Note to reader:
(The individual stories in Mark 11:1-25 each have an important message when we look at them individually – when taken together they show us a far greater meaning in terms of prophecy. - May God bless you in your preaching.)
A grand arrival; A cursed fig tree; Cleaning out the Temple; Faithful prayer – all these stories are powerful in themselves, yet, Mark places together to hammer his point home: Jesus is the messiah, God incarnate who has come to, and the old way to get to God is over. Taken together, these stories here in this eleventh chapter of Mark, teach us vivid reality of who Jesus is.
Usually we take each of these stories separately. Today I will take them together as a unit to so we can see the greater significance that Jesus was pointing to within each of these stories.
Years ago, I was in the library at Seminary doing some research and this quite old and distinguished gentleman, obviously someone of great stature, he approaches me and asks, “Peter, can you tell me what time it is?” I was quite taken back. I had been at Seminary for less than a week and I had never met this man before, I only knew a handful of people, and most of them were just other students, how did he know who I was? “You know who I am?”, I asked. “Yes, of course. Are you going to tell me the time?” So, I told him the time and he went on his way. I had forgot to ask his name. Over the next few weeks, he would, suddenly appear, ask me the time, and then be on his way before I had the nerve to ask who he was – I don’t know, here I was this young man from casual California now at this Ivy league school, everything was so proper, so high brow, so different than what I had grown up with, I found him intimidating.
Later that week I was walking with a group other first year students to class and this same old distinguished gentleman walks by us, nods his head and says, “Hello Peter”. “YOU KNOW BRUCE METZGER!” exclaims one of the other guys. “How do YOU know Bruce Metzger?” Ahhh, that’s who he was. I didn’t know I knew Bruce Metzger. It turns out that Bruce Metzger was a retired professor from Princeton who was one of the most celebrated and famous biblical scholars of our time. Just a brilliant and godly man.
After that we would exchange short conversation and were on a first name basis. I would be in the library, even in an out of the way corner and still Bruce Metzger would find me. It didn’t matter where I was in that vast library, it seemed he would eventually surprise me, and ask the time. Certainly he would have to travel quite a distance to ask the time. Certainly he would have to spend time finding me. Certainly there was an easier way to tell time, “Peter, do you know what time it is?”, “Bruce, it is 3 o’clock”, and that was that.
Then one day, I asked, “Bruce, all the time you come up to me and ask me what time it is.” “Yes.” There are plenty of other people in the library, why do you always ask me what time it is?” “Because you have a watch.” (I’m not making this up) “Bruce, have you ever thought about buying a watch, then you will know what time it is and you won’t have to ask about the time?” “Why would I need to buy a watch, when I can just ask you what time it is?” And he was off to his research. This kind of thing went on for years.
It was only later I my studies at seminary that it began to dawn on me how significant Bruce Metzger was. In virtually all my biblical research at school, somehow, somewhere the name Bruce Metzger would inevitably pop up. It was everywhere. He was always referenced by authors, he was in footnotes, he was quoted - a lot – look long enough and deep enough in biblical research and it seems Bruce Metzger has had something to do with the content of the biblical study. To say that he contributed much to our understanding of the Bible, would be an understatement.
When I first met Bruce Metzger I knew instinctively that he was an important man, how important, I didn’t have a clue, I had no idea who I was dealing with. Here this morning in our Scripture we see a similar thing happening, only on a much more significant scale: The people instinctively know Jesus is an important man, so important that they give him praise, but truly, they do not have a clue who they are dealing with.
Let’s start this morning with these odd few verses about Jesus and the fig tree. Take verses 12-14 all by themselves and they are very difficult to understand, place them in context of all these stories and the story of the fig tree becomes very clear.
Looking at verse 12 – 14, we see Jesus curse a fig tree because it does not bear fruit. But take a look, he never curses the tree at all – those are Peter’s words in verse 21, not Jesus’, do you see that? Jesus just states that no one will eat the fruit of the tree fruit. What Jesus is doing here is a symbolic act that is an example of prophetic realism similar to the symbolic actions of the OT prophets. Is 20:1-6; Jer 13:1-11, 19:1-13; Ezek 4:1-15. The OT prophets used symbolic acts to illustrate what God was going to do for or against the nation of Israel. Here Jesus does the same, this event has meaning beyond their face value. For example in the passage from Isaiah 20 we see this: Is. 20:3 “Then the LORD said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush,” Isaiah isn’t just going barefoot, his being without shoes is a prophetic sign to all those who see him barefoot. In the same way, Jesus, in his action with the fig tree is showing what will happen to the city of Jerusalem.
Jesus has left Bethany and is on his way to Jerusalem. So most likely the tree would be found in the vicinity of the Mount of Olives which would be on his way to Jerusalem. On the protected side of the mount of olives fig trees can be seen in leaf many times at the end of March or early April. Early green figs will appear before the leaves, they do not taste very good, nor do people eat them. They do not ripen until June, and commonly will fall off, leaving only leaves. Jesus knows there will be no fruit. Yes, Jesus is hungry, but his action, like the action of entering Jerusalem and the action of cleaning the Temple point to a greater, deeper meaning, what will happen to Jerusalem, Israel and the Temple.
The prophets frequently spoke of the fig tree as referring to Israel’s status before God: Jer 8:13, 29:17; Hos 9:10, 16; Joel 1:7, Micah 7:1-6. Jer. 8:13 “ ‘I will take away their harvest, declares the LORD. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them.’”
The destruction of the fig tree is associated with judgment Hos. 2:12 “I will ruin her vines and her fig trees, which she said were her pay from her lovers; I will make them a thicket, and wild animals will devour them.” Isaiah 34:4 Luke 13:6-9. Here in this context the fig tree symbolizes Israel in Jesus’ day and what happens to the tree is the fate (it withers) that will happen to Jerusalem. I must stress that for Jesus the primary meaning is neither hunger nor disappointment but all the more,– he is using the occasion for prophetic symbolic action.
So as the action taken against the fig tree is primarily pointing to messianic actions – This action with the fig tree is parallel to Jesus’ action in the court of Gentiles and the entering of the city.
Jesus takes the initiative in preparing his entry. His instructions are very precise and are very significant. A colt not ridden before. It was not customary for pilgrims to ride, they generally completed the trip to the temple on foot. Zech. 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Jesus has this scripture in mind - He is a king, the people are jubilant, He rides upon a donkey, the donkey is a young foal. Colt is significant as it meets the ancient provision that an animal devoted to sacred purpose must be one that has not been put to ordinary use. (Num 19:2; Deut 21:3; 1Sam 6:7). At this time, only Jesus knows the messianic significance of his entry. Only later was it seen for what it was. Despite the homage of the people, there is awareness that the actual arrival of the kingdom is upon them, and that it is actually drawn from the person of Jesus himself. Jesus inspects the temple: The point is that Jesus is Lord of the Temple who must inspect its premises to determine whether the purpose intended by God is fulfilled. Jesus would proceed no further than the court of men. His survey provides him with the grounds for action that he take the next day
Understand that though prophecy is being fulfilled, it is paradoxical in the fact that it is the circumstanced are hiding the meaning of his action. In many ways Jesus action taken on his triumphal entry is hidden – see, pilgrims were always coming into Jerusalem, and to the people around Him, Jesus is just another pilgrim. Have you ever wondered why Jesus enters to great praise and then the people just walk away? Have you ever noticed that this whole event was not significant enough to alarm or even attract the attention of the authorities. Certainly the authorities would be concerned with a potential king coming into town, it would upset the political stability. Jesus enters the city with a group of pilgrims who then quickly disperse. Though the pilgrims who line the streets see that Jesus could possibly be the messiah – they certainly are not thinking of his reign as messiah in the terms Jesus was. We see this clearly when Jesus upsets the Temple
Looking at verses 15-17, we see Jesus enter into the Temple – which he surveyed the day before, we see him entering the Temple, in context of Jesus being the messiah, remember, the action in the Temple is parallel to the action, of riding into Jerusalem and the action taken against the fig tree, He enters the Temple and cleans it out; Jesus is not just cleaning out the Temple because people are misusing it, more importantly, take note of this – Jesus’ cleaning out of the Temple is a prophetic sign that the Temple will cease to function. Why? Because in a short time, Jesus will die and be resurrected – Jesus’ sacrifice of atonement is a sacrifice that is effective for all time, past, present, future – there is now not need for the sacrifice made in the Temple anymore, because Jesus sacrifice is perpetual.
Now, generally when we look at these verses 15-17, we in the modern day church speak of sacred use of a place for worship, we say that Jesus kicked the people out because the were selling in a place of worship. Very true. However, let us be careful how we apply these verses. The place in the Temple where all this selling was occurring was in the area that the Gentiles would come into worship, that is those people who believed in God, but were not of Jewish heritage, this was known as the court of Gentiles. Now because the merchants were selling and exchanging money, there was not a place for the Gentiles to worship, simply because all the space reserved for them was taken up by these merchants. This would be the equivalent of us placing merchandise to sell here in the sanctuary, which would then restrict seating for the Sunday morning services. Further, understand that these merchants offered services that were in fact needed by pilgrims coming to the Temple. Many people would travel quite a long distance and would have had great difficulty in bringing a sacrificial animal with them, so when they arrive at the Temple, they just buy their sacrifice. Of course these merchants apparently overcharged for the convenience, like we are overcharged at the movie theater for a Coke at $5. None of this made Jesus happy. Why? People were being prevented from worship through their selfish acts….all this said, this is not the primary meaning of these verses before us, there is a deeper significance.
If we look at the Church today, those who follow Jesus today, the vast majority are people who are not of Jewish Heritage, they are in fact Gentiles. Jesus cleans out the Temple, the court of Gentiles in a two pronged prophetic symbol: First, by Jesus coming actions of the cross the Temple sacrifice will no longer be needed; Second, the followers of Jesus are almost exclusively Jewish, but soon, the followers of Jesus will be predominately Gentile. As Jesus cleans the Temple he prophetically makes room for, you, he makes room for me.
Let us not miss the greater point Jesus is making with His profound acts in entering the city, commanding the fig tree, and cleaning out the Temple; The prophetic meaning here sheds light on God’s eternal plan for us. Jesus, He sums up His point at the end of the passage verses 19-25. His point is about faith, and that faith is in Jesus.
The disciples are impressed that the fig tree has withered in verse 20 and when they point it out to Jesus, He ignores their excitement about the tree, doesn’t He? Instead He points away from the physical action to the spiritual action; He has already pointed to what He will do, now He points to what we are to do; And that is a spiritual action - faith/prayer. These two go hand in hand, do you see that there? There is no effective prayer without faith, and there is no real faith without prayer. Jesus has come to be the Messiah, by His actions He has replaced the sacrifice in the Temple and made room for everyone to follow Him – what are we to do have faith and pray.
We are not to just be impressed with Jesus as the disciples were impressed with the fig tree, that is not faith. We are to have faith in Jesus and our prayers will become effective. I want us to note that in verse 23 Jesus says, “to this mountain” and the mountain He is referring to is none other than the mountain that Jerusalem sits on, Jesus has taken the mountain where people used to go worship, and figuratively thrown it into the sea, because we do not go to a mountain to worship anymore – but we now place our faith in Jesus.
Jesus enters the city as Messiah, He enters our life as Messiah; The people praise Him, We praise Him – Yet His entry is more than a sign – it is a prophetic message that Jesus is the way, the only way to God. As the fig tree withered, so does the importance of the Temple; and As The Temple court is cleared, a way is made for people of all nations to enter into the Kingdom of God.
