Jesus: The Last Week Figs...

Jesus: The Last Week Four days before Passover: The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit…

Jesus: The Last Week When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it - Mark 11:12-14

Jesus: The Last Week One of the representations of Israel in scripture is the fig tree "When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your fathers, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree...”- Hosea 9:10

Jesus: The Last Week Jesus is looking for fruit: for some sign of spiritual life Jesus told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any…

Jesus: The Last Week So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' "'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down’”- Luke 13:6-9

Jesus: The Last Week Why didn’t Jesus just make it produce fruit? Because that’s not his job. It’s the fig tree’s job to produce fruit "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men'"- Matt 15:8-9

Jesus: The Last Week On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts…

Jesus: The Last Week And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.’”

Jesus: The Last Week The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. When evening came, they went out of the city- Mark 11:15-19

Jesus: The Last Week This is the second time Jesus cleansed the temple This temple area has been reserved for Gentiles to worship the God of Israel He didn’t tell them to leave. He drove them out. Why is Jesus so angry?

Jesus: The Last Week 1 st - Injustice- Moneychangers were cheating the people - Jesus is directly challenging the authority of the Chief Priest 2 nd - Half-hearted sacrifices- The people were supposed to bring the best of their animals to sacrifice to the Lord

Jesus: The Last Week 3 rd - God’s mission is being sacrificed- the Jewish leaders filled the Gentile courts with animals and moneychangers – The purpose of the Jews was to reflect God’s glory so that Gentiles would see it and come to faith in God

Jesus: The Last Week 3 days before Passover: In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" "Have faith in God," Jesus answered…

Jesus: The Last Week "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours…

Jesus: The Last Week And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins" - Mark 11:20-25

Jesus: The Last Week How do we see fruit in our lives? - Can’t be ritual - Can’t be religion - Can’t be convenience There’s has be real, active, living, praying faith