Jesus’ power and justice are on display.
Verses 18-19 It’s the day after Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and cleansed the temple. Jesus was hungry. There was a fig tree thriving with leaves.
Agriculturally, the fig tree is a symbol of the prosperity and richness of that land. So the absence of fig trees is the mark of the judgment of the land.
When God laid out the beauty of the land, He said, “It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey.” Deuteronomy 8:8 NLT
There’s even a great promise tucked away in Zechariah that says, “And on that day, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, each of you will invite your neighbor to sit with you peacefully under your own grapevine and fig tree.” Zechariah 3:10 NLT
Fig trees bear fruit before the leaves come. So when Jesus saw the fig tree with leaves, he expected to find fruit. But when he got up close, the fig tree had nothing. It was a fruitless tree, and it became a profound illustration.
Everything Jesus does is for our benefit.
It is plausible to expect fruit from a plant with leaves. That fig tree is symbolic of Israel. The leaves and fruitlessness are symbolic of their religious activity.
Jesus cleansed the temple and denounced their religion. Now, he curses the fig tree and denounces their nation as fruitless.
Fruit is always the indicator of faith.
‘You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. A good tree can’t produce rotten fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.’ Matthew 7:15-20 NLT
Jesus expects to find fruit in the life of those who claim to follow Him. If we give the impression of being a believer, Jesus expects to see some fruit from our lives, just like we would expect figs on a fig tree that already has its leaves.
‘“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.’ John 15:5-6 NLT
Fruit is always the manifestation of true faith.
Jesus Cleansed The Temple, Now He Curses The Tree
And so Jesus curses the fig tree. He killed it.
Israel’s religious activities can’t save them. They are going through the motions without a heart change. Apart from Jesus, people wander unredeemed and cut off from God.
Mark 11:20 tells us the disciples passed by the next morning and there was the withered fig tree.
For the Jews, Jesus came to these religious people expecting to find fruit from all their activities. But when he arrived, he found only “leaves.” With all its religious practices, they were only giving an appearance of godliness, but had no real fruit. They claimed to believe and profess their expectation of the promised Messiah, but when Jesus came, they did not receive him.
It doesn’t do any good to profess to be religious if there’s no fruit.
It’s a sin to live a barren life. God gives us gifts and expects us to produce fruit with them. If we are not producing fruit, our gifts will wither. Some pretend to have gifts, but the truth will find them when Jesus comes to get the fruit. God judges those who act religiously without the truth.
If our lives are full of leaves without fruit, Jesus will dry up the source from the roots up, just like the nation of Israel.
Some examples of a life full of leaves without the fruit might be someone who attends a Sunday service at church but on Monday, blends in with the crowd and doesn’t stand out as light and salt of the earth. (Matthew 5:13-16) This could be someone who uses scriptures to prove an argument or point out another’s flaws but doesn’t read their bible for heart change in their own lives. (Mark 7:6) Or maybe this is someone who does good deeds in front of others, but lives selfishly when no one is watching. (Matthew 6:1) Perhaps a person says they know God, but then they live very differently than how the Bible encourages us to live. (Titus 1:16)
Faith That Moves: A Picture of Power
Verses 20-22 This fig tree drying up so quickly amazes the disciples. They’d never seen a power like this. But what Jesus did with the fig tree was a small thing compared to the power He gives to his followers.
““I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.” John 14:12-13 NLT
One historic resource says in Jewish literature, a rooter up of mountains was a metaphor for a great spiritual leader, a person who could remove significant obstacles, solve significant problems, and express great power. Rooting up mountains became a metaphor for dealing with difficult or impossible situations.
Here’s the principle behind Jesus’ power: if you have faith in what God’s Word says and do not doubt, it will happen according to His Will. You have this power. And this power’s available to you through faith.
If you have an unwavering belief in God’s power, you will see the fruit of your faith.
‘You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”’ Matthew 21:22 NLT
‘You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father.’ John 14:13 NLT
We have Jesus’ power available in our prayers if we believe.
This is not referring to prayers for our own ideas, ambitions, dreams, and the things we want to work out in our favor. Faith is placing your confidence in God and in what you know to be true about God. For instance, we’re not praying for a bigger house so we can fill it up with more stuff, but we might pray for the space to do God’s work in, like inviting people over for fellowship, housing orphans, or providing a roof for people in need.
‘And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.’ James 4:3 NLT
Having faith is trusting in the revelation of God.
If we know that something is consistent with God’s Word, His Will, His purposes, and desires, then we can see that come to pass. These are unselfish motives. This is one reason we need to know what God’s Word says.
The Fruit of Persistent Prayer
Prayer activates our faith.
When we believe Jesus without wavering, then waiting on prayers won’t prevent us from asking. Waiting on answered prayer helps us persist in asking and strengthens our spiritual muscles until God responds to that. (Matthew 17:20) When our faith persists in praying for God’s Will and we believe in Jesus’ praying power living inside us, we will see it come to pass. Nothing will be impossible.
God can do whatever His Word says He can do.
A Life Without Power
If we’re not seeing God’s work in our lives, it might be because we are not persistent in our prayers. When we don’t get the answer we want, we quit, and, therefore, there is no strengthening of faith.
Superficial, shallow prayers actually dishonor God. When we lack intensity or passion, we probably lack belief.
When we see a problem that we can’t solve, instead of trying to get the best counselor or being the best counselor, we should take the person to prayer and let God do the things that He wants to do through His own power.
We should want the best that God has for us. So keep pursuing, keep persisting, keep knocking, and keep crying out. Where God really wants to reveal His power is through the persistent prayers of His people.
When we call upon the Lord in faith, we have all the power the Lord had when He cursed the tree, and more!
There are over 3,000 promises God has for us in the Bible. When our faith needs reassurance, when we need to be reminded of who God is and what He wills and wants for our lives, when our words are empty but our spirit is willing, here are some of God’s truths and promises to proclaim over our lives.
Here are a few of God’s promises in powerful scriptures.
The foundation of God’s truths and promises is His strength. We have nothing to fear when we are walking with the Lord. Our prayers are not dependent upon our strength but on a mighty, faithful God. With faith, we can tell the mountains to move, or what seems like an impossible thing to ask, and expect it to be rooted up and done in Jesus’ name.
Nothing is impossible with God but doubts and disputing God’s power will diminish the power of our faith.
Everything He Promised, He Will Perform.
No matter how impossible a situation seems, God’s promises are certain. This should give us confidence in our requests.
There is great power in prayer. Jesus wants us to have this kind of faith and expectation. We need to disregard the doubts. The devil plants reasoning and logic in our thoughts so that we question Jesus’ authority, God’s promises, and the power of prayer. But verse 22 says, whatever we ask in prayer, we will receive if we have faith. This means in all things that line up with God’s Word.
What we ask for in prayer must line up with the Word of God. He will not perform outside of His Word, which is his will. God upholds his will and performs according to the promises written in his Word. So we must know the Word of God and pray according to the Word.
Our prayers need to be backed up by faith, full belief that God will perform it. Our faith should stir up prayers to God. We pray and fully believe God will answer.
This miracle proved Jesus’ power and grace in a believer’s life.
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for the gifts you’ve blessed me with. Help me use these for your glory so that others may praise you. Help me live my life so that what people hear and see of me matches my heart for you. Show me how to use the talents and gifts you’ve given me. Change me with your Word. Open doors of opportunity where I can serve with these gifts for the praise of your name. I want to live my life in full belief of the power you give me, Jesus. Show me the areas of my life that are not producing fruit so that Your Word, Jesus, will penetrate the deadness of my life and infuse me with your living power to bear the fruit you’ve called me to bear.
Jesus, I want my belief in Your Goodness for me to remain faithful and persistent in prayer so that Your power will manifest itself in whatever I put my hands and heart to. Call me by your Spirit, Jesus, to a more faithful prayer life with even greater persistence. I refuse to allow reasoning to impede opportunities to pray. They only limit the power available through prayer. I leave all the resolutions to you, Jesus. Release your power through my prayers, in my life, in my family, my church, and my community.
Help me recall your Word and pray accordingly in full belief that you will fulfill your promises and what seems impossible in my life. I want to pray for mountains to be cast into seas! Help me reject the devil’s questions and doubts and recall your promises and truths to me. You are faithful, God. You will work all things out according to my good and ultimately, your glory! My Good Father holds good things for his children. I accept your will and your purposes; help me pray persistent and consistent with Your Truth. The joy of the Lord is my strength. Jesus, I look to you for my peace, provisions, and security. You are the Rock of my salvation, the cornerstone of my faith. May Your will be done, Lord. May the praise and honor go right back to you as your blessings are being used to glorify your name. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.