it, “her faith grew because the size of the plane grew.” The object of her faith determined how much faith she decided to have.281

Evans, Tony. Tony Evans' Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More Than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (p. 99). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition.

So Put Your Faith In Jesus!

Mark 9:24 ESV

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Hebrews 10:38 ESV

38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

James 1:5–8 ESV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Ask Anything in Jesus’ Name & He Will Do It

John 14:12–14 ESV

12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Great is the LORD God’s Faithfulness

Lamentations 3:22–23 ESV

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Faithful to Love!

Faithful To Redeem

Faithful To Reclaim!

Faithful to Save!

Faithful to Sanctify!

Because On Friday, Jesus Went to the Father…

Jesus Was Faithful

John 19:28–30 ESV

28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Luke 23:46 ESV

46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

Close- Come to Jesus a Living Stone

Built Up As A Spiritual House By A Living Stone the Builders Rejected

1 Peter 2:4–8 ESV

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

A Chosen People- Called Out of Darkness

1 Peter 2:9–10 ESV

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.