Was it a divine overreaction? The Lord your God is bringing you into a good land a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey. He doesnt care about how you come to him. Its basic meaning is to change. Finally we have the parable of the fig tree, which may have been given on the last day of Jesus' life (Matt. It did not fulfill its purpose, and as any diligent orchardist would do, Jesus simply eliminated an unproductive tree, not with an ax or a saw, but by faith. And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." Have you ever felt compelled to get a weight off of your chest. that the fig tree will not bear fruit. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. It was the place to worship. When are figs in season? Fig. Do you know what happened to that little church? When God comes inside the hollow religious heart of Israel, what happens? Where does the Bible say that Jesus cursed the fig tree? After reading about it in her Bible, my daughter-in-law once asked me why Jesus cursed a fig tree. It means to stop going in one direction of life, a direction that can be self-destructive, and to turn around and go anotherin a way that's productive and even godly. In those days, trees were symbolic of living a godly life. You get everything Jesus deserves. Below is what Jesus said: "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Why is the Navier-Stokes equation hard to solve? Isaiah 56:7. But we can give that up. The vineyard owner's solution to this unproductive fig tree was blunt: "Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?" The fertilization of the fig tree in this parable may represent Jesus' sacrifice for sin during the crucifixion. In the New Testament we can also see Yeshua using the symbolic fig tree firstly in the calling of Nathanael who was sitting under a fig tree like a true Israelite in John 1:48-50. Faith and the Fig Tree. We can see that God is in a dual role here as both keeper and owner of the vineyard. One day, Chuck Smith showed up to find a sign hanging on the door. Our time to choose Him and bear fruit is running out. MARK 11:20 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. Jesus saw what everyone would have seen upon close inspection: this tree was dead. We have two options: we can make rules to exclude or remove barriers to include. It isn't that the tree is dead and incapable of producing. He doesnt want us to be whitewashed tombs. Thats the question. Its an offer to find total cleansing before God, in him alone. At this point, though, we receive exegesis that goes beyond anything warranted by the previous text alone. And in Jesus, it could not be easier. Such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire, where they are burned up. He cares only that you come. As Jesus stated in parable: Like the fake pears for my son, this passage is a lesson in how to spot the real thing. Its almost as if the fig was something of a barometer of the health of the nation taken away as punishment, and flourishing in times of restoration. Jews who were whole-hearted followers of God were likened to 'good figs', and rebellious Jews were likened to 'bad figs'. The parable of the barren fig tree is a parable of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of Luke 13:69. He is the worship center. And if it bears fruit, well. The account in Matthew 21 is compressed to . It was where the sacrifices were made to grant purification and forgiveness. Your sin isnt too big for him. He had something better. Why did he do that? Jesus tells us right here. Showy religion is so boring. Question: "Why did Jesus curse the fig tree?". The Gentiles could enter the outer court. It's rewarding to take part in the process by which fruit grows. Give me one reason not to do church his way. Connect with her atwww.HeatherRiggleman.com or onFacebook. Jesus explains to his disciples one of the lessons they should take from the two incidents; all you need is faith and with that, you can accomplish anything. 4. We have no control over our circumstances, but we do have control over how we respond. The fact that the man in this parable did not find fruit on the fig tree for three years implies that Jesus spoke this parable three years into His ministry. Surprisingly, the tree withers immediately ( Matt. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Jesus uses his miraculous powers to place a curse on the fig tree. It proves once again that Jesus is God. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. The apostle Paul explains here that these qualities are the fruit of God's Spirit. 15And they came to Jerusalem. Bethphage, which adjoined Bethany, derives its name from its being a fig region"House of figs." afar off having leavesand therefore promising fruit, which in the case of figs come before the leaves. He shows up wearing old blue jeans, an old white shirt, and a hat; ready to get to work as we lay ourselves before Him as He tells us, No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain on the vine (John 15:4). We need intimacy. It didnt happen all at once. If not, then cut it down.. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. Throughout the Old Testament, Israel is described as God's vineyard, tree, or planting ( Judges 9:8-15; Isa. This shows us that God both owns us and gives us room to grow spiritually, but He also expects us to produce "fruit"the product of a life of good works of righteousness. But those usually arent our biggest problem. The next morning, Jesus returns to Jerusalem. Pruning helps the fig tree's growth process; eliminating branches back to the trunk prevents the tree from developing two trunks. I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:4-5 Luke 13:4-5 [4] Or those eighteen, on whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think you that they were sinners above all men that dwelled in Jerusalem? The temple was an amazing place. The fig tree that you cursed has withered. 22And Jesus answered them, Have faith in God. But it was said of this fig tree which Jesus and His disciples saw on the Mount of Olives, " for the time of figs was not yet," Mark 11:13. Were the clones forced to follow Order 66? The vine He created was for the purpose of staying rooted and bearing fruit through Him. The leaders should have been there to help but their heart wasnt in it. The first figs normally begin to appear before the leaves, but as the foliage increases, the . It did not fulfill its purpose, and as any diligent orchardist would do, Jesus simply eliminated an unproductive tree, not with an ax or a saw, but by faith. What appeared full of life was actually lifeless. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Mark 11:13 must mean that the particular tree on which Christ expected to find figs was barren, because it had no figs on it at all. He overturns what doesnt belong. Last week, we saw from Mark 11:1-11 the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. And then we will look at prayer in vs. 22-25. American King James Version). But we need reality with Jesus, not the appearance of reality with him. With a UCG.org account you will be able to save items to read and study later! For what? It was like the Pharisees who professed to be very religious, but whose lives were fruitless. All he did was state a truth about it. So he cursed it, saying, May no one ever eat fruit from you again., If you think this is a bit odd, youre not alone. Maybe youve made your heart a den of robbers. Jesus cursed the fig tree because it had the appearance of fruitfulness, but it was deceptive. Normally, a leafy fig tree would be pleasing, since a fig tree in leaf indicates that it has ripe fruit. As the leaves came in, the tree would grow little nubs. And his disciples heard it. We know that the restoration will be a spiritual revival, and all his people greeting their Messiah Yeshua, saying Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, or Welcome Yeshua, our Messiah! Come, Lord Jesus, and find us ready! When Jesus told the parable of the fig tree, He was trying to get our attention because He is the master gardener. We will have to lay down some of our preferences. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The unfruitful fig tree. Cline, Austin. 25And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.. The bad news is that even God's patient mercy has its limits. Jesus' miracle involving the fig tree ( Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-24) is the only one in which He brings judgment by a miracle. The significance of the Breba crop The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. It was also a symbol of prosperity and security: "and Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree" (1 Kings 4:25). Whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and thrown into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Heres another object lesson, like the fig tree. And there was a curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, representing the distance between the Holy God and sinful man. A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. Answer: The account of Jesus cursing the barren fig tree is found in two different gospel accounts. You might even need to go to a dictionary to look up the meaning. Jesus is hungry, and the tree is not producing fruit as it should. Look at verse 23. The temple had four main sections. 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