Leaves But No Fruit

And Lord, I also pray that you would give us hearts to understand the word, not only to understand it, but to apply it as well, that we would examine our hearts and our lives, but we would also be encouraged by what we read in Scripture. So Lord, please give us understanding and wisdom. Help us to see and understand your truth in Jesus’ name. Amen. All right. Mark chapter 11, let’s go there, if you would.

Now, don’t lose your place in Matthew, because we’ll come right back to it in a little bit. Mark chapter 11, Mark 11, verse number 11, Mark 11, verse 11.

The Bible says this, And Jesus entered into Jerusalem and into the temple. And when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, He went out unto Bethany with the twelve. And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree, notice what it says here, afar off. That’s an important little detail that’s not as obvious in Matthew, but here it is.

Having leaves, afar off having leaves. He came, if happily, he might find anything thereon. And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves. For the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it. Now, if you go down to verse number 20, The Bible says, And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw a fig tree dried up from the roots.

And Peter calling to remembrance, saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursest is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto him, Have faith in God. Now notice, what you notice in Mark that’s not exactly evident in Matthew is as they, well first of all you see that even though the Lord has already entered into Jerusalem, you see that he’s coming back in. So he’s not staying in the city.

He’s staying in Bethany. Bethany is where Mary and Martha and Lazarus live. So it’s a short distance from the city of Jerusalem. So each night he would leave and he would go stay in Bethany and he would come back each day. That is until he’s arrested. And so that’s what we assume from this. But so he’s coming and going in Jerusalem. And so in verse 11 of Mark 11, he goes in, sees the temple, and then he leaves.

And the next day, so he observes what’s going on in the temple, and he sees what’s happening and he’s not happy with it, but he doesn’t do anything in the moment. He leaves and then he waits until the next morning, and in the next morning he’s coming back into Jerusalem and that’s when he’s going to cleanse the temple, which we’ve already read. Again, the timeline in Matthew is a little bit different, but it’s just a matter of filling in the details to get the full picture.

And so as he’s coming in to Jerusalem or walking toward Jerusalem, he sees, verse 13 says, he sees a fig tree afar off. Notice that. It’s afar off. So he sees it at a distance. Now a fig tree is not a tree that’s very large. I mean, at its maximum, you’re talking maybe 30 feet tall, 25, 30 feet tall. That would be a very healthy specimen of fig trees.

So fig trees are generally very small. The fig trees in this area of the world, and I think fig trees here are pretty small as well. They’re not like oaks or anything like that. But seeing the fig tree from a distance, he can see that it has leaves. Now, do any of you have a fig tree on your property or you’ve had familiarity with fig tree? It has a very unique leaf shape, does it not?

And the leaves are huge. And that’s one reason why you see people in scripture sitting under the fig tree, is because when it’s hot, the leaves are, they’re kind of like, they’re not like magnolia, but they’re large like a magnolia leaf. So under a magnolia tree is completely dark. There’s totally shaded. But a fig tree is interesting. It provides shade because of how big the leaves are.

And that’s why you see people sitting under it. But also it has no use whatsoever, except the fig. Like some trees have used multiple uses. You can use the wood, you can use the different things on the tree. But a fig tree has no use at all. It’s kind of like, and I’ll get back to this, it’s kind of like a grapevine. A grapevine has no use at all, except in the fruit.

Well, I mean, some people eat the leaves, grape leaves. But generally speaking, it’s the fruit that is the reason you grow, you have a grapevine. And so it’s kind of a very interesting plant. And how many of you know the first mention of the fig tree in Scripture? In Genesis, what in Genesis? Yeah, Genesis 3. When Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves together, it makes perfect sense.

They weren’t sowing an oak leaves together, these tiny little things. They were large leaves that they could sew together and make little aprons to cover themselves. That is the first mention of the fig tree. Now, so you have this, you have the Lord Jesus in verse 13 of Mark 11. He sees the fig tree from afar off and he can tell it has leaves because the leaves are so big.

And so now, what time of year is this? Remember, we’re just days from the crucifixion. What time of year is this? Spring. So this is March, April, depending on the year. And so this is the spring. Winter’s over, starting to warm up. And let me show you a verse related to that. Look at the Song of Solomon, chapter 2. Look at the Song of Solomon, chapter 2, if you would.

Right after Ecclesiastes. Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, chapter 2. You got a little hint of these things. That’s why one reason when you do your Bible study, if you search out the different references to something, you can often find little hints here and there, more about it, that will help you understand better. And so Song of Solomon, chapter 2, verse number 11, the Bible says this, or verse 10 says this, The rain is mentioned because the rainy season is in the winter in Israel.

But notice the winter’s past. What comes after winter? Spring, exactly. Now let’s keep reading. What comes after spring? Spring. And the time of the singing of birds is come. Spring, right? And the voice of the turtle... Have you ever heard of turtles? It’s a turtle dove, right? Not a turtle. Never heard a turtle talk, right? Voice of the turtle is heard in our land. Verse 13 says this.

The fig tree, now in spring, The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, And the vines, with the tender grape, Give a good smell, Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Notice that? So, notice, first thing I want you to see is that the fig tree and the grapevine are mentioned together. Just keep that in your mind. But notice the spring is when the leaves come out of the fig tree, because the fig tree loses its leaves, and then also you see the green figs appear in the spring.

Now what you might not know about fig, about a fig tree, at least the variety that grows in Israel, is it actually has two periods of bearing figs. It bears figs around about June. The figs will be ripe. And then it has a second harvest of figs at the end of the summer, getting into the fall. And so you have one in June and one in like September.

And so you have actually two harvests. So in this case, what you have is the green figs, which are the beginning of the fig harvest, in April, March or April, that will become ripe later in June. Okay? Everybody follow me, what’s happening here, because this is very important. But you notice the green figs here. Now go back to Mark, if you would. Mark 11. Now notice he sees that he’s coming from a distance, and he looks off in the distance and he sees the fig tree with leaves.

And he comes, of course, at that distance you can’t tell if there’s any fruit or green figs on it yet. So he just sees the leaves. Now let me ask you a question. What does he assume because of the leaves? Well, he knows the leaves have been put out because it springs, so obviously the tree is alive. And so he sees the tree at a distance, the leaves are out, so he then therefore assumes that as he gets closer he’s going to find what?

He’s going to find figs. He’s going to find, likely find, green figs for that time of year. Everybody on the same page with me? And then he comes to it and he finds nothing. So the tree has leaves, but it has no figs. Something’s not right. Something’s not right. Okay. Now I want to look at a few things about the fig tree in Scripture. We can first of all go to Numbers 13, Numbers Chapter 13.

We’ll look at several passages here just to kind of get some background about the figs. Numbers 13. Now the fig tree, as I mentioned before, the fig tree and the grapevine are two plants that you often see associated with each other. Sometimes you’ll see a fig tree and a grapevine and a pomegranate tree, or sometimes they might throw in there an olive tree along with, if they’re listing different kinds of trees, but especially and primarily you’ll see the fig tree associated with the grapevine.

And they’re similar, the plants aren’t similar, but they’re similar in the fact that both of them exist only for the fruit. And so in that way they’re similar. But you see them together in Scripture. And you also see both the fig tree and the grapevine strongly associated with Israel and with their land, the land of Canaan. Let me show you. Numbers 13, 23. Notice what it says.

This is when the spies go into the land of Canaan before the children of Israel do. And in verse number 23 it says this, And they came unto the brook Eschol, and cut down from thins a branch with one cluster of grapes. There’s our grapes. And they bare it between two on a staff, and they brought of the pomegranates and of the figs. Now where’s this fruit from?

This fruit is from Canaan, which is the land that God promised Israel. We call it Israel now. But notice they brought the figs from this land back when they spied on it. Look at Deuteronomy chapter 8. Deuteronomy chapter 8.

In Deuteronomy chapter 8, look how the Lord describes the land. Verse number 7, Deuteronomy 8, 7. For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks, of water, of fountains, and depths that spring out of valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley and vines, there’s our grapes, and fig trees, and pomegranates, a land of oil, olive, and honey. So this is before they go in and Moses is speaking here and he says, this is the land that’s characterized by, and one of the things he lists is fig trees, figs.

And not only that but also grapes. Grapes. Alright, let’s look at 1 Kings. Look at 1 Kings. 1 Kings chapter 4. 1 Kings chapter 4. Now we’re going to come across a phrase that I’m sure that you’ve read in your Bible. But we’re going to kind of slow down and look at it and look at different places we find it. 1 Kings 4 verse number 22. Just to get the context.

And Solomon’s provision for one day was 30 measures of fine flour and 3 score measures of meal. And it continues with his different provisions. Verse 24. And he had dominion over all the region on this side of the river from Tifsa, even unto Aza, over all the kings on this side of the river and he had peace on all sides round about him. So we’re reading about Solomon’s kingdom, Solomon’s reign.

Notice what it says in verse 25. And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, even from Dan, even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. So what is this under his vine, under his fig tree? What is it symbolizing? What is it indicating? It’s indicating peace and fruitfulness. That’s what it’s talking about. In other words, in the days of Solomon, there were no enemies.

Everybody just, they lived on their own property. It was like the dream. Everybody had their own fig tree, their own vine. Everything was fruitful. Everything was great in the days of Solomon. But the term used to describe that is every man under his vine and every man under his fig tree. We see it again in 2 Kings. Look at that. 2 Kings chapter 8. Quite a different context in 2 Kings though.

In 2 Kings 8 and verse, down around verse number, that’s not right. It might be 1 Kings. That wouldn’t be right. Let me check. I think I wrote the wrong verse down.

Well, we’ll just go to the next one. I wrote down the wrong verse apparently. One more place here. Let’s go on to the book of Micah. Micah. Micah. Right after the book of Jonah, you’ll find Micah chapter 4. So you have this every man under his vine and under his fig tree. We see it over and over in Scripture. In the days of Solomon, we see it, but we also see it in the prophets.

Micah 4, verse number 3. The Bible says this. Now this is a reference to the millennial kingdom of Christ. But notice, okay, now follow me. The millennial kingdom of Christ is yet to come, right? But the kingdom and reign of Solomon in the Old Testament, 1 Kings, is a picture or a precursor, if you will, of the prosperity that comes later in the kingdom. It’s like a miniature period of glory that will be in full fulfillment later in the future.

And in Micah chapter 4, that’s what we’re talking about. It says, Verse 4. So you see this again, fig tree. The land of Canaan, where Israel dwells. Peace. Look at Zechariah, just a few pages over. Zechariah chapter 3.

Zechariah chapter 3. Zechariah chapter 3. Zechariah 3, verse number 10. Again, Zechariah is also future. It’s referring to the kingdom of Christ in the millennium. It says this, verse 10. So if the Lord wanted to take a symbol, an object lesson for a vine and a fig tree, what would that usually represent? Just from what we’ve looked at here this afternoon. Peace, safety, abundance, fruitfulness. In other words, all of those things that are in the kingdom are in the kingdom of God.

And the kingdom of God is in the kingdom of God. And the kingdom of God is in the kingdom of God. And the kingdom of God is in the kingdom of God. In other words, it’s fruitfulness, in other words, all of those things are associated with it. If you have your own vine, your own fig tree, and it’s bearing fruit, you’re a happy camper in your own land in Israel.

Now, the reason this is important is because you’re starting to see that the vine and the fig tree, which we’re talking about the fig tree, is closely related to Israel and their land. Now, it’s not the only place. Let’s look at Psalm number 105. Psalm 105. Which is going to take a little stroll through different places in the Old Testament here and kind of bring this little part of our study to a conclusion.

Psalm 105 verse 33, the Bible says this, speaking of the Lord now, he smote their vines also and their fig trees and break the trees of their coasts. So when the Lord punishes Israel, what is he doing? He destroys the fig trees because again, the fig trees are symbols of peace and blessing, but now they’re under God’s judgment. And so the Lord is touching the fig trees.

Look at Jeremiah chapter 8. Jeremiah chapter 8. Verse number 13, the Lord speaking here, speaking of the judgment that’s coming on Israel, verse 13 says this, I will surely consume them, saith the Lord. There shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade, and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them, taking away the blessings.

Look at a few pages over to the book of Hosea. Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea chapter 2. Hosea chapter 2 verse number 12. Hosea 2 verse 12 says this, And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, And the Lord said, these are my rewards that my lovers have given me, and I will make them a forest, and the beast of the field shall eat them. And so you can see the Lord, when he wants to take away the blessings of Israel, then he touches the vines and the fig trees.

Last one I want you to see on this is the book of Nahum. Book of Nahum. Jonah, Micah, Nahum chapter 3. Nahum chapter 3 verse number 12. Now in this case the Lord is not taking away the blessings in judgment or correction, he is giving Israel blessings. Notice what he says, all thy strongholds shall be like fig trees with the first ripe figs. If they be shaken, they shall even fall at the mouth of the eater.

So as you can see throughout the Old Testament, you see the figs are a symbol of blessing, and the taking away of the fig is a symbol of cursing. So when you get now to the New Testament in Mark and in Matthew, you start to see something here. Now think about what’s happening, if you want to look back at Matthew chapter 21, and you think about the context of what’s happening in Matthew chapter 21.

It’s no wonder that the Lord points out a fig tree, because the Lord has just gone into temple, and he sees all that’s going on in the temple, he’s cleansing the temple, and what’s going to happen? In a few days, the children of Israel are going to reject him. Specifically, the children of Israel, the leaders of the children of Israel, the Pharisees, and the scribes, and rulers, and the Sadducees, are going to reject the Lord Jesus, and they’re going to crucify him.

And this fig tree, although it’s not directly stated, it is closely associated with Israel, God’s people, in Scripture. And so when the fact that the Lord brings this up at this time means that he’s kind of indicating a little bit about the state of the nation of Israel, that Israel is about to be, is revealing something about herself and is going to be cursed as a result of that.

And cursed they were, because they rejected Christ, they would be indeed cursed. And so, because they would reject their Messiah. And this fig tree pictures Israel really, really well. Now going back to Matthew, notice chapter 21, look at verse number 19. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it. Now we don’t see, like we saw in Mark, we don’t see the distance, but we know that he saw the fig tree some way off and saw the leaves first.

Verse 19 says, he came to it and found nothing thereon. Now he should find little green figs on it, but he found nothing. Because the little green figs are the indication that fruit is going to be born. They’re the indication of fruitfulness, even at this season. Now Mark tells us, in Mark 11, it tells us the time of figs was not yet. So even though it’s March or April at this time of year, they haven’t quite gotten to the point where the figs are ripe.

That’s why it says that. But you do still expect to find the green figs. But when the Lord got close, he saw there were no figs. There were no figs. Which means there would be no harvest of ripe figs in June. Which means the tree is without fruit. That’s what it means. The tree is fruitless. Now here’s what I want you to see about this tree. Just like, and Israel pictures this, but beside Israel, this is a general truth as well.

But just think about Israel for a minute. If you were to look at Israel at this time in the first century from a distance, like the Lord did with the tree, you would see a nation that appeared to be very religious. You would see people who kept very strict laws. They had a big fancy temple that Herod had built. They had all these things and these cultural things that they did and all these traditions that they held.

The laws were 613 laws and they were very strict. They couldn’t even drag a chair across the floor on the Sabbath for fear that would be the same as plowing and leaving a divot in the ground. All of these laws and rules. So at a distance you would see them, you would see a very religious people, but when you got close you would see that there was no fruit.

And that’s why the Lord is kind of hinting at this tree, especially its association in scripture with Israel, that this fig tree is kind of like that. You see the leaves at a distance and it looks like it’s fruitful, but when you get up close you find out it’s not. That’s actually a perfect description of Israel. When the Lord went into the temple and when the Lord got close and started to see the inside, of course He knew it, but that’s when it became evident that the rot was there and there was no real fruit.

They did not know God, they did not love God, they did not want Christ, and even whatever aspects of Christ that they believed in and wanted were really for their own gratification. They were not interested in salvation and they had no fruit of godliness, with some exceptions but generally speaking that was the state of Israel. They were like a fig tree without fruit that looked nice from a distance.

They looked like the people of God from a distance, but they weren’t. But it’s not just Israel, because that same thing is true of many of us in church, especially in church. Now if you were to see a tree from a distance, you were to see a tree that is barren of leaves in March or April. Like for me, we have a red maple in our front yard.

Right now the little red buds are already starting to show on the red maple, mostly because of the warm snap we had before all this ice and snow, but they were already showing like they do every spring. But after this is over and it starts to warm up, those are going to turn into little leaves. And so you know summer’s getting close. And so you know the tree is alive.

And so from a distance, this is kind of what religion, what it does. It gives the impression of fruitfulness, because you see the leaves and it looks nice. But the leaves are not the prophet. In other words, the leaves are not the substance of the tree. You don’t have a tree for the leaves, not a fruit tree for sure. You don’t have a fig tree for the leaves.

Fig tree is ugly anyway. You don’t have a fig tree for the leaves. You have a fig tree for the figs. You have an apple tree for the apples. You have a grapevine for the grapes. And so if you see this, but you see this plant with leaves, it looks nice, but that’s not why you have it. You don’t have it for the look, you have it for the substance.

And when Jesus came up close to the fig tree, he saw no substance. He saw no fruit. And this is actually an apt illustration for many people that are like the people of Israel at this time. That we concentrate on making sure we look the part, but there’s little substance behind it. There’s little fruit bearing in our life. But everything on the outside looks the part. At a distance, we look holy.

At a distance, we look righteous. But that’s not what the Lord is interested in. How do we know that? In the same way that when he looked at the fig tree, you notice the Lord did not take what he saw at face value. He withheld his judgment until he got up to the fig tree and could see, is there anything actually here? You see what I’m saying?

And so that’s exactly how the Lord looks at us. It’s not enough that we have the leaves, we must also have the substance. We must also have the substance. Look if you will at Luke 13. Luke 13. There’s another parable in Luke.

Luke 13 verse number 6. He spake also this parable. A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and came and sought fruit thereon and found none. And he said unto the dresser of his vineyard, notice what he found. He didn’t find fruit. Leaves perhaps. Is he going to keep the tree because of the leaves? No, he’s not. He says, then he said unto the dresser of his vineyard, behold these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none.

Cut it down. Why comberth it the ground? And he answered, answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also till I shall dig about it and dung it, and if it bear fruit well. And if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. Now what is the context of this? If you read the first five verses are talking about repentance. Now these people thought, well, we don’t need those wicked people who suffered terrible things happening to them.

Look at all the bad things. See, they needed to repent. Look at what happened to them. And he gives two examples, the Galileans and the people on whom the tower in Siloam fell. And Israel, the Jews said, look at those guys. Those guys are evil. Look at what happened to them. We, however, we don’t need to repent. And the Lord says, you’re just like this fig tree.

You got leaves but no fruit. You think you don’t need to repent, but you do. You need fruit that is worthy of repentance. Look if you would at Matthew chapter three, just a few more verses I want to show you and connect all the dots together. Matthew chapter three. Matthew three verse eight. This is John the Baptist’s words now. Now we’ll start in verse number seven. Notice what the Bible says.

And when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore was the next word. Fruits, meat for repentance. You see that fruit, right? Now we’ve been talking about the fruit of a fig tree. Verse nine. And think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father.

For I say unto you that God is able, that’s like saying we have nice pretty leaves, right? For I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now notice this, verse 10. Also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees. Every, therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.

What’s he looking for? The man comes with the axe, he’s looking not for leaves, he’s looking for fruit. Look at chapter seven of Matthew. Matthew chapter seven. So John the Baptist speaks of the Pharisees and the Sadducees who had the leaves, they looked like they were righteous, but they weren’t. Because they had no substance, they had no fruit, they had no substance of righteousness. Matthew chapter seven, notice this, the Lord actually quotes the same statement as John the Baptist.

Matthew seven, verse number 19. Says this, let me get there, turn the wrong page. Matthew seven, verse 19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Now he’s talking about false prophets here, but he goes on to say 20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. And then he goes into the passage that says, not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? Do we not have pretty leaves on our tree? And the Lord says, I’m looking for fruit. I’m looking for something real, some indication of true piety, of true righteousness, of a true love for God, true repentance, true faith, not just the way it appears. And that’s exactly what we have here.

This is the fig tree. This is the fig tree. And because the Lord found no fruit where fruit should have been and he found only leaves, he cursed the fig tree. And when he cursed the fig tree, in Matthew it says this, in Matthew 21, if you remember, when he cursed the fig tree he said, let no fruit grow on thee henceforth forever. And it says, and presently the fig tree withered away.

So what was the result of the Lord’s curse? It wasn’t just that it is true that the fig tree would never produce fruit again, but it wasn’t producing fruit to begin with. But because he cursed it, not only did it not bear fruit, but from that point it withered, which means even its pretty leaves were going to go away. Mark says it withered from the roots up.

In other words, this tree is no longer going to be pretty. It’s no longer going to be beautiful. It’s no longer going to look nice and fruitful from a distance and not have fruit up close. No, no, no. It’s going to be ugly from a distance too. It’s going to be dead from a distance. In other words, the Lord is going to reveal what the tree actually is by ripping away the facade of righteousness and holiness that the tree had.

Does that make sense? This is what the Lord says of the hypocrite, right? The one who looks pretty on the outside but has no true fruit of righteousness and holiness and repentance and faith and all of the virtues that characterize a work of God, a true work of God in somebody’s heart and life. That is a person without any fruit. The Lord is going to take away the mask and he’s going to take away the facade and he’s going to curse the tree, if you will, so that the mask and the facade are no longer there.

It might be just like we read in Matthew 7 when he says, and then I will say unto them, depart from me. All of a sudden, that tree is withered. That tree is withered. The last verse I want you to look at is in Jude 12. Jude. Jude. Jude, verse 12. Jude verse 12 says this. Now this is speaking of false prophets. It’s speaking of false teachers.

It’s speaking of wicked people that are among the righteous. How do we know that? Jude 12, look what it says. These are spots in your feasts of charity when they feast with you. What? You’re telling me there are the ungodly and the wicked are among the disciples of God in their feasts of charity, in their fellowships? Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. It says this. Clouds, they are without water.

You know what a cloud without water is, without rain? When you live in a desert, a cloud without rain is like a fig tree without fruit. It has leaves but no fruit. A cloud without rain when you’re in a parched land is the hope that something good is going to come in the form of rain and nothing comes. Right? I’ve seen that in Cambodia a lot of times.

It would be so hot. You see the clouds off and you’re like, man, maybe it’ll rain. It ain’t going to rain. It’s just going to be hot. Notice what he says. Carried about of winds, trees, whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots. Notice it says plucked up by the roots. That’s not exactly the same but very similar to the idea that withering, right, it’s dead from the ground up.

It’s dead, cut it down. That’s what John said. That’s what Jesus said. Listen, the question we have is this. Why is it that we always think, we as people always think, that if we look the part, we never consider do we have the goods, do we have the substance? I honestly think there’s a lot of people in churches that sit in churches and never give any thought, do they actually have actual evidence and characteristics of a true work of God in their life?

Do they bear fruit at all? Fruit of repentance or faith or righteousness or holiness or discernment or wisdom, do they bear fruit at all? I think many people never get past the leaf because they’re concerned with what people see and not what God sees. What we see in the Lord Jesus is he’s not just looking at the leaf. He’s going to get up close and personal to see are there little green figs that indicate fruitfulness?

I know a lot of that is negative, but there’s a real positive side to this as well. Although with the fig tree that the Lord mentions here, the fig tree is not positive. He curses the fig tree and it withers. But for the child of God who does have the work of God’s grace in him or in her, there is fruit. The fruit is profitable to God and to man, just like the fig of the fig tree is profitable for the owner of the fig, just like the grape is profitable for those that own the vine.

To the child of God who has experienced and knows the work of grace in his or her life, there is fruit. Listen to all these verses that the Lord mentions, fruitfulness among the people of God. In other words, fruitfulness, evidence of a true work of God in their life. Listen to this, John 15 verse 8, herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit. So shall ye be my disciples.

The disciples of Christ are people who bear fruit. In this case, the fruit he’s talking about is primarily the grape, but that’s connected to the fig. Romans 6 verse 20 says this, for when you were the servants of sin, you were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death, but now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life.

Ye have fruit unto holiness. You know what that means? The evidence of the work of God in your life is fruit of holiness. A life that is and is becoming holy. Philippians 1 says this, and this I pray, if you want to know how to pray for people, here’s one way you know how to pray. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment.

That ye may approve the things that are excellent, that ye may be sincere and without offense being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ. That is, he produces them in us unto the glory and praise of God. The fruit of a true work of God. Colossians 1, 9, very similar verse. For this cause also, since the day we heard it, we cease not to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. Hebrews 12, 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised there by. One of the evidences of the work of God’s grace in your life is that he corrects you.

And by doing that, he produces fruit in you. Fruit of righteousness. James 3, 7. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated. Full of mercy and good fruits. And lastly, 2 Peter 1, 8. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren, like the tree, nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So even the knowledge of God, but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that itself is also a fruit. Our knowledge of Christ grows. I want to tell you something that’s a blessing, is when you see first in yourself true, undeniable, unmistakable evidence that God is doing a work in you. There’s fruit of it. Your life is changing. Your knowledge is growing.

Your wisdom is increasing. Your love is abounding. All of the, you’re changing from glory to glory. You’re more like Christ, little each day. That fruit in your life is a great blessing and encouragement to you as a believer. But it’s also a blessing to see in other believers. To see them grow. They’re not what they were, but little by little God is working in them, producing fruit.

Taking care of the fig tree. It bears fruit like it’s supposed to be. And that is on the positive side, the positive aspect of the fruit that the Lord expects to see and indeed will see in all of his disciples. Let’s pray together.