What Can a Barren Fig Tree Teach Christians Today?

This morning, we continue in the gospel of Mark looking at the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.  Today’s text is from Mark 11. 

 

If you remember from last week, we began looking at Passion Week or the last week of Jesus’ earthly life, and we witnessed some events of Palm Sunday.  Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and His disciples were with Him.

 

As we return to Mark 11 this morning, it is now Monday morning, and Jesus was on His way back to Jerusalem.

 

 

Exposition

In verse 12, Jesus and His disciples were on their way into town on Monday morning, and they came from Bethany.  Most likely, this was where Mary and Martha and Lazarus lived, and Jesus was probably staying with them. 

 

Verse 12 also tells us that Jesus was hungry.  These lessons today don’t rise and fall on this fact, but Jesus being hungry sets up the lessons.  By the way, Jesus being hungry reminds us that Jesus was not only fully God, but He was also fully man.  He got hungry like we get hungry, and John 4:6 tells us that Jesus got tired as we get tired.

 

John 4:6, 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

 

In verse 13, He saw a fig tree.  He then went to the tree to see if He could find some fruit because He as hungry.  However, this particular tree was full of leaves but had no figs.  It had no fruit.

 

At the end of this verse, Mark adds a comment that when read initially could concern us.  However, with further explanation, we can rest easy.  These particular fig trees bloomed twice a year, and Mark was referring to the later bloom.  Because this tree was full of leaves, it should have also been full of figs consistent with the first bloom.

 

However, because it had no figs, Jesus in verse 14 said, “Let no one ever eat fruit from you again.”  The disciples heard what He said, but perhaps didn’t realize all of the ramifications until the next day.  By the way, this is Jesus’ only miracle of destruction. 

 

Move to verse 20.  It is now Tuesday morning, and Jesus and His disciples pass by the same fig tree again, and it had completely withered from the roots up.  Jesus, according to Peter, had cursed the fig tree.  Peter wasn’t blaming Jesus but perhaps didn’t understand how this had happened so quickly. 

 

Jesus then responded beginning in verse 22 with some comments about faith and prayer. 

 

What do we make of all this?  What can a barren fig tree teach Christians today?

 

 

First of all, for every Christian, fruit is required for proof.

 

Throughout the OT, the fig tree was a symbol for Israel, God’s chosen people.  What you see here with the cursing of the fig tree was a foreshadowing of God’s future judgment on Israel. 

 

But why?  Because Israel was chosen by God and possessed unlimited potential to be all that God had called them to be, but they, like the fig tree, were not bearing fruit.  They had great promise like the fig tree full of leaves, but they didn’t produce fruit, and they were judged.  See Isaiah 5:1-5.

Isaiah 5:1-5, Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill.  2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine.  He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes.  3 “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.  4 What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it?  Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes?  5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.

 

However, the fig tree not only had application for Israel, it also has application for the Church.  When a person is born again, he or she is born again to bear fruit, and if we don’t, it is might be a sign that actually we have never been born again.  See John 15:1-6.

 

John 15:1-6, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 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.

 

Spiritual fruit is the external manifestation of an inward reality.  More specifically, spiritual fruit are virtues present in a believer’s life that are there in a person’s life because of his or her saving and personal relationship with Christ.  See Galatians 5:22-23.

 

Galatians 5:22-23, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

 

So what about you?  Is there fruit in your life?  Don’t just trust your heart…ask someone else if they can see fruit in your life.

 

If there is none, I invite you today to be born-again.  I invite you today to call on the name of the Lord to save you.

 

For every Christian, fruit is required for proof.

 

 

Second, for every Christian, faith is rewarded through prayer. 

 

When Jesus saw the disciples’ reaction to the withered fig tree, it seems as if it reminded Him of a second lesson.  That is the fruit of faith. 

 

Jesus then described how faith could move mountains.  Jesus was standing on the Mount of Olives and could see the Dead Sea. 

 

Was He saying they could literally move mountains with their prayers?  No, He was comparing mountains to the difficult circumstances in life.  His point was to have more faith in the mountain mover than we have in the mountain.  That is what was meant in verse 22 by “Have faith in God.”

 

Some people discount faith as simply positive thinking for the week minded.  However, everyone exercises faith in some capacity.  You have faith that the brakes in your car will work. You have faith that the airplane won’t crash.  You have faith that the bank will have money in your account to pay your bills.  You have faith that medication will make you better.  Everyone has faith, but the believers’ faith is seen most easily in his or her prayer life. 

 

How is your prayer life?  Are you faithful to prayer and are your prayers prayed in faith?  If you go back to John 15, in verses 7-8, you will see that fruit and faith are naturally connected by prayer. 

 

John 15:7-8, 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

 

For every Christian, your faith can be and is rewarded through the means of prayer.

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

As many of you know, tonight is our February Members’ Meeting, and we are voting a recommendation to purchase the only property on this block that we don’t already know.

 

If I may, I want to share a little of the back story, but please understand, I can only go back so far.

 

Story of our deacons and others praying for 5+ years and 60+ months to have the opportunity to acquire this property.  I believe our prayers are being rewarded through faith, and I hope we will pray for God provide a cure for cancer in the same way and to remove the blinders from the spiritual eyes of family and friends who are lost in the same way.

 

If you’re here this morning and God has removed your spiritual blinders and convicted you of your lostness today, I invite you to call on the name of the Lord to save you, and He will.