Fig tree & Discipleship
Mark 11:12-21
Mark 11:12-21, Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it. Jesus Cleanses the Temple 15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” 18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. 19 When evening had come, He went out of the city.
The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree 20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”
Passion week. Bethany to Jerusalem Intercalation- Theological word Burger- Understandable Practical word. Speaking to cursing the fig tree- Top layer Fig tree weathered – lower layer Jesus Cleansing the Temple- Patty in the middle.
But all this things are interlinked to give a greater meaning. Jesus commanded the church about the discipleship.
Matthew 28:18-20, And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Acts 1:8, But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Purpose of Holy Spirit is to be a witness in evangelising the people. Jesus does strange things. Many miracles He did during His life.
But this is one negative miracle He did. Remember Lazarus dead Jesus decided to stay they for 3 days. Blind men He spit on His eyes and making it more difficult. Women caught on adultery He did not say anything start writing.
When the disciples were traveling across the lake of Galilee He was sleeping. Here is a strange miracle and cursing a Fig tree and making it dead instantly.
Fig Tree
First flower comes Then fruit comes
Then leaves comes. Leaves shows that there is a fruit underneath. Leaves attracts people to come. Fruit bearing Christians Fruit has seeds. Fruits are meant for consumed by animals. Animals do not digest seeds. Elephant is considered to be the best animal for forestation.
Genesis 1:11, Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. Christians should have the sweetness inside and the seed to create other disciples inside. Don’t be like seedless grapes!
When Jesus looked at the Fig tree without fruit, He cursed it.
John 15:6, If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
Matthew 3:10, And even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
When Jesus comes to the temple, He finds there are leaves but there is no fruit. You may have bible in your hand no fruit! You may have cross on your neck yet no fruit. You may have songs on your lip yet no fruit. You may have verses on your wall yet no fruit.
1. Money
Jerusalem temple
There is nothing wrong in paying offering and sacrifice. Coin had the image of Caesar, so they have to change the temple coin.
Matthew 22:20-21, And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” 21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And He said
to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Exodus 20:4, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; So, they exchange to temple coin to worship the Lord.
But these religious sects charged them excess rate.
Sacrifice
Dove is the cheapest animal the poor can buy. They ought to buy animals to sacrifice but they were charging them excess rate. Churches are busy building the buildings not the people. Churches are equipping themselves with so many equipment’s but not the disciples being equipped for the ministry.
Churches at large lost their purpose because of money. There are churches collect three or four offerings. Churches are collecting building fund all their life. Jesus throws the table and cleanses the temple.
If you don’t have fruit, then you may not make more disciples. You may know your bible very well, but do you have fruit in your life. There are people who come to you and see there are no fruit then you are a worse than an unbeliever.
The High Priest mentioned during the trial of Jesus in His last week they were all living in palaces. Today we see the same all the TV preachers are so wealthy. They have most luxury cars, Private jets, Villas, Most expensive church buildings built, etc.
How would Jesus feel about these preachers you follow? Don’t you think Jesus would make chord whips and whip them away?
What about the Prosperity Gospel? There are people in the ministry making them wealthy using the name of Jesus just like the Old Testament false preachers.
Churches collect money with card payment?
2. Wrong Use of the scripture to destroy people
There are pastors and churches threaten people by using the scripture without context. They use the scripture as weapon to punish and hurt people. Difference between Microscope and Mirror! People fix their position with politics or things then they use the scripture to support their views.
Jesus applied the scripture perfectly.
Mark 11:17, Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” Jesus uses the scriptures from Isaiah and Jeremiah.
Isaiah 56:7, Even them 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 nations.”
Jeremiah 7:11, Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the Lord.
Isaiah 56 context is about the salvation for all nations including Gentiles. Jeremiah 7 is about the false prophets making the people stumble and how God is going to bring judgement upon the people. There are whole lot of new generation is coming up without reading the whole Bible.
Everything Google says is not true! People read couple of verses here and there on the internet and come to the conclusion. Let me share with you about women preachers. When you search the internet, you will find in 1 Corinthians 14:34 and 1 Timothy 2:12.
People don’t take time to read about the historical and spiritual context behind it.
What about the women preachers in the bible? The first woman preacher in the Bible was Miriam. She was the sister of Moses and Aaron, and the daughter of Amram and Jochebed. In Exodus 15:20, Miriam led the women in a song of praise after the Israelites had crossed over the Red Sea.
In 1 Samuel 2:1-10, Hannah was described as being a prophetess and a judge who judged Israel. The men of Israel would come to her for advice and guidance because she had been given insights from God that she shared with them.
In 2 Kings 22:14-20, Huldah was a prophetess who lived during King Josiah’s reign. When Josiah heard about Jeremiah’s prophecy about how God would destroy Jerusalem if they did not repent for their sins, he sent some people to Huldah for confirmation that this was true. They returned with her answer that yes indeed it was true!
Who were the first two people to recognize the undeserved favour of God revealed in Christ Jesus and get their words recorded in the Bible (which meant they taught the men who wrote it)? Mary and her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1).
Mary became the first preacher of new covenant grace when she declared, “All generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me” (Luke 1:48-49). Who was the first to proclaim the good news of Christ’s resurrection?
Mary Magdalene, and notice that she was sent by Jesus to instruct the men (John 20:17).
Who was the first to evangelize a Gentile town? The woman at the well (John 4:28). Which means a woman understood the Great Commission before Peter or any of the apostles.
Can women prophesy? Sure, just ask Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, Anna, and Philip’s four daughters.
Who led the church at Ephesus? Priscilla, along with her husband Aquila. Paul called Priscilla a “fellow worker in Christ” (Romans 16:3). In other words, he considered her his equal, a colleague in Christ. Priscilla also explained the gospel to Apollos (Acts 18:26). So much for women not being able to teach men.
Which female apostle did Paul endorse? Junia (Romans 16:7). Paul said she and Andronicus were “outstanding among the apostles.” Which two women contended for the gospel at Paul’s side? Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2-3). These two ladies are famous for disagreeing; they ought to be famous for preaching alongside Paul.
Which women led? Deborah, the prophetess, was a judge of Israel and basically in charge of the army (Judges 5-6). If women could lead under the misogynistic old covenant, they can surely lead under the new, and they did (see Junia, Priscilla, etc.).
What about Phoebe?
Romans 16:1-2, I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.
There were so many women helpers who were with Jesus! Truth without Grace hurts. Grace without Truth destroys you! So you need to understand the cultural and historical context in understanding the Bible. Always check whether the scripture align with Life, authority, and preaching of Jesus Christ!
Here Jesus uses the two Old Testament scripture to make His views.
Mark 11:16, And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Jesus closed down the temple! You must enter through Jesus Christ only.
3. Thieves gather together
Mark 11:17, Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” Did you notice that they made it a den?
What is den? Hidden from others. But they all congregate. Some sin the church exposes as long as it is fine in with their family. Otherwise, they will just hide it. Hypocrisy!
Mark 11:18, And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. Don’t let any designation rob the joy with the Lord. So, they will welcome the thief but not the Holy one of God.
They are in the temple, but their mind is filled with murdering Jesus!
How bad the church has become? People sitting in the church, but their thought is someone how God would bring calamity upon someone else?