Mark 11:11-14.
One of the many strange incidents during that Passover. What is the message here?
Three trees are used in Scripture to refer to the Nation of Israel:
Vine-Symbol of their Spiritual Life.
Olive-Symbol of their Religious Life.
Fig-Symbol of their National life.
All three trees are remarkable for their fruit but not for their blossom.
The Jews are God's people. The story of their Nation reflects God's dealings with man but the Church is the Body of Christ, the Fruit of His Passion.
The life of the Jewish Nation was God. With Him they prospered and without Him they failed. Finally they were scattered to the four corners of the Earth. The Nation ceased to exist as such. 'Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord'- Ps.33:12.
In Luke 13:6-9, Jesus told the Parable concerning the Jews.
The Jews turned away from their Lord to follow other Gods and became dead Nationally and fruitless. The Fig tree was barren, fit only to be cut down. In the Parable the vinedresser said, 'Lord let it alone this year...'
So, the Lord Jesus came down from Heaven to lead His people back to God, but 'He came unto His own and His own received Him not'. They rejected Him and finally they nailed Him to a cross. The Fig tree, Israel, remained barren but retained all the outward form of worship, ritual and religious observance.
In the Passover incident Jesus came seeking fruit but found nothing, only leaves (In early April fig trees blossom and the little green fruit appears quickly overshadowed by green leaves almost immediately). Jesus, coming to Jerusalem for the Passover, early April, did not expect to find new figs, but the leaves so early in the season indicated that He should find the tiny new figs or last years fruit. Jesus condemned it for what it was-Unfruitful.
From their leafy profession of religious habits, etc. Christ expected some fruit from Israel's Religious life. There never is any fruit from a profession of Religion, only hypocrisy and deceit. 'Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites...'- Matt.23:13. Jesus said, 'No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever'.
About thirty years later the Roman general Titus cut down the Fig tree, destroyed Jerusalem and scattered Israel to the four winds. The God of Israel turned to the Gentiles 'To take out of them a people for His Name', the Church-Acts 15:14.
And Jerusalem, 'Shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled' - Luke 21:24.
'And after this I will return and will build again....'- Acts 15:16-17. Have the times of the Gentiles been fulfilled?
'Now learn a Parable of the Fig Tree'- Matt.24:32. A new Fig Tree begun to grow in place of the old one cut down. The Jews returned to Israel for almost a century now and in 1948 Israel became an independent Nation again and Jerusalem in Jewish hands in 1967. The Fig Tree has grown and its branches put forth leaves. Summer is near at hand. The Kingdom of God is nigh at hand. The times of the Gentiles have been fulfilled. Jesus said, 'This generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled'.
Are you ready for the Coming of the Lord? What is your Christianity like? Full of leaves and no fruit?
'Take heed to yourselves....' Matt.24:35-42.
One of the many strange incidents during that Passover. What is the message here?
Three trees are used in Scripture to refer to the Nation of Israel:
Vine-Symbol of their Spiritual Life.
Olive-Symbol of their Religious Life.
Fig-Symbol of their National life.
All three trees are remarkable for their fruit but not for their blossom.
The Jews are God's people. The story of their Nation reflects God's dealings with man but the Church is the Body of Christ, the Fruit of His Passion.
The life of the Jewish Nation was God. With Him they prospered and without Him they failed. Finally they were scattered to the four corners of the Earth. The Nation ceased to exist as such. 'Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord'- Ps.33:12.
In Luke 13:6-9, Jesus told the Parable concerning the Jews.
The Jews turned away from their Lord to follow other Gods and became dead Nationally and fruitless. The Fig tree was barren, fit only to be cut down. In the Parable the vinedresser said, 'Lord let it alone this year...'
So, the Lord Jesus came down from Heaven to lead His people back to God, but 'He came unto His own and His own received Him not'. They rejected Him and finally they nailed Him to a cross. The Fig tree, Israel, remained barren but retained all the outward form of worship, ritual and religious observance.
In the Passover incident Jesus came seeking fruit but found nothing, only leaves (In early April fig trees blossom and the little green fruit appears quickly overshadowed by green leaves almost immediately). Jesus, coming to Jerusalem for the Passover, early April, did not expect to find new figs, but the leaves so early in the season indicated that He should find the tiny new figs or last years fruit. Jesus condemned it for what it was-Unfruitful.
From their leafy profession of religious habits, etc. Christ expected some fruit from Israel's Religious life. There never is any fruit from a profession of Religion, only hypocrisy and deceit. 'Woe to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites...'- Matt.23:13. Jesus said, 'No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever'.
About thirty years later the Roman general Titus cut down the Fig tree, destroyed Jerusalem and scattered Israel to the four winds. The God of Israel turned to the Gentiles 'To take out of them a people for His Name', the Church-Acts 15:14.
And Jerusalem, 'Shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled' - Luke 21:24.
'And after this I will return and will build again....'- Acts 15:16-17. Have the times of the Gentiles been fulfilled?
'Now learn a Parable of the Fig Tree'- Matt.24:32. A new Fig Tree begun to grow in place of the old one cut down. The Jews returned to Israel for almost a century now and in 1948 Israel became an independent Nation again and Jerusalem in Jewish hands in 1967. The Fig Tree has grown and its branches put forth leaves. Summer is near at hand. The Kingdom of God is nigh at hand. The times of the Gentiles have been fulfilled. Jesus said, 'This generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled'.
Are you ready for the Coming of the Lord? What is your Christianity like? Full of leaves and no fruit?
'Take heed to yourselves....' Matt.24:35-42.
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