Lesson #41

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #41
THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE AND FAITH (MAT 21:17-22)

• MEMORY VERSE: TITUS 1:13

• THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE AND FAITH (MAT 21:17-22)
• READ MAT 21:17-22 AND MAR 11:12-26 FOR CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND.
• THERE ARE TWO MESSAGES IN THIS PARABLE.
• #1 = A PROPHETIC MESSAGE REGARDING JERUSALEM AND ISRAEL. (JOE 1:6-7 MAT 24:30-33)
• #2 = AN INSTRUCTIONAL MESSAGE REGARDING BELIEVING FAITH.
• BACKGROUND:
• ACCORDING TO THE CONTEXT, THIS IS THE FINAL WEEK BEFORE JEUS WENT TO THE CROSS. THE DAY IS THE 10TH DAY OF THE JEWISH MONTH OF NISAN, THE FIRST DAY OF THE PASSOVER PREPARATION. THE JEWISH PRACTICE WAS THAT THE PRIEST BROUGHT THE PASSOVER LAMB FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES THROUGH THE EATERN GATE, THROUGH THE CITY STREETS INTO THE TEMPLE AREA. THE PEOPLE WOULD WAVE PALM BRANCHES AS THE PRIEST WITH THE LAMB CAME BY. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY IN THE GOSPELS, JESUS WAS EVIDENTLY RIDING ON A DONKEY FOLLOWING THE PRIEST WITH THE LAMB. THOSE WHO KNEW THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES, RECOGNIZED HIM AS THE TRUE PASSOVER LAMB, THEIR MESSIAH, AND THEY BEGAN TO PRAISE HIM AS THEIR COMING KING. THAT NIGHT HE RETURNED TO BETHANY, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNT OF OLIVES. THE SECOND DAY OF THE PREPARATION FOR THE PASSOVER, HE CURSED THE FIG TREE ON HIS WAY TO JERUSALEM. BUT THE TREE DID NOT IMMEDIATELY WITHER. JESUS WENT AGAIN TO THE TEMPLE AND OVERTURNED THE MONEY CHANGERS THAT DAY, AGAIN RETURNING TO BETHANY THE SECOND NIGHT. THE THIRD MORNING, AS THEY ENTER JERUSALEM AGAIN, THE DISCIPLES NOTICE THE FIG TREE IS WITHERED.
• JESUS PERFORMED THE ACT OF CURSING THE FIG TREE PUBLICALLY BUT HE GAVE THE EXPLANATION OF IT PRIVATELY TO THE DISCIPLES.
• WHAT DOES THE FIG TREE REPRESENT? (MESSAGE #1 READ JOE 1:6-7)
• THE FIG TREE REPRESENTS ISRAEL OR THE JEWS.

• THE FIG TREE WAS A SYMBOL OF FERTILITY, PEACE, AND PROSPERITY FOR THE NATION OF ISRAEL IN THE PROMISED LAND THAT GOD EITHER BLESSES OR DESTROYS. (1KIN 4:25 MIC 4:4 ZEC 3:10 PSA 105:33 JER 8:13 HOS 2:12)
• THE SHADE OF THE TREE WAS OFTEN A MAN’S PRIVATE PLACE FOR MEDITATION, PRAYER, AND SCRIPTURE READING. (JOH 1:48)
• TO UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE, WE MUST KNOW THE GROWING AND FRUIT-BEARING HABITS OF FIG TREES:
• THE FIG TREE GROWS FROM 15-20 FEET TALL. ITS BRANCHES SPREAD 25-30 FEET. IT WAS VALUED FOR ITS SHADE AS WELL AS ITS FRUIT AND OIL.
• THE FIG TREE BEARS 2 CROPS A YEAR. THE FIRST CROP BEARS FRUIT ON THE OLD WOOD.
• EARLY IN THE YEAR, LITTLE GREEN KNOBS APPEAR AT THE END OF THE BRANCHES. THEY BECOME THE FIGS. THESE FRUIT BUDS COME IN APRIL, BUT THEY CANNOT BE EATEN. GRADUALLY THE LEAVES AND FLOWERS OPEN SO THAT THE TREE IS IN FULL FRUIT, FULL LEAF, AND FULL FLOWER ALL AT THE SAME TIME. THIS HAPPENS IN JUNE.
• NO FIG TREE EVER BORE EATABLE FRUIT IN APRIL.
• THIS SAME PROCESS IS REPEATED FOR THE SECOND CROP IN SEPTEMBER WHEN FRUIT GROWS ON NEW WOOD.
• THE STRANGE FIG TREE THAT JESUS CURSED:
• THE TIMING:
• IT IS THE TIME OF THE PASSOVER, 15TH OF NISAN, WHICH IS ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF APRIL.
• NOTICE THAT THE FIG TREE IS IN FULL LEAF IN APRIL.
• NOTICE THAT JESUS LOOKED FOR FIGS FROM A TREE THAT NEVER HAD FIGS IN APRIL. (MAR 11:13)
• THEREFORE, JESUS CURSED THE FIG TREE THAT DID NOT PERFORM AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK.

• WHAT DO THE LEAVES REPRESENT? (MESSAGE #1)
• THE LEAVES REPRESENT USELESSNESS. THIS SYMBOLISM REPRESENTS THE APPEARANCE OF FRUIT BUT THE REALITY OF HAVING NO FRUIT AT ALL.

• A LESSON ABOUT THE NATION OF ISRAEL: USELESSNESS INVITES DISASTER!
• READ ISA 29:13
• THE TREE WAS USELESS BECAUSE IT PRODUCED NO FRUIT, ONLY LEAVES. THE RELIGIOUS SYSTEM OF JUDAISM WAS USELESS. IT LOOKED LIKE A GODLY ORGANIZATION BUT THERE WAS NO SPIRITUAL FRUIT.
• THE JEWS WERE SUPPOSED TO WELCOME THE MESSIAH INTO THE WORLD, BUT THEY FAILED.
• FAILURE TO FULFILL GOD’S PURPOSE BRINGS JUDGMENT.
• GOD CONDEMNS PROFESSION WITHOUT PRACTICE.
• THE TREE HAD LEAVES. IF A FIG TREE HAD LEAVES, IT WAS A CLAIM THAT THERE WAS FRUIT PRSESENT AS WELL. IT’S CLAIM WAS FALSE.
• THE RELIGIOUS SYSTEM OF JUDAISM CLAIMED TO HAVE FAITH IN GOD, BUT THEY ONLY WANTED TO KILL GOD’S SON.
• GOD JUDGES FALSE CLAIMS.
• FRUITLESSNESS BRINGS A CURSE FROM GOD.

• IN MAT 23:13-36 JESUS PRONOUNCES CURSES ON THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES FOR HAVING LEAVES BUT NO FRUIT.

• WHAT DOES THE FRUIT REPRESENT? (MESSAGE #1)
• THE FRUIT REPRESENTS GODLINESS. THE JEWS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE GOD’S ADVERTISEMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS TO THE REST OF THE WORLD. INSTEAD THEIR LEADERSHIP WAS CORRUPT.
• WHAT IS MESSAGE #1 BEHIND JESUS’ CURSING OF THE FIG TREE?
• JESUS LOOKED FOR SOME EVIDENCE OF GODLINESS AMONG THE JEWISH NATION. THEY HAD THE OUTWARD TRAPPINGS OF RELIGION BUT THERE WAS NO INWARD FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. LIKE THE FIG TREE, ISRAEL FAILED IN ITS PURPOSE. JESUS, THEREFORE, CURSED ISRAEL BECAUSE HE KNEW THE JEWS WERE GOING TO REJECT HIM THE NEXT WEEK.
• REVIEW OF MESSAGE #1:
• ON SUNDAY, THE DAY OF THE TRIUMPAL ENTRY (10TH DAY OF THE MONTH OF NISAN).
• ON MONDAY MORNING, JESUS CURSED THE FIG TREE ON HIS WAY TO THE TEMPLE.
• ON MONDAY EVENING, THE DISCIPLES DID NOT NOTICE ANY CHANGE IN THE FIG TREE AS THEY LEFT THE TEMPLE AREA FOR BETHANY.
• ON TUESDAY MORNING, THE DISCIPLES FIRST NOTICE THE WITHERED FIG TREE ON THEIR WAY TO THE TEMPLE, WHILE IN THE TEMPLE AREA, JESUS PRONOUNCES CURSES UPON THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES, AND UPON JERUSALEM (MAT 23:1-3,5 AND MAT 23:13-36).
• WHEN THE DISCIPLES ASKED ABOUT THE CURSED FIG TREE, JESUS LINKED IT TO FAITH AND PRAYER.
• WHAT DOES THE FIG TREE REPRESENT IN MESSAGE #2?
• THE FIG TREE REPRESENTS NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PRODUCING FRUIT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
• WHAT DO THE LEAVES REPRESENT IN MESSAGE #2?
• THE LEAVES REPRESENT AN OUTWARD PROFESSION OF FAITH.
• WHAT DOES THE FRUIT REPRESENT IN MESSAGE #2?
• WE CAN CLEARLY SEE SPECIFICALLY THE MEANING OF THE FRUIT IN A CHRISTIAN’S LIFE ACCORDING TO GAL 5:22-23.
• READ GAL 5:22-23

• GOD CONDEMNS PROFESSION WITHOUT PRACTICE.
• READ JAM 2:17-18
• THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT MUST ACCOMPANY OUR OUTWARD PROFESSION OF FAITH. (GAL 5:22-23)
• FRUITFULNESS COMES FROM AN INNER FAITH.
• FRUITFULNESS BRINGS POWER IN ANSWERED PRAYER.
• WHAT KIND OF POWER?
• POWER TO DO MIGHTY THINGS FOR GOD.
• POWER TO ACCEPT GOD’S WILL IN YOUR LIFE.
• POWER TO BEAR THE UNBEARABLE, TO PASS THE BREAKING POINT AND NOT BREAK.

• WHAT IS MESSAGE #2 IN THE PARABLE?
• NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS ARE NOT TO BE LIKE THE PHARISEES, HAVING AN OUTWARD PROFESSION OF RELIGION, BUT NO INWARD FAITH IN CHRIST BY WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT PRODUCES FRUIT IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

• THE IMPORTANT THING TO NOTICE HERE IS THE LAPSE OF TIME BETWEEN THE SPOKEN CURSE AND THE FULFILLMENT OF IT.

• THE DISCIPLES ARE AMAZED, AND JESUS USES THEIR AMAZEMENT TO TEACH ABOUT PRAYER AND THE BASIC NATURE OF FAITH.

• THE IMPORTANT CONCEPT OF THE LAPSE OF TIME.
• THE FIRST STEP TO ANSWERED PRAYER IS FAITH.
• READ HEB 11:1 THE DEFINITION OF FAITH
• JESUS CURSED THE TREE BUT THEY DID NOT SEE THE EVIDENCE OF THAT CURSE UNTIL THE NEXT DAY.
• THIS TELLS US THAT ONE OF THE BASICS IN THE NATURE OF FAITH IS PATIENCE.
• WE EVEN SEE THIS LAPSE OF TIME IN THE DEFINITION OF FAITH IN HEB 11:1.
• SINCE THE FIG TREE REPRESENTS ISRAEL AND THEIR LACK OF SPIRITUAL FRUITFULNESS, JESUS’ ACTIONS IN CURSING THE FIG TREE REPRESENT A CURSE UPON JUDAISM WHICH DID NOT IMMEDIATELY BECOME EVIDENT.
• JESUS CURSED THE FIG TREE (ISRAEL) ABOUT 32 AD BUT THE TREE (ISRAEL) DID NOT ACTUALLY WITHER UNTIL 70 AD WHEN THE ROMANS ATTACKED AND DESTROYED THE TEMPLE AND THE NATION.

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS AND THE VINEYARD (MAT 21:28-32)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE AND FAITH (MAT 21:17-22)
• EXAMINE YOUR TREE (YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE) FOR FRUIT.
• WHICH FRUIT, MENTIONED IN GAL 5:22-23, DO YOU FIND DEVELOPING IN YOUR LIFE THAT WAS NOT THERE 5 YEARS AGO?

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS AND THE VINEYARD (MAT 21:28-32)
• READ MAT 21:23-32 AND ISA 5:1-7 FOR CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
• TO WHOM DID JESUS SPEAK THIS PARABLE?

• WHO DOES THE FIRST SON REPRESENT?

• WHO DOES THE SECOND SON REPRESENT?

• WHAT DOES THE VINEYARD REPRESENT?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THIS PARABLE?

• MEMORY VERSE: MAT 12:50