First Baptist Church of Tampa Sermons

S1 E19: Fig Trees and Failure

• First Baptist Church of Tampa • Season 1 • Episode 19

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Sermon Overview

Series: Follow Me

Title: Fig Trees and Failure

Text: Mark 11:11-26

Date: June 15th, 2026

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SPEAKER_00

As you're being seated, join me in the Gospel of Mark this morning. We are going to begin the final week of Jesus' earthly life as we turn to Mark chapter 11 today. Mark chapter 11, if you don't have a Bible with you, there'll be some in the pew back there in front of you. We're going to be on page 909 this morning. If you don't own a Bible, that's our gift to you. Please take that one home. We would love for you to have it. I want to talk to you this morning on the topic of fig trees and failure. Or if you prefer another title, Nothing But Leaves. One of my favorite movies is a movie entitled Mr. Holland's Opus. I don't know if any of you are familiar with this movie. It's an older movie. The premise of the movie is that a musician takes a part-time job as a high school music teacher. He thinks it'll be an easy way to make a little bit of money while he composes an American symphony that he wants to write. However, this part-time job that he takes turns into a 30-year career teaching students music in a local high school. Life becomes busy. He and his wife have a child. And the pressures of his job and the pressures of being a father keep him from writing the music that he always wanted to write. After 30 years of teaching high school music, he's forced to retire when they take away all the financing for his music program. He retires feeling like he's wasted his life because he never got to write the music he wanted to write. But at a surprise retirement party in his honor, students from over 30 years return and play in an orchestra to a piece of music that he composed, and they say to him, You think you've wasted your life, but we are the notes of your opus. We are the notes of your life song. Teachers have a profound impact on our lives. I know in my own life, there are many teachers who made a distinct difference for me. And I can think back and see that there were some teachers who were great teachers simply because of who they were. They were just good people. Some teachers were gifted because they were gifted in the classroom. They could teach their lessons. Some just made whatever the topic was come to life. I owe my love for history, at least partially, to a single high school teacher who could take a history book that was dry as could be and take it and make it come alive so that I could see it, I could imagine it. I owe my love for studying and for memorization to another teacher who had a memory skill that they taught to our class that he could ask any student to stand up and give them a list of ten things, and he could in 30 minutes repeat those ten things, and he could come back a month later, have that student stand up and tell them those same ten things because he remembered them. It was amazing. Teachers make a profound impact on our lives. I don't remember all my teachers by name. I couldn't even begin to list them from the worst to the first. Well, I might be able to tell you the worst, but I'm not going to. I'm not going to tell you that one. But I we could all look back at our lives and say there are some that were better than others, and it would be impossible to maybe rank them except for the first one, the very first one, the greatest teacher who ever lived. I hope he is your greatest teacher as well, is a man by the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was a master teacher. He taught with authority. When Jesus taught, people were engaged. When people, what Jesus taught, people learned. When people listened to Jesus, their blinded eyes were opened. He taught with different abilities. He taught with different techniques. He taught using stories. He taught using parables. When he taught, people were drawn in to what he would teach. He was a unique teacher. As we come to Mark chapter 11 this morning, we're going to find yet another one of these instances where Jesus is using a tool to teach his followers. And it's so natural for him, they don't even know he's doing it. They don't even recognize what he's doing until he explains it to them. As we open up Mark chapter 11, we're going to start this morning in verse 11. And those of you that are following along have been with us, you note that we ended at the end of chapter 10, and I'm skipping the triumphal entry and jumping to verse 11. I'm not doing that because I don't think the triumphal entry is unimportant. I'm doing that because just a few weeks ago, Chris Haidt preached on the triumphal entry for us and did a wonderful job. So I don't feel like I need to repeat the triumphal entry. I just want to let you know that this is the time frame where we are in chapter 11. Jesus has come into the city of Jerusalem for the last time for the festival of Passover. Last time we saw him, he was in the city of Jericho, and he'd healed blind Bartimaeus, and he'd had the encounter with Zacchaeus. And now that massive crowd has made their way into Jerusalem. And as he goes into the city, there's this parade for him in his honor, and they're crying out, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. He's riding on the foal of a donkey. He's riding in, proclaiming himself to be the Messiah. As that week continues on, however, the cries of Hosanna will change. He enters the week with a celebratory parade, going into the city with people shouting, Hosanna, in just a few short days, he will be led out of the city in a morbid parade with a cross on his back and a crown of thorns on his head, with people crying out, Crucify him. This is the setting as we get to Mark chapter 11, and we come to this text that is a troubling text for many people. It's a text about Jesus seeing a fig tree not bearing any fruit, and Jesus cursing the fig tree. And this troubles many people. They don't understand why Jesus would do this. Why would he be so mean to such a little fig tree? And they trouble with it because they don't take the time to put it in its context. In fact, they pull it out of context and try to make it say what they want it to say, or they get confused over it. This is the problem we have when we pull text out of context. And this is an opportunity for us to see there's a reason for this story. And if you were just reading the story about Jesus cursing a fig tree, we might wonder, what in the world is that there for? But if we put it in context in Mark chapter 11, we're gonna see it's there for a very important reason, and it's because Jesus was a master teacher teaching a lesson. Here's the lesson, and then we're gonna jump into it. A tree which only gives the appearance that it may bear fruit, but does not bear fruit, is useless. A tree that gives outward appearance of health and that it might produce fruit, but it produces no fruit is useless. Just as faith, which gives an outward appearance with no inward transformation and no fruit, is also useless. Not only is it useless, it is condemned by Jesus. A faith that claims to be one thing and is not that thing is condemned by Jesus. Someone that claims to be something that they're not and bears no fruit because there's no inward transformation, Jesus has much to say about that. That's the lesson of the fig tree that I don't want us to miss this morning. If you're willing and able, will you stand with me as we read the text and we learn from this fig tree? Mark chapter 11, beginning in verse 11. Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple, and after looking around at everything, he left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late. On the next day, when they had left Bethany, he became hungry. Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if perhaps he would find anything on it. And he, when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, May no one ever eat fruit from you again. And his disciples were listening. Then they came to Jerusalem, and he entered the temple, and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves, and he would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. And he began to teach and to say to them, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations, but you have made it a robber's den. The chief priests and the scribes heard this and began seeking how to destroy him, for they were afraid of him, for the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching. When evening came, they would go out of the city. As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered by the roots up. Being reminded, Peter said to him, Rabbi, look, the fig tree which you cursed has withered. And Jesus answered, saying to them, Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, be taken up and cast into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he has says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you. Whenever you stand praying, forgive. If you have anything against anyone, so that your Father, who is in heaven, will also forgive you your transgressions. Heavenly Father, we pray that you would bless the reading of your word. We pray that we would understand this parable that Jesus teaches using a fig tree as he compares it to the temple in Jerusalem. And Lord, let us not fail to see that this isn't a lesson for two thousand years ago, that it's a lesson for your temple today, your temple being your people. Lord, let us not be fruitless fig trees, we pray. In Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you. Context is so vitally important. If you just read the story about Jesus walking up and getting mad at a fig tree and cursing it, I can see where you might get confused. But if you place that story in the context of the entire story, you begin to see that Jesus was using this as an opportunity to teach his disciples a lesson about what he saw in the temple. A lesson about what he saw from those who were supposed to be leading people to him. Verse 11 says that Jesus entered Jerusalem. This is that triumphal entry that we just mentioned. He's just paraded in, he's received this praise. Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. And Mark tells us that at the conclusion of that time, he went to the temple and he began to look around. But it says it was late in the day, so he didn't stay very long. I think Jesus is there for a purpose. I don't think he's there and then changed his mind. I think Jesus has gone to the temple on what I would call a reconnaissance mission. Jesus has gone to see what is going on in his temple. He's been there many times before. There are many stories in the Gospels of Jesus going to the temple. He was there when he was 12 years old. You will remember that his family went there, and then when they left thinking he was in the traveling party, they had to go back to find him, and they found him in the temple debating with the scribes of the day. The Gospels describe how Jesus would go to the annual festivals. It was his practice, his routine, certainly something he learned from Joseph and from Mary. He would constantly be going to the temple. In John's Gospel, at the very beginning of Jesus' ministry, Jesus went into the temple during the same Passover feast, and there seeing animals and people selling those animals and money changers within the courtyard of Gentiles, he cast them out. He overturned their tables and he ran them out. Some people say this is a mistake. John puts it at the beginning of Jesus' ministry. Mark puts it at the end of his ministry. I don't think it's a mistake. I don't think they're describing one incident. I think they're describing two separate incidences. One, that Jesus makes a statement at the beginning of his ministry, and one, he states it again at the end of his ministry. He went into the temple of God and said, This is not what God designed this temple to be. This is not what's supposed to be happening here. And he began preaching against it then. And now he's come back three years later to see if anything has changed. Have they been listening? Have they been paying attention? Has anything penetrated their hearts of stone and made them recognize that they are moving away from God, not moving towards God? And so he goes to the temple to see have they been listening? Has anything changed? And noting nothing has changed. I know he noted that because what happens the next day when he goes back, he clears the temple again. That evening he went home. I think he just said, I got more work to do than I got time to do it in right now. I'll be back tomorrow. He wasn't ignoring it. He wasn't delaying it. He was just being ready for it. So Jesus, in verse 11, he checked the temple. And in verses 12 through 14, we see this account of Jesus cursing the fig tree. The next morning, Jesus has spent the night in Bethany. It's a little bedroom town outside of Jerusalem. It's where his dear friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus lived. He would often go there when he stayed in the city to go to the Passover meals and the other meals. He would stay with his friends and then he would walk into the city. It was a short journey. And on his journey in in the morning, he was hungry. He wanted something to fuel his body for the day. He knew there was a busy day about to take place, and he needed some breakfast. And looking ahead, he saw a fig tree. And Mark tells us that this wasn't the time of year for the fig tree to bear fruit. It was the spring time of the year. It was the early time of the year. And yet he saw a fig tree that had leaves on it, and that indicated to him that tree is ahead of time. That tree might have some fruit on it. And so he headed over to the tree, hoping to find some breakfast, hoping to find something to eat. And when he got to the tree, all he found was leaves. No figs whatsoever. And Jesus cursed the tree and said, May no one ever eat from you again. This text has caused so much consternation with people over the years. They look at this text and say, Why? And what did this little tree do to Jesus? Jesus is picking on this little tree, this poor little tree. Forget all the lost people who aren't going to see Jesus because of the temple and what's going on there. No, we're more worried about the tree than we are lost people. They're more concerned. Some people say, well, Jesus is just throwing a hissy fit right here. He's acting like a spoiled brat and using his powers to do things that are destructive. And so they look at this and they say, We have a problem with this text. There are even those who don't follow Jesus Christ and they point to this text and say, Why would I follow somebody who would destroy a tree who's done nothing wrong? Great consternation with this text. Jesus is not being mean to this tree. Jesus is not being a spoiled child. Jesus is not being throwing a hissy fit. Jesus is teaching his disciples a vital lesson using a visible parable. He's using an object lesson. He's equating what this tree was doing with what he saw in the temple. Verse 14, the disciples heard it. They heard what Jesus said to the tree. No doubt they're wondering, what in the world? But as was typical, they did not ask him. Fortunately for them, they wouldn't need to ask him because he would explain it to them the next day. They have no idea why would Jesus curse this tree, as do people today. Why would Jesus curse this tree? So Jesus has checked the temple and he's seen many things going on that shouldn't be going on there. He's cursed a fig tree, and now verses 15 through 19, he goes into the temple and he finds utter chaos. He goes into the courtyard of the Gentiles. Last week I described for you how the temple is laid out in concentric courtyards. There's a courtyard of the Gentiles where any nation can come, where anybody who could come, who is a fearful person of the one true God, who wants to learn about the one God of Israel, they can come to that place. Inside of that was the courtyard of women where Jewish women could go. Inside of that was the holy place where only the priest could go. And inside of that was the holy of holies where only the high priest could go. Once a year, where the Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat were. This outward court was the largest of the courts. It was designed for the nations to come in and meet God. The picture of the temple is the answer to the question: how does unholy man come into the presence of a holy God? How does somebody who's out here in this outer courtyard get into that most holy of places where God resides? How do I get from here, my sin, to there, his holiness? This is what the temple is supposed to answer. And that outer courtyard was a welcoming place. It was a front porch to bring the nations in so that they might get to a holy God. But when he got there, he did not see nations being brought to his father. He did not see individuals being ushered in so that they might be introduced to the sacrificial system. He did not see people being brought in and taught that they were sinners in need of something to sacrifice in their place. He didn't see any of that. What he saw was a marketplace. What he saw was a fresh air marketplace gone crazy. He saw people selling animals for sacrifice. Certainly they sold lambs and they sold doves. This was probably started with good intentions. Somebody somewhere along the way said there are people traveling from all over the regions, and they are having to travel all the way in here, and they're having to carry these animals with them, and they're having to bring the sacrifice with them. Why don't we make it convenient for them? And we'll set up a vending machine over here in the lobby, and they can buy their animal here. It probably started out with very good intentions, but by the time Jesus comes, it has become a scam. An animal, in order to be sacrificed, had to reach the standard of unblemished. It had to be a perfect animal. It couldn't be an animal that had a tarnish to it or a problem with it. It had to be an unblemished animal. And people would bring their animals, and a priest would be there to inspect the animal to say whether it passed inspection or not, whether it was unblemished or not. And wouldn't you know over time they came up with a plot to say, you know what, no matter how perfect that animal is, it does not meet standards. So my buddy over in Booth number three will sell you one that is. And they had to go buy another animal at a very high price because they had to pay to rent the stall and they had to pay for the right to sell the animal. But they couldn't just buy the animal with their own currency. You see, the temple had its own currency. And the only money you could use on the temple premises was the temple currency, which means you had to take your currency and exchange it for their currency. And do you think they're giving you a dollar for a dollar or a penny for a penny? Oh no. The inflation rate, the exchange rate was extremely high, just as if you traveled to foreign lands and you need to exchange money. Don't do it in the airport because the exchange rate is higher. They had turned what was intended to be a system to help people come into the presence of God into a racket, into a way to manipulate people and take advantage of people. So there are booze set up with animals that are being sold. There are money changers everywhere, and Jesus is looking at all of this, and he'd had enough. In his righteous anger, in his wrath against what was taking place in his father's house, he drove out those who were selling the animals. He overturned the tables of the money changers, and he stopped anyone from walking through that massive courtyard and bringing more merchandise in it. No one dared come in there. No one dared continue to do what they were doing. Some people have tried to depict Jesus as some mealy-mouthed little humble little little little feeble little person. I don't see that in Scripture. What Jesus did this day, by the way, historian, Jewish historian Josephus, or if you prefer Josephus, either way, he estimates, he tells us that in one year, 255,000 lambs were sacrificed at Passover. We're not talking about a hundred lambs, we're not talking about ten lambs, we're not talking about 255,000 lambs were sacrificed. That's just the lambs. That doesn't count the doves or the other animals that were sacrificed. This was a massive, massive, massive thing. And all of it stopped because of one man. You don't think that man had authority? You don't think that man had strength? You don't think that man had the power of God to stop what was going on? He'd had enough. At the heart of his anger, at the heart of his indignation, verse 17, Jesus speaks and he tells them. He quotes from Isaiah chapter 56, verse 7, and from Jeremiah chapter 7, verse 11. And he says, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations. But you have made it a robber's den. This is supposed to be my father's house where all the nations are welcomed, where all the nations can come and come into his presence. This is to be a place of prayer where we have communication with God, where all people are here. But instead, you've turned it into a robber's den. You have turned it into a place where you're taking advantage of people. He looked around and he saw, certainly he saw exasperation. Can you imagine being somebody who had journeyed all the way to Jerusalem thinking, I'm going to go offer my annual sacrifice so that I can be covered by the blood, so that I can be right with a holy God? And when you get there and you bring this perfect lamb up, and the priest who is standing there tells you your lamb's not good enough, and you know it is? And you have to go buy another one? Oh, and you can't use your currency. You have to go exchange your money. Can you imagine the exasperation of somebody who just wants to get right with God coming into that situation? There's exasperation. The exasperation is there because the exploitation. Jesus was seeing people being exploited. People who were hurting. People who needed to be made right with God. People who were humbly coming, wanting to offer their sacrifice, wanting to know how can I be right with a holy God. There's sin in my life. I need to be made right. And when they come, they are being exploited, they're being taken advantage of. Not only that, he sees exclusion. That courtyard was to be a courtyard where the Gentiles could come and be introduced to God. But the Jews said, We don't care about them. We need a place to set up our business. And so in the place where the nations were supposed to be welcomed, they said, we don't care about you. In fact, you're not welcomed here. And they excluded people. The temple had become a place of exasperation, it had become a place of exploitation, it had become a place of exclusion. And because of all that, verse 18, Jesus exposes all of it. He says, This is not my father's house. This is not how he designed it. This is not what's supposed to be happening here. This is not what you're supposed to be doing. And the Pharisees and the scribes hated him, verse 18, because of it. And they sought to destroy him. Why? Because that was a pretty profitable business that he was putting under wraps. Because they were making money off of it. Because they were profiting off the pain of other people. They were taking advantage of it. Instead of leading people to Jesus, to God, they were making it more difficult for them to come to him. But the people were eating it up. Because he was teaching truth. And they were exasperated with the process. Lest we think that this is just a story about a temple 2,000 years ago and the practices of the Pharisees, then, let me remind you of what the temple represents. In Scripture, the temple represents God's presence amongst his people. Before there was a temple, there was a tabernacle. Jesus, or excuse me, God described to the nation of Israel how he wanted them to build a tabernacle in their midst after they had left Egypt. And he described it in detail, how it was to be designed, what was to be in place, the elements, everything that was supposed to be there. And it is a picture of God's throne room in heaven. Again, answering the question: how does sinful man get outside the walls that separate us from a holy God? How do I get from my sinfulness to God's holiness? And there was a sacrifice, and there was prayer, and there was an altar and a mercy seat. And it represents God's presence. Wherever that tabernacle was, represented God's presence amongst his people, and his provision for them. When they built a temple in Jerusalem, it represented the same thing God's presence amongst his people. John chapter 2, when Jesus came the first time and overthrow the money changers and started causing discord at the very beginning of his ministry, the Pharisees came to him and said, Whose authority do you do this by? By whose authority are you doing this? Anybody remember what he told them? If you destroy this temple in three days. On the foundation of the apostles Christ Jesus as the chief cornerstone. You are the temple of God. The church is the temple of God. We are God's presence amongst the people today. Now, is this a lesson about something that happened 2,000 years ago in a building made of brick and marble? Yes. But is it also a lesson to us as the church today? Revelation chapters 2 and 3 are letters that Jesus wrote to the churches of Asia Minor. And at the beginning of that letter, Jesus is depicted as walking amongst his churches. And to every church he writes, I know you. From time to time? Is the temple still pure? Is the temple still on mission? Does the church every now and then need to stop and say, hey, are we on mission here? Are we making it harder or easier for people to come into the presence of God? You are a building block in that temple. And each one of us needs to stop and say, Am I pure? If Jesus were to walk up to me today, would he find any fruit? Or would he just find a bunch of leaves? Do I talk a good talk or do I walk the walk? Do I claim to be one thing and not show it with anything in my life? Verses 20 through 25, Jesus characterized faith. Verse 19, when evening came, they went out of the city. Then the next morning, as they were passing by, the disciples noted the fig tree that Jesus had cursed the day before. And they noted it was withered from the roots up. In a 24-hour period of time, a tree that looked like it was healthy and able to produce fruit was now completely rotted and dead. And they noted it because it was quite unusual. If you guys ever come to my office or to my house, I have a brown thumb. It's almost black. Okay? And you'll find plants in my office and at my home that the leaves are like, dude, come on. Um that was not the case here. This tree was dead as a hammer. It was gone. And the disciples noted it. And they said, Hey, hey Rabbi, isn't that the tree you cursed yesterday? Why did Jesus curse the tree? Why did he curse the tree? Because it was supposed to bear fruit. And it didn't. Because on the outside it gave the impression that it would bear fruit, but it never actually did. Why did Jesus overturn the tables of the money changers in the temple? Why did he cast all of them out? Because from a distance that fruit tree looked like it might bear fruit, and from a distance the temple looked like it might bear fruit, but when he got close up to it, he found that it was not bearing fruit whatsoever. I wonder how many of us, if we admit this, would say, you know, from a distance, I probably look pretty good. In fact, from a distance, I might look like I got my act together. So I'm just gonna keep all you people at a distance. Because the closer you get to me, upon further inspection, you may not find the fruit that you think you're gonna find. Jesus answered. He doesn't tell him why he cursed the fig tree. What's he say? Have faith in God. Have faith in God. He says, I'm not interested in outward appearances. I'm not interested in ritual or sacrifice. I'm in a faith that transforms you from the inside out. I'm in a I'm interested in a faith that is so radical that when you trust in God, he will do the impossible in your life. I'm not interested in your faith in a religion. I'm not interested in your faith in a ritual. I'm not interested in your faith in a person. Here's what I'm interested in. Put your faith in God. Trust in him alone. And when you do, God will do that which is impossible. He will move mountains. He will change your life. He will transform you from darkness into light, from death into life. He says, here's what I need. I don't need ritual, I don't need performance, I don't need stuff on the outside. I need your heart to change. How do I know your heart changes? He says, here's the thing: forgive others. If you're not willing to forgive others, then you haven't been changed on the inside. Stand and be willing to forgive, because if you're willing to forgive, it means you understand you needed to be forgiven. You've been changed from the inside out. Jesus called upon them to have audacious faith. He's not giving them a right to claim anything. He's not telling them if you pray for three million dollars in a private jet that you're gonna get three million dollars in a private jet. That's not what he's saying. He's saying if you place all of your faith in Christ, he will do what's impossible. He will move mountains. He probably said something to disciples along the lines of, I bet you're wondering why I cursed that fig tree yesterday and why I threw such a fit in the temple today. Here's why. Because that fig tree didn't deliver on its promise. Because that fig tree played the part but didn't deliver the fruit. That fig tree pretended to be a fruit, a tree that was going to bear fruit. But when I got to it, it was nothing but leaves. Why did I do that in the temple? Because all of those people came, they were hurting, and they needed to answer of how do I come before a holy God? And that temple didn't offer them fruit. There was nothing there but leaves. Nothing there but a show. And men don't be like the fig tree. Don't put on a show with no inward transformation. Men don't be like the temple. Don't exasperate people when they're trying to come to God. Don't exploit people. And oh, the church in America, are we not guilty of exasperating people who are trying to find the answer to how can I deal with my sin problem? And are we not exploiting people like crazy? And I think we will answer to God for it. I'm not talking about us. You guys know that, right? Not us in particular. But we are part of the church. Don't exclude people. And there are there there shouldn't be anyone who's not welcomed in the house of God who comes genuinely seeking after God. This ought to be a house of the nations. Where people from every tribe, tongue, and group can know how to find a right relationship with God. What's that right relationship? It's Jesus Christ. Fig trees and failure. Or if you prefer, nothing but leaves. Close with this question. Jesus used that fig tree as a parable to teach his disciples about what he saw in his temple. A bunch of hypocrisy, a bunch of lies, a bunch of show with no fruit. The question that I asked myself as I was studying this and as I ask you today is does that fig tree represent me in any way? Because Jesus is still walking around his temple, inspecting it, looking at it. And am I all leaf and no fruit? Or have I allowed God to change me from the inside out? So that there is the fruit of righteousness in my life. The fruit of the Spirit is evident. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, self-control. A fruit of righteousness that changes my tongue from what it used to say to what it says now. Fruit of righteousness that changes my attitudes of selfishness to selflessness. Fruit of righteousness that didn't care about others, that now cares about others. Fruit of righteousness that changes from me pursuing my own best to sacrificing myself for others. Fruit of righteousness that isn't selfish anymore, but has become selfless.