The Last Monday

Fig Tree

The morning after Jesus’ Triumphal Entry, Jesus takes the disciples back to Jerusalem from Bthany Beth page.

Mark 11:12–14 (ESV): 12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

I. Jesus Teaches the Disciples

A. Cursed the Fig Tree

Jesus used this fig tree to remind the disciples about the parable of the Barren Fig Tree found in Luke 13:6–9 (ESV): 6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8 And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9 Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’ ”

a. The trees especially the fig trees get leafy around Jerusalem in March and remain so for around nine months, the figs usually ripen around June. The fact that the figs were not ripe gives us a good idea of the time of year the event takes place. Late March to early May. This is also a good authentication of the authority and truth of the Bible. God’s Word can be trusted.

b. The teaching of the Barren Fig Tree Parable is a call for repentance. The man had waited three years to gather fruit from the fig tree which still produced no fruit. The man then ordered the vindresser, or caretaker, to cut the tree down so that the space could be used for a tree that would produce fruit. The vinedresser pleaded for the tree to have one more chance, he was positive that with fertilizer, water, and more care the tree would procuce fruit. The man then agreed to give the tree one more chance.

The tree represents each of us. We are planted in our particular place in order to produce fruitful kingdom work. We are to bear fruit in our actions.

The man represents God the Father ready to render judgement to us for our sinfulness and lack of fruitfulness.

The Vindresser represents Christ Jesus and His pleading for us to be given a chance to grow to maturity and produce fruit for the Kingdom.

Christ is our advocate, He came and gave His life in order that we may faithfully follow Him and be productive, active participants and produce fruit. Christ also offers the forgiveness of our sinfull actions, while giving us a chance to grow to maturity. The Bible, God’s Word gives us nurshiment, Milk to the new Christian, and Meat to the more mature Christian, in order that we may be active participants and joint heirs with Jesus.

Cleansing the Temple

B. Jesus then moves on to Jerusalem where He enters the Temple. Seening the money changers and those who sold and bought in the tempel.

Mark 11:15–19 (ESV): 15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” 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. 19 And when evening came they went out of the city.

a. I have heard some say that Jesus cleaned out the temple in a fit of rage. This, however, is not the case. Jesus’ actions were well thought out and deliberate, in an act to, again, teach the disciples about the importance of presenting one’s self clean and pure to the Father.

b. Jesus knew that the merchants and money changers were within the walls of the temple. Originally the those who were now in the temple sellling and exchanging were to be outside the walls of the temple, but over time they had slowly crept in, like the way sin slowly creeps into our lives.

c. The account of Jesus cleansing the temple is in all four Gosple accounts, however, John puts his account in the beginning of his gospel. John shows the deliberate nature of Jesus’ actions by telling of the making of the whip out of cordage. Jesus takes the time to weave the whip before He begins to remove the merchants and turning over tables.

d. The temple here represents the individual believer, and how we allow sin to creep in slowly. At first it doesn’t seem to affect us, but over time we fall deeper and deeper into sins grasp.

e. Jesus came to cleanse us from our sins. He took our sins upon him on Calvary’s cross and died for the sinner. He took the sins, then to the grave and left them at His resurrection. He now sits at the right hand of the Father as our Advocate.

f. Since we are the temple, our bodies are to be His temple, we are to be a house of prayer. He gave us this gift of open communication to have a first hand opportunity to speak to and hear from Him. Prayer is the the chruch as fuel is to a fire.