Fruitlessness Condemned/Faith Commanded
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 1 viewNotes
Transcript
Fruitlessness Condemned/Faith Commanded
Fruitlessness Condemned/Faith Commanded
How do we interact with those who say one thing but have a tendency/pattern of doing something very different and at times totally contradictory? At first glance, some discrepancies might not be glaringly obvious, but when they are obvious common sense says that eventually we should graciously say or do something. Otherwise, others will be left with the incorrect assumption that we are either okay with their contradictory life patterns or have never noticed..
Who will speak up when,
A team player who holds onto the puck rather than passing it.
A professed believer who affirms submission to Christ other members of the body of Christ repeatedly insists that others defer to his/her preferences.
A professed servant leader demands that others toe the leader’s party line rather leading by example empowering those who gladly defer to one another.
A child who when asked to sit quietly for a few minutes, seems to do that but the expression on his or her face shouts, “Outwardly, I am sitting and not speaking. But inwardly, I’m standing and shouting.”
When an individual or group of individuals profess to believe the truths of the word but by their actions repeated deny that they are born again/renewed by the Spirit of God.
Along that same vein, when it comes to true faith and confession of that faith, is true saving faith what we say or what we do or both?
At no time was that question more relevant than after Christ’s “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem.
Mark 11 describes for us the events of the final week of our Lord’s life and public ministry. If we are to true to the Scriptures, as we must be, while Gospel record this week in detail, we need to acknowledge that none of the Gospel records state that this entry into Jerusalem was on the first day of the week. We assume that it was the first day of the week, our Sunday. That’s okay.
But there are other equally sincere conservative evangelical Bible scholar who transparently ask if Mary’s annointing of Jesus at Bethany might have happened on the first day of the week (Jn 12:1-8) The reason for their question is that the events of Jn 12:1-11 seem to have major full day event that would have involved a lot of activity and work, which was generally frowned upon especially so close to Jerusalem.
But today, I would suggest that we allow Jesus’ words and Jesus’ actions to help us process His triumphal entry. Christ wanted his disciples and us to understand that outward actions and celebrations without inner faith are seen for what empty words and actions that although well intentioned are condemned by God.
Dr MacArthur noted the shallowness of the events that we refer to as the “Triumphal Entry”.
Mark 9–16: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Chapter 12: The False Coronation of the True King (Mark 11:1–11)
The traditional title for the event described in this passage, the triumphal entry, does not capture what was happening. This was not in any sense—earthly, Jewish, or heavenly—the coronation of Jesus Christ. The crowd’s delirious reaction was not a genuine expression of faith in or praise for Israel’s true King. There were no formalities associated with the event; no dignitaries, no regalia, no fanfare. Nor was this event God’s coronation of His Son. Despite its outward appearance, it was an event unlike any other coronation. Coronations are not humble, unexpected, spontaneous, unofficial, or superficial. This event was all of those. Nor are true coronations reversed a few days afterward, with the one who had been exalted and praised being rejected and executed. Although Jesus was heaven’s true King, deserving of all exaltation, honor, worship, and praise, this was not a real coronation; it was, in fact, the false coronation of the true King.
Jesus understood the irony, the sham of the crowd’s empty shouts with regard to a coming kingdom.
- Although the crowd shouted, “Hosanna” save now, they had no sense of that from which they needed to be saved - Ps 118:25-26 - Ezek 37:24-25 -
And although they shout “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our Father David! Hosanna in the highest!” , their form of Godliness but denial it’s power had long since stripped the words of any true meaning.
Save us, we pray, O Lord!
O Lord, we pray, give us success!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
“My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall walk in my rules and be careful to obey my statutes. They shall dwell in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children shall dwell there forever, and David my servant shall be their prince forever.
That lack of meaning was affirmed by what Jesus looked at everything in the Temple - Mk 11:11
There were not just inconsistencies.
While those of Jesus’ day and our day sincerely but wrongly assume that their inconsistencies are within the acceptable norm and their version of the “truth” is viable, what should we do? Our Lord’s modelling of grace and truth helps us.
Rather than allowing others, a variety of others including the disciples, all of the religious leaders and all of the crowd to continue to assume their erroneous assumptions, JESUS:
Cursed the fruitless fig tree - 11:12-14 - disciples with Him
At first glance, some folks might suggest that Jesus’ cursing the fig tree was much too severe, too final. After all, this was just a fig with leaves but no fruit. But every fruit grower understands this with no questions. Fruit bearing trees that are healthy enough but for whatever reason bear no fruit can be tolerated only so long.
Luke recorded an earlier parable of the owner of a vineyard who had been looking for fruit on a fig tree for 3 years but found none. The owner ordered the vinedresser to cut down the fig tree. The vinedresser asked to allowed one year to dig around the tree and manure. After that if there was no fruit, he agreed the tree could be cut down - Lk 13:6-9 -
Fig tree with/in life out of season - 11:13
Fig tree without fruit - 11:13
For those who chose to remember and make the connection, through Isaiah God had used an agricultural metaphor to explain His judgment of Israel.
Let me sing for my beloved
my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
He dug it and cleared it of stones,
and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and he looked for it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes.
And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
What more was there to do for my vineyard,
that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes?
And now I will tell you
what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge,
and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall,
and it shall be trampled down.
I will make it a waste;
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
and briers and thorns shall grow up;
I will also command the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it.
For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
but behold, an outcry!
Quoting Isaiah, Jesus had condemned the hypocrisy of the scribes and pharisees - Matt 15:7-9 ; 23:13-16 -
And the Lord said:
“Because this people draw near with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
Condemnation for not providing what promised - 11:14
In what we call His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had declared that false teachers are known for their lack of fruit.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
With the cursing of the fig tree the disciples should have remembered Moses promise that curses would come to those who disobeyed God. The promised curses seemed to end ad yet the nation rebelled.
“And if you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
“But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.
Quoting Ps 34:12-16 - Peter reminded those to whom he wrote that God’s keeps His promise to care for His own and judge evil.
Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For
“Whoever desires to love life
and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from speaking deceit;
let him turn away from evil and do good;
let him seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?
So, how long do we stand idly by allowing those who portray a form of godliness but deny the power thereof, who call evil good and deny that all that have sinned and come short of the glory of God, who profess to care for the those who hurt, the fatherless and widows but allow them to be abused and murdered. HOW LONG?
I pray that at some point, something must be said, something must be done. Grace never precludes telling the truth.
2. Countered the failed/false leaders who - 11:15-19 - while all the crowd listened
It is worth noting that the sham coronation that the crowd offered looked for a coming kingdom that would have required the overthrow of the Romans. Any spiritual renewal would have never entered their minds. Long ago they had become blinded to that need.
Not only did Jesus disregard the Roman occupying forces, confronted the greatest atrocities. Jesus was of course fully aware of the inequities in His day. He had already addressed some of the injustices, the tax collectors who overtaxed/extorted money, the abuse of the poor and sick, the racial tensions and discrimination, and there were others. Instead, Jesus headed for the Temple, the whole temple complex at the heart of which was temple itself. Jesus had been abundantly clear. His preaching/teaching of the Gospel always stressed repentance and saving knowledge of God. Those who through faith embraced God’s gracious offer were not only transformed but moved to address the wrongs around them. At their heart, most of those were the fruit of unregenerate hearts.
Judgment began at the temple - heiros - general word for temple
Vast complex able to accommodate 1000’s of worshippers
Several inner courts nestled one inside another.
Innermost were the Holy of Holies and Holy Place , which we designated by a different word - naos. This was the word translated temple in these verses.
according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.
And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.
Outer court was the court of Gentiles, beyond which Gentiles were forbidden to go at pain of death.
In the court of Gentiles “gross corruption”. Instead of being a house of prayer for all nations, the priests had made or allowed it to become a den of thieves.
these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”
Order of events is significant.
Drove out/overturned/traffic control then retaught what should have been taught and applied.
Protected extortioners - 11:15-16
Jesus drove out those who bought and those who sold in the temple
Jesus overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons
Jesus would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple
WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE TEMPLE COURTS WAS PROTECTED OR SANCTIONED BY THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND THE SCRIBES.
Bazaar of Annas named after the greedy high priest before whom Jesus was first tried after His arrest in Gethsemane - Jn 18:13-23 -
Caiaphas his son in law
Franchises sold to merchants. Probably also demanded a share of the profits on those items sold at inflated prices.
Allowed worship/witness & prayer to be distorted/disturbed - 11:17-18
Merchants and business allowed to displace prayer, meditation and teaching the word.
Prayer is the essence of worship and where people should have bee able to come, to commune with God and meditate on His glory.
There was no place that a Gentile proselyte could go to worship God except the Temple in Jerusalem. And there was this one temple.
Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place.
What Jesus found was from what Solomon prayed the Temple would be.
“Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name’s sake (for they shall hear of your great name and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house, hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.
Rejected truth taught by Jesus - 11:17-18
Sadly when Jesus by action and teaching reminded them of what the Temple needed be, rather than repenting, the leader looked for a way to destroy them.
3. Commended faith in God - 11:27-33 - Peter & disciples - 11:20-21
Fig tree withered - 11:20
“Have faith in God.” - 11:22
Prayer - whatever you ask in prayer:
“Believe that you have received it, and it will be yours ...”
“Whenever you stand to pray, forgive, if you have anything against anyone.”