2. NOTHING BUT LEAVES
Mark 11:12-14

3. “Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry
“Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it” (Mark 11:12-14).

4. Introduction:
1) Mark reveals to us a human characteristic of our Lord – “He was hungry.” 2) He sees a fig tree with leaves expecting to come and satisfy His hunger. 3) Instead of finding fruit He found only leaves. 4) A.T. Robertson, in Word Pictures in the New Testament, says, “It had promise without performance” (p. 359). 5) Although “it was not the season for figs,” it obviously was not the season for leaves.

5. Introduction:
6) “The fruit always appears before the leaves; so that when Christ saw leaves on the fig tree by the wayside, Mark 11:13, he had a right to expect fruit” (Peloubet’s Bible Dictionary, p. 197). 7) “On this kind of fig-tree the fruit forms before the leaves, and should be full grown when the leaves appear: so this tree, by putting on its foliage before the time for figs, was proclaiming itself superior to all other fig-trees. This made it a striking symbol of the hypocrite, who, not content with appearing to be good as other people, usually puts on the appearance of being a great deal better” (J.W. McGarvey, Commentary on Matthew & Mark, p. 336).

6. Introduction:
8) I want us to look at an analogy between this fig tree, the Jewish nation, and the Christian. 9) The word analogy is defined as “resemblance in some particulars between things otherwise unlike; comparison based on such resemblance” (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary).

7. NOTHING BUT LEAVES
What Jesus Sought

8. What Jesus Sought 1) From the fig tree – fruit!
“And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again” (Mark 11:13-14).

9. What Jesus Sought 2) From the Jewish nation – fruit!
“Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son’ (Mark 12:1-6).

10. “But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir
“But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?” And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away (Mark 12:7-12).

11. What Jesus Sought 3) From the Christian – fruit!
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:1-2).
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).

12. NOTHING BUT LEAVES
What Jesus Sought
What Jesus Found

13. What Jesus Found 1) On the fig tree – just leaves!
“And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves…” (Mark 11:13).

14. What Jesus Found 2) In Jewish nation – leaves of pretense!
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:23-28).

15. “The Jewish nation was like this fig tree; it had apparently luxurious foliage in all the outward forms of holiness, but there was no fruit to the glory of God as seen in their rejection of Jesus” (H. Leo Boles, Commentary on Matthew, p. 416). “It was thus an emblem of the hypocrite, and particularly of the Jewish people, with their high professions, their show of ritual and formal worship, without the fruits of righteousness” (C.E.W. Dorris, Commentary on Mark, p. 264).

16. What Jesus Found 3) In Christians – leaves of pretense?
(a) We claim to speak as the Bible speaks (1 Peter 4:11) – but do we know what it says?
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).
(b) We teach observance of the Lord’s Supper every first day of the week (Acts 20:7) – but do we fail.
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).

17. What Jesus Found 3) In Christians – leaves of pretense?
(c) We declare that worship must be in spirit & truth (John 4:23-24) – but is such the case?
(1) Do we love to be here (Psalm 122:1)?
(2) Is all of our worship from the heart (2 Corinthians 9:7)?
(3) Do we sing when we are instructed to do so (Colossians 3:16)?
(4) When the truth is preached do I make application of it (Ephesians 4:16)?
(5) Do I want things in worship done to please me regardless of whether it truth or not (Colossians 3:17)?

18. What Jesus Found 3) In Christians – leaves of pretense?
(d) We want forgiveness but are we willing to forgive?
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).

19. What Jesus Found 3) In Christians – leaves of pretense?
(e) Is there genuine repentance or just regret (Acts 17:30).
“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

20. NOTHING BUT LEAVES
What Jesus Sought
What Jesus Found
What Jesus Did

21. What Jesus Did 1) To the fig tree – destruction!
“And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away” (Matthew 21:19).

22. What Jesus Did 2) To the Jewish nation – rejection!
“Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it” (Matthew 21:43).
“Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46).

23. What Jesus Did 3) He will cast into the fire or prune!
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:1-6).

24. NOTHING BUT LEAVES
What Jesus Sought
What Jesus Found
What Jesus Did