01.13. Withered Fig Tree: Miracle, Parable, Prophecy

The Withered Fig Tree: Miracle, Parable, and Prophecy Mark 11:12-14, Mark 11:20-21

The setting is when Christ enters Jerusalem. He is greeted with Hosanna as He enters on the colt. Jesus goes across the hill to Bethany to spend to spend the night. The miracle He performs on His way to Jerusalem the next day is the only miracle of destruction recorded in the Bible. Jesus always built up instead of destroyed except this one time. This event stands alone as well in that the miracle also serves as a parabolic teaching and a prophecy as well. The miracle that Jesus performed is that by speaking the words the tree withered. The parable is seen in the tree had only leaves and no fruit and what that represents. The prophecy is the fig trees picture of the nation of Israel.

I- Miracle: Cursing of the Fig Tree

We see the two natures of the Lord Jesus Christ in this miracle and the circumstance surrounding it. First you will notice that it says He was hungry. Jesus was fully human and experienced all the same pains of hunger and weariness as we do. One of the things we must point out however is the one who fed the 5000 refused to perform a miracle to satisfy His personal hunger. Remember that at the temptation when He had not eaten in 40 days He refused to turn the stones to bread. Jesus’ performance of miracles was not self-serving but with a divine purpose.

The very fact that Jesus was coming from Bethany, where perhaps He had not eaten anything prior to leaving, shows us also that He needed to rest physically. Perhaps as He journeyed this gave time for the fact to be realized that He was hungry. He went to the fig tree to satisfy that hunger. The second nature of Christ was that He was fully God. Many speculate if He knew there were not figs. I’m sure that He did. Many times He chose to so things that showed those around Him who He was. When the tree did not have fruit it incurred the divine wraft of the Son of God. In this miracle of destruction we see the God side of His two natures. He was the Judge of this tree. This shows us that Jesus Christ is the judge who will judge all men. John 5:22-23 "For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him." This miracle however should not be cause of over alarm for us however if we are in Christ Jesus. The world, in many places, lives in great fear of the spirits and of the gods. They fear that the gods are mad and they need to do something to appease them. This has lead men to do some bizarre things such as sacrifice animals, mutilate their bodies and even sacrifice their children.

We must keep in mind that there is coming a time when we as God’s redeemed people will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. However this is a time of rewards and if you stand here it is because you are saved not to see if you will be. Allow me to tie several verses in Romans together to develop this.

Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

Romans 8:9 "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

Romans 8:33-34 "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. ³⁴ Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Did you notice that there is not condemnation to them in Christ and that the way we are in Christ is if we have His spirit? This happens at the new birth. You will also notice that it says that the one who is judging is the one who is our defender and He cannot condemn us if He is justifying us.

II- Parable: The Falsehood of the Tree. The parable of this is found in the symbolic act attached to the fig tree. Jesus during this period of time cast out the money changes from the temple. This fig tree pictures the barrenness of the nation of Israel. They had the entire prom and circumstance of being fruitful but they had not fruit. The fig trees many times were planted beside the road so people passing by could eat of the fruit. The fruit of the trees came before the leaves and a tree with leaves was saying to those passing by that the fruit would be there. The leaves were a silent proclamation of fruit.

Mark here says the time of the fruit was not yet. In the period of time that this occurred in March and April these tree would normally have neither leaves nor fruit. This tree however was pretending to be something it was not.

Notice the following words of our Lord Jesus and weight them in your heart.

Matthew 7:21-23 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Luke 6:43-46 "For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. 46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" This tree was boasting of having fruit when it had none and incurred the wraft of God. It is too important to pretend to be a Christian when you know you are not. Many today are like this tree, false professors and not true possessors.

III- Prophecy: Israel is set aside for a season. The fig tree in the scriptures is used as a symbol of Israel. Hosea 9:10 says, "I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved." The word used here in Mark 11:14 "hereafter for ever" can literally mean, "unitl the age" or "until the dispensation." We see that thought Israel, as represented by this fig tree, has been cast aside it is not for eternity. By careful study Romans 11:1-36 we can see that the setting aside of Israel is but for a period of time. God will again turn to this His chosen people. Romans 11:26 says, "…so all Israel shall be saved…"

Conclusion:

Jesus Christ will be the judge of all things. We need to make sure that we are not just pretending to be something we are not. And we must be very careful the way we treat Israel.