All rights reserved. The test of true worship doesnt reside in showy religiosity but in God-glorifying life. 2 Why did Jesus curse the fig tree when it was not the season for figs? Our human viewpoint looks on this curse as capricious and unfair. The Passage: Matt. A thick, reddish skin covers these large figs that usually weigh in around 80 grams. 24:32; Mark 13:28; Luke 21:29). 1. Most scholars today believe that Jesus' ministry lasted three and a half years. But it wasnt his final resting place. They may even be able to move mountains, though that is arguably a bit of hyperbole on his part. We have a hunger for true worship, but a dead tree doesnt bear fruit. The fig tree cursing, an enacted parable of sorts, is also a sober warning for us todayin at least two ways. The root of the Good Olive Tree is THREEFOLD. 19952023 All correspondence and questions should be sent to info@ucg.org. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. If you keep my commands, you will stay in my love just as I have kept my Fathers commands and stay in his love. The fact is, he didnt really harm the tree at all. Now the disciples learn the fate of the fig tree that Jesus cursed and Marks sandwich is complete: two stories, one surrounding the other, with each providing deeper meaning to the other. Normally, a leafy fig tree would be pleasing, since a fig tree in leaf indicates that it has ripe fruit. How can we get that? She is a former award-winning journalist with over 2,000 articles published. The reign of sin and death is quickly coming to death as Jesus approaches the fig tree. Jesus was being bluntrealistically bluntwith His audience. In the Old Testament, the fig tree was a symbol for the nation of Israel. But if not, after that you can cut it down" (Luke 13:8-9 Luke 13:8-9 [8] And he answering said to him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 23Truly, I say to you, 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. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Jesus isnt putting himself in a genies bottle. Have you ever felt compelled to get a weight off of your chest. A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. A tree that doesn't grow those buds won't later produce full fruit. There has been a wave of serious terror attacks in the wake, Is revival breaking out? So when they passed by the fig tree again and it had withered away to its roots. So it was with the nation of Israel. With a UCG.org account you will be able to save items to read and study later! Later still, following the minor prophets we can see warnings to the nation of how God would bring destruction and failure of crops as part of his judgement against them, specifying empty fig trees that were stripped bare and fruitless. Please compare Luke 13:6-9. If not, then cut it down.. Theres a great example of this from the 1960s. Please compare Luke 13:6-9. It was where the sacrifices were made to grant purification and forgiveness. (John 1:48) California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Some take this to mean that Jesus expects the end of the age before the next fig-harvest, but the phrase "end of the age" always has an eschatological sense. I wonder if you remember a little interesting thing in verse 11. The bad news is that even God's patient mercy has its limits. 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. Its an offer to find total cleansing before God, in him alone. Repentance is not a fashionable word today. What is the purpose for you drawing breath, eating food and taking up space on this planet? In these cases the Lord was using the symbolism of a budding tree which indicates that summer is coming soon to explain that the appearance of the signs he had described would mean His return was very close. We just have to fail to welcome people, fail to make it easy to find Jesus. According to some researchers, the image is taken from the Old Testament symbol of the fig tree representing Israel, and the cursing of the fig tree in Mark and Matthew and the parallel story in Luke are thus symbolically directed against the Jews, who have not accepted Jesus as king. Isaiah 56 is about the nations coming to God. His point was that we understand this and do what we can and should do, realizing that time and chance could unexpectedly strike at any time. The temple was the center of life and worship. It was time to act. That can sound scary, but its really a wonderful thing. But he doesnt only reveal whats there; he does something about it. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of parables within Scripture. There are two kinds of fruit that a fig tree bears. Why did Jesus curse the city of Bethsaida? Cut it down! In the Garden of Eden, the fig tree - considered by some to be the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil - was one of the important trees that the Lord planted, after the Tree of Life. Let me propose something for us here at Refuge. The temple was amazing. 17:2-10; 19:10-14 ). He is where sinful men and women meet with the Holy God. What does the fig tree represent in John 1? The tree hasn't had the proper care and feeding and is just there, marking time. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Because you and I have a great need to be near to God. It shows us a truth about God. We begin with - Jesus' prophetic act in the temple And when he saves you, he cleanses you, and sends his Spirit to live inside you. Thats what he wants for you. Mark 11:13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if there was any fruit on it. These new God-seekers walked into the church building with oil on their feet and it got all over the carpet. Hes tender to our new vines and branches. Then said he to the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why encumbers it the ground? As the leaves came in, the tree would grow little nubs. Heres why thats so significant. The fig tree you cursed has withered!" "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. The significance of the Breba crop So it wasnt the season for figs, but the leaves indicated it was the season for these little nubs. Many believe it was figs that were actually the fruit in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, not apples. Later he curses the fruitless fig tree, representing unfruitfulness (Mark 11:12-21), and then uses the fig as a metaphor of how we should recognise the signs of the times (Matthew 24:32). What does the story of the fig tree mean? The fertilization of the fig tree in this parable may represent Jesus' sacrifice for sin during the crucifixion. It is no wonder that this feature of Gods creation crops up repeatedly in the Bible in wonderfully symbollic ways. Because there was this hypocritical fig tree in Bethany that was going to serve as an object lesson about the hypocritical temple in Jerusalem. It's like a lot of peoplealive and breathing, but not really going anywhere. Lewis said, We were made not primarily that we may love Godbut that God may love us. Thats what worship is: getting close enough to God to let him love you. True worship bears fruit, and the temple, though it looked good from afar, didnt, which leads to our next point. When God comes inside the hollow religious heart of Israel, what happens? It is possible to be outwardly religious and inwardly dead. The only thing keeping some us from him right now is our prideful religiosity, our false conception of ourselves, our self-righteousness. And the prophet Jeremiah-whom Jesus quotes as He cleanses the temple-has this to say about God's coming judgment: "I will take away their harvest," declares the Lord. Right now, because of the word which I have spoken to you, you are pruned. Cline, Austin. Its basic meaning is to change. What mountain is that? First of all, we see the figs in the garden of Eden covering up the shame of Adam and Eve. Why Do We Need to Be Crucified with Christ? No longer would it be appropriate for them to continue with traditional cultic practices and sacrifices; adherence to Gods will would no longer be defined by adherence to strict behavioral rules. We have a hunger for true worship, and if we go to a dead temple looking for spiritual fruit, were going to be disappointed and left hungry. 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. Hosea 9:10 says, When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree., Later, the Bible tells us of the glorious time when, Judah and Israel lived in safety, every man under his vine and his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. (1 Kings 4:25). Along with the vine, to sit under the plentiful shade of your own fig tree is the epitome of safety, peace and wellbeing in many Biblical passages. The fig tree could be understood as symbolic of Israel Joel 2:2125. Craig Evans, suggests this means that the tree is cursed "forever" although in the light of Romans 11 . They started coming to church. Fig trees have no blossoms on their branches. You might even need to go to a dictionary to look up the meaning. What does the fig tree represent? He remains pure no matter what we bring to him. The Bible liken's the nation Israel to a fig tree. What does the Bible say about the parable of the fig tree? People suffer loss of property, lands and rights because of actions taken by others with little thought about what's right or wrong or just. How did the temple get to this point? God is full of mercy and compassion. Was Jesus hangry? He can bring you too, no matter how far you are from true worship right now. 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