Journey Through Matthew: Figs and Faith

Introduction

Good morning and welcome back!

This morning if you will turn back in your Bibles to .

This morning we are going to pick up in verse 12 and try to get through verses 22, and then return to verse 23-27 tonight, because they all really tie together.

And I say “try” because each of the parts of this passage could really have their own sermon.

And someday we may have to break them down a bit further.

But in this passage we are going to see three things take place.

First, in verses 12-17 we are going to see Jesus dealing with the money changers in the Temple.

Then in verses 13-22, Jesus is going to teach us a lesson of faith through a fig tree.

And finally, in verses 23-27, Jesus is going to deal with the Jews who were pretty much fed up with him at this point, which is what we will deal with tonight.

And it all really hinges on the last part of the passage, which also ties back to what we talked about last week.

On Sunday night we looked at Jesus’ Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem and how the people were praising Him and lifting Him up as their source of deliverance from the Romans.

And one of the key points from Sunday night was that even though they were praising Jesus they had no idea of who He really was.

In fact, one of the last things we read was them questioning who Jesus really was . . .

Matthew 21:10 NIV - Anglicised

10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

And their reply was . . .

Matthew 21:11 NIV - Anglicised

11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Notice, that they identified Jesus as a “Prophet from Nazareth in Galilee,” but had no idea he was God in the Flesh.

No idea that His deliverance and salvation was from death, hell, and the grave, and had nothing to do with the Romans or any other government in the world.

His deliverance was from the hand of Satan and it was an eternal deliverance.

But they didn’t have a clue.

And they were happy and praising Jesus at this point because, as we mentioned last week, he hadn’t really challenged their core belief system on a grand level yet.

Yes, when he encountered individuals he challenged them, but as a society, as a people—Their moral code— Jesus hadn’t done that yet.

But all of that was about to change.

And this change also brought about a change in their attitude about Jesus.

Which is what we see begin to take place in our passage this morning.

So, if you have found in your Bibles stand with me if you are able.

Matthew writes . . .

Scripture Focus

Matthew 21:12–22 NIV - Anglicised

12 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers’.” 14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. 16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?” 17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night. 18 Early in the morning, as he 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. 20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig-tree wither so quickly?” they asked. 21 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, 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.”

Matthew 21:12–27 NIV - Anglicised

12 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers’.” 14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant. 16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?” 17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night. 18 Early in the morning, as he 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. 20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig-tree wither so quickly?” they asked. 21 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, 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.” 23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven’, he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Drive Them Out (vs 12-17)

Now, our narrative picks up in the city of Jerusalem and Jesus following Jewish custom and tradition visits the temple to worship.

In fact, since Jesus and the disciples had been gone for such a long time, this was probably the first place that they went.

And when they showed up they saw something, that disturbed at least Jesus.

Verse 12 again tells us that . . .

Matthew 21:12 NIV - Anglicised

12 Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves.

Matthew 21;

And remember the temple area is this big huge area with the temple and different courts around it with different things going on.

And one of the most profitable things that went on were the people who sat outside in the courtyard selling animals to be sacrificed.

Instead of bringing your own “best” to the sacrifice the Jews had just streamlined the process and decided to make a dollar as well.

Don’t worry about all of that command stuff, “we have everything you need right here!”

Need a bull, just buy it!

Need a dove, just buy it!

Which completely violated the whole premise of the “sacrifice.”

When God asks us to sacrifice, he doesn’t do it just because.

The sacrifice is meant to teach us something.

And we can’t just “pay somebody else to do it.”

For instance, if God has called you to sacrifice and be a missionary, you can’t just give some money to world missions instead.

That won’t cut it.

Also, think about it in terms of your salvation.

Many of these sacrifices were atoning sacrifices for their sins.

Which is why it had to be their “best” without spot or blemish.

You can’t buy that.

Just like you can’t buy your salvation.

If that was the case, every church in the United States would be filthy rich.

Because it is much easier to buy salvation than it is to place your faith in Jesus Christ, which is free.

People would snatch that up in a minute (and they try all the same).

But it will never work.

So, the first problem is the violation of God’s command by turning the sacrifice into a business.

The second problem here is the robbing of the people who are buying these animals, not only by those selling them, but also by these money-changers.

These were the guys who handled the exchange rates.

People would come to the temple in Jerusalem from all over, so they all had different types of money depending on where they were from.

It would be like people from the U.S., Mexico, Canada, England, and Russia all coming to the temple wanting to buy something.

Each would have their own currency, but to buy an animal, they had to use Israeli currency, so they would have to exchange it.

And what these guys were doing were charging huge fees just to exchange the currency, in effect ripping the people off.

And Jesus was not happy about all of this shady and crooked business going on in the temple.

So, he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the benches of those selling doves.

And this is the second time he did it also.

The first time he used whips to drive them out.

This time he ran them off.

And he tells them . . .

Matthew 21:13 NIV - Anglicised

13 “It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a ‘den of robbers’.”

Matthew 21:

And the prophesy wasn’t just for them at that time.

That one is for all churches everywhere.

Because even today we have a lot of churches who have turned God’s house of prayer into a den of robbers.

Turned the church into a business.

A place where you can take in a good show and buy a little salvation.

And those churches, and their leaders will split hell wide open because they are leading people down a path of destruction.

It is a trap of Satan and we need to be very careful not to fall into it.

So, Jesus has cleaned out the temple area now and now . . .

Matthew 21:14 NIV - Anglicised

14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.

Matthew 21:

But there were also people watching what was going on here.

They had been watching the Triumphant Entry.

They had been watching as he drove out the buyers, sellers, and money-changers.

They had been watching as he was healing people, showing the the mercy of God.

And they didn’t like what they saw.

Matthew 21:15 NIV - Anglicised

15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.

Matthew 21

And you might as well say that they were jealous.

After all, who does this Jesus think he is, God!

So, they confront him . . . .

Matthew 21:16–17 NIV - Anglicised

16 “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “ ‘From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise’?” 17 And he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.

Matthew 21:

So, they were expecting a big debate from Jesus, but instead he gives them a simple answer and leaves them fuming.

Figs and Faith (vs 13-22)

And they spend the Night in Bethany.

He probably got a good night’s sleep, while the Jews stewed over what happened the day before all night long.

And Bethany was not far from Jerusalem, just on the outskirts, so . . .

Matthew 21:18–19 NIV - Anglicised

18 Early in the morning, as he 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.

Matthew 21:

And, now many people would say that “Jesus was mad, so he cursed the fig tree.”

I say, nonsense.

Jesus didn’t do things out of poor anger.

He did it to teach a lesson to his disciples.

Look again what what actually happens in verse 19 . . .

Matthew 21:19 NIV - Anglicised

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.

There was nothing on the tree but leaves.

It wasn’t doing it’s “job.”

It was a mature tree but was not bearing any fruit whatsoever.

Sure, it had some leaves on it, so everybody would know it was a fig tree on the outside.

But

But no fruit being produced from the inside out.

The tree was dead already.

And the message here is we are the tree.

We can dress ourselves up to look the part, but if we are not bearing any fruit then we are in effect dead.

And God will continue to try and wake us up.

Authority Questioned (vs 23-27)

Continue to try and get us to bear fruit.

*Don’t forget they were watching during the entry.

But there will come a point that when we continually reject God that, that is it.

God knows that we have rejected Him fully and there is no point continuing, so we wither and die.

So, we had better be careful to listen to God’s call.

To be responsive to the wooing of the Holy Spirit.

That is the first lesson, but there is also a second lesson here as well.

A lesson in faith. The Bible tells us . . .

Matthew 21:20–21 NIV - Anglicised

20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig-tree wither so quickly?” they asked. 21 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, 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.

Matthew 21:20–22 NIV - Anglicised

20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig-tree wither so quickly?” they asked. 21 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, 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.”

Matthew 21:

In other words, absolutely anything is possible through God.

Things we could not even imagine are possible.

And the only real stipulation is that is has to be God’s will.

In other words, if God puts a calling on you, even though it may seem impossible, through God it is more than possible.

If we have faith in God, not only is it possible, but it WILL happen.

Altar Call

The real question though is, do we believe that?

Do we believe that all things are possible through God?

Is our faith strong enough for the “hard things” as well as the “easy things?”

And I say that because many times we do really well with the “easy things” but when things get hard is when our faith grows weary.

Do we have the faith to endure?

If not, come and ask God to help you with it.

Maybe you are here and you are like the tree that withered away because it wasn’t bearing fruit.

You have a lot of leaves, or “look the part,” but you are bearing no fruit.

And you know God isn’t pleased with that.

You know you are being disobedient to God through that.

Do you want to change this morning? If so, you come as well.

Maybe you are here and you have no relationship with God.

You have never accepted Christ as your Savior.

What’s holding you back?

Preventing you from doing that today?

You can come as well.

Maybe you have another need, like those Jesus healed in the Temple.

You can come as well.

This altar is for everyone who is willing to use it.

Will that be you today?