Jesus Cursing the Fig Tree
Let no one eat fruit from you ever again. (Mark 11:14) Jesus is talking to a fig tree. He is cursing it.
Jesus is talking to the Jewish nation, the people of God, Israel.
He is cursing them.
For as the fig tree--all leaves, no fruit--so is Israel.
They should have been laden with fruit—the fruits of holiness, and the true worship of God.
This people, Israel, was God’s chosen people. Of all the nations of the earth Israel was formed for God’s praise (Isaiah 43:21). To them, and to know other, pertained the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises. From them, as well, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. (Romans 9: 1-5)
But these people rejected God. They went about faking religion, pretending righteousness, masking pride in prayers and man-pleasing fastings and alms-giving.
Evidence of its hypocrisy was the temple Jesus cleanses and renames: den of thieves.
Evidence of the ignorance and blindness of Jewry in her leaders was Jerusalem’s blind and fickle children—those who would shout Christ’s praises on Sunday, and cry for His crucifixion on Friday.
Chief among the sins of Israel: its rejection of the Christ, Jesus, who is over all, the eternally blessed God.
This eternally blessed God curses them.
The eternally blessed God reprobates all fruitless, self-righteous, hypocritical religion anywhere.
He teaches, by this talk to a fruitless fig tree, that something more is needed than the pathetic attempts of Adam and Eve, Jew and Gentile, Reformed, Arminian, and Atheist to cover the shame, the nakedness, the guilt of sin with leaves.
Something more than cures for corona viruses. Something more than man’s philanthropy.
A Savior Who will be made a curse. A Savior Who will establish righteousness on the cross, Who will clothe sinners with His own righteousness.
Something more...the eternally blessed God Who blesses them in sovereign grace.
Who speaks to us now, fig trees all…
Bear fruit. For Christ’s praise.
True Israel of God.
For such a time as this.
With you in Him, confiding in the Savior and His truth and love,
Pastor Dick
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