So imagine that you are, for some reason, flying in a helicopter above my house.
And you see me come out carrying a set of golf clubs.
And your first thought is likely that I plan to use those clubs to play golf.
Seems reasonable.
This idea is strengthened as you fly above my car and I drive to a golf course.
And the logical conclusion is again that I intend to play golf.
And I even unload my clubs and enter the clubhouse.
And even if you see me delay for an hour or so at each month or something, you still will
suspect I have done all of these things with the ultimate purpose of playing golf.
Now, to be honest, I haven't played golf in years and I actually don't have a car in London.
But the point I want to make is that we assume when people go somewhere, they go there for
a purpose.
We know that people have goals in traveling to a destination, even if they sort of delay
that goal.
Sometimes, though, we have these odd habits when we come to read our Bible.
For years, for example, I made no real effort to ask questions of our text.
Any text, but this one in front of us in particular.
You know, we stop reading wherever our English Bible has a new heading printed in between paragraphs.
And we assume that a particular given story ends there.
But that approach would produce a really odd understanding of our text today.
And so in the beginning of our text, we see what has been called Jesus's triumphal entry into
Jerusalem, where he rides this donkey into the city in order to fulfill a prophecy from Zechariah
9.9, that the king of Israel will come into his city riding on a donkey.
But so many times we neglect the full account of Jesus's triumphal entry, that he goes not just
through the gate, but into the temple.
Why does he go to this temple?
And what was his goal?
And you might suspect that we're going to find our answer in Mark 11, 1 to 25.
Just like you would assume that I had a goal of playing golf and traveling to a golf course,
we would be right to assume that Jesus had a real and significant purpose in entering the
temple, even though we find out that he delayed his purpose until the next day.
So the main point this morning is that when God enters the scene, he renders judgment.
But for Christians, that judgment is in our favor.
When God enters the scene, he renders judgment.
But for Christians, that judgment is in our favor.
We're going to think about this in three points.
The four word to fruit, the false fruit, and the faith fruit.
So first, the four word to fruit.
So if you spend any time in the gospel of Mark, the question ringing throughout this book is,
who is Jesus?
Crowds of people constantly gather to him and yet seem to miss the point.
Over time, his disciples at least come to understand that he truly is the Messiah.
But they are still confused as he tells them about how the Messiah must be killed and rise from the dead.
That's not what they expected from their Messiah.
They expected the Messiah to ride triumphant into Jerusalem and crush the enemies of God's people,
whom they identified as the Romans.
The celebration surrounding Jesus' entry, triumphal entry into Jerusalem,
is because he was finally taking on some expected behavior of what people thought the Messiah would do.
So again, we think about how I mentioned Zechariah 9.9.
It predicted the king of God's people would ride into the city on a donkey.
And it's clear in this text that the people understood Jesus to be taking on that prophesied role.
That's why they're celebrating this event.
But the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, however,
comes in startling contrast with the way that Jesus leaves Jerusalem.
He comes into the gates, hailed as king,
and he goes out of the gates carrying the cross that would kill him.
This surprising change in how he was treated happened because of what he did inside the city.
He did not continue to act like the expected Messiah.
He does not kick out the Romans.
But he turns his blows against the Jews themselves.
So as Jesus entered the temple at the end of verse 11,
he looked around.
See that?
But not like a tourist.
Like a judge assessing the scene upon which he would render his verdict.
And the judgment that would come from that verdict.
And that sets the stage for this encounter with the fig tree
and Jesus' return to cast out the money changers.
When he looked around as he entered the temple,
he laid eyes on the corruption inside it.
And when he returned,
he would complete the goal he came to do in the first place.
The point has been so far to show
that often when God enters the scene,
he intends to render judgment.
But think about this.
Judgment is not always a bad thing.
And we have to keep that in mind.
Because judgment can be rendered in your favor.
But most of the time,
in Scripture,
when God comes in judgment,
it's not a pleasant thing.
In Malachi 3.5,
we read,
Then I will draw near to you for judgment.
I will be a swift witness against
the sorcerers,
against the adulterers,
against those who swear falsely,
against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages,
the widow and the fatherless,
against those who thrust aside the sojourner,
and do not fear me,
says the Lord of hosts.
We see here how,
again,
when God comes upon the scene,
he renders judgment.
Think even of Genesis 3.8,
all the way back there,
which occurred right after
Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit.
And they heard the sound of the Lord God
walking in the garden in the cool of the day.
And the man and his wife hid themselves
from the presence of the Lord God
among the trees of the garden.
So,
think about that for just a second.
They heard the sound of God coming
and hid themselves
because they knew the judge was coming
and that they would fail his judgment.
The four words of fruit
is that Jesus' arrival at the temple
was not a sightseeing trip,
but was God the Son
coming to render judgment
on how his people
were using his temple.
That brings us to our second point,
the false fruit.
So,
Jesus' triumphal entry
into Jerusalem
forms a sort of prologue,
if we could put it that way,
to the stories about Jesus
and the fig tree
and cleansing the temple.
The point of the triumphal entry
was truly that God
had entered his temple
to render judgments
and the accounts
that follow in the entry
explain
what judgment Christ rendered
and why.
Mark's gospel
as a whole
uses this interesting
storytelling technique
called sandwiching.
And this means
that Mark begins
to tell one story
and then he interrupts it
by telling another story
and then he comes back
to finish
the first story
after he
tells that second.
So,
you get the one
story in the middle
of the two bits
like a sandwich.
You get it.
I'm sure.
And here,
in this instance,
the account
of cleansing the temple
comes in between
the beginning
and the end
of the fig tree
account.
So,
this is one example
of one of these
sandwiched passages
and the middle story
tells us something
important
about the meaning
of the whole passage.
That's how we figure out
what the purpose
of Mark
telling us
both these stories is
by putting them
together.
So,
if we think about
verses 12 to 14,
if you turn your eyes there,
many find these verses
troubling,
that Jesus would react
so viscerally
to the lack of fruit
on the fig tree.
Especially considering
that this text itself
tells us
that it was not
the season
for figs.
And there's
a curious thing.
There's another detail,
however,
that should give us
pause.
And
that is that
the tree,
the fig tree,
was in full leaf.
So,
when I was
in theological school
studying to be a minister,
the church where I interned,
there was a guy
who was one of the world's
leading experts
in figs.
Which is sort of
an interesting thing.
I didn't know
that that was
sort of a field
of study,
but I'm not really surprised.
But,
I asked him about
this passage
at one point,
we were discussing it,
and he told me
there are
breeds of fig trees
that grow
figs
before
they grow
leaves.
Or,
you know,
at least
the leaves
come so close
in time
to the figs
that it appears
as though the figs
come before the leaves.
Cash is out
the same way.
So,
the point
for our text,
though,
is that
full leaves,
you know,
it's not just some.
Full leaves
means
that this tree
is claiming
that it has
ripe fruit.
The leaves
are an
advertisement
for
fruit.
So,
if you're
driving
down the road
and you
see a cart
with a sign
beside it
that says
fresh fruit,
you expect
to find
fruit
in the cart.
Right?
And by being
in full
leaf,
this tree
announces
that it has
fruit for
the taking
and eating.
And yet,
this tree
is
false
advertising.
fruit,
although it
claims to
have fruit,
it's
barren.
And in light
of that,
it is
startling
how Mark
smashes
this account
of the
barren
fig tree
falsely
advertising
fruit with
the account
of Jesus
cleansing
the temple.
We saw
already
that Christ
came to
render
judgment
and then
he
rendered
judgment
against
this tree
and cursed
it
so that
no one
will ever
partake of
its fruit
again.
And then
Christ
entered
the temple
and cleansed
it of
the
mind
changers.
What is
even more
striking
here is
whom he
indicted.
In verse
18,
Jesus
does not
even
convict
those who
were
selling
in the
temple
courts,
but instead
the chief
priests
and scribes,
the religious
leaders of
Israel.
A quick
reading of
any of
the gospels
shows that
Jesus is
compassionate
for sinners
who are
broken and
repentant and
come to him
for help.
It also
shows how
he has
no patience
for
hypocritical
leaders.
And I'll
text clearly
demonstrates
why he
so vehemently
opposed
them.
Notice
how Jesus
did not
politely
ask the
money
changers
to leave.
He
drove
them
out.
There's
a violent
aspect
to this.
In fact,
John's
account of
this
event
tells of
Jesus
making a
whip
fit to
drive
them
out.
The
religious
leaders
and the
whole
temple
setup
had
become
like
that
fig tree
that
advertised
fruit
but was
in fact
barren.
Which is
exactly why
Mark
sandwiched
these
passages
together.
When
Jesus
entered
the
temple
he
found
corruption
in how
this
area
of the
temple
had been
filled
with
those
who
had
turned
God's
house
into
a
pawn
shop.
While
the chief
priests
and scribes
carried
themselves
as the
holiest
in the
world
they
were in
full
leaf.
On the
inside
they were
dead
and far
from God.
They had
no fruit.
They were
polished on
the outside
and making
every claim
to bearing
fruit for
God but
on closer
examination
proved that
they were
barren
and fruitless.
And we
think of
Jeremiah
8
13
When I
would gather
them
declares
the Lord
there are
no grapes
on the
vine
nor
figs
on the
fig tree
even
the leaves
are withered
and what
I gave
them
has passed
away
from me.
The point
is
God
does not
take kindly
to those
who claim
to serve
his kingdom
and yet
prove to
be fruitless.
God
will reject
those who
root
themselves
among
his
people
but
bear
no
fruit.
Christ
came to
his temple
and found
them to be
covered
in lush
leaves
on the
outside
but there
was no
fruit to be
gathered.
the religious
leaders had
covered
themselves
in
ceremony
but had
taken
no care
to see
that their
hearts
bore fruit
of true
love for
God
true
repentance
over sin
or true
brokenness
for other
people.
And that
should address
us today
as well.
There are
many
there are
so many
undue
criticisms
against
the church
that she's
full of
hypocrites
which is
interesting
because we
do claim
to be
sinful
and then
prove it
so we're
not
hypocritical
in that
sense
but
there are
some times
when it
strikes home
doesn't it?
Maybe not
here I doubt
that but
broadly
speaking
and at
least at
the individual
level we
feel that
sting at
times.
There are
times in
our lives
when we
struggle with
sin but
but rather
than opening
up about it
and seeking
help we
clean ourselves
up for the
world.
It's not
that bad.
it can be
easy to
forget
that the
church is a
hospital for
sinners
and start
to think
everyone else
has it
together
and so we
should look
to part
two.
Usually
when we
start to
buy that
lie we
put on a
face and
try to
convince
everyone
that we've
got our
affairs in
order
and it's
not impossible
that even
someone here
can think
that going
through the
motions of
going to
church and
sounding like
a Christian
is enough.
It's not
difficult to
build an
external
religion and
set aside the
matters of the
heart.
but this
text shows
us that
Christ does
not care
about your
leaves.
And if you
wave your
leaves about
pretending to
be in full
fruit when
Christ comes
to the
fruitless
trees he
will find
that he
never knew
you.
The temple
adorned the
nation of
Israel as
her majestic
leaves.
Yet Christ
found Israel
Jerusalem
itself
barren.
And so
Israel and
the fig tree
were left
in the end
cursed and
without fruit
or leaves.
God said
of spiritual
adulterers in
Hosea 2
12
and I
will lay
waste her
vines and
her fig
trees of
which she
said these
are my
wages which
my lovers
have given
me.
I will make
them a
forest and
the beasts
of the field
shall devour
that.
the false
fruit was
then the
outward claim
to have
inner fruit
of love
and service
to God
which proves
to be a
sham.
Which brings
us to our
third point
the faith
fruit.
So
I mean
right it
can make us
really
uncomfortable
to discuss
how Christ
curses
those who
make false
claims to
bearing fruit
for him.
I get
that
because it
might
cause us
to question
what means
to have
fruit in
our lives
or if we
have enough
fruit
we begin
to worry
if we
are the
fig tree.
fruit in
and I'm
trying to
let that
discomfort
sit for
a few
minutes
on
purpose.
It's
good at
times to
let the
law have
its full
effect so
that the
gospel is
all the
sweeter.
And
although my
second point
drew attention
to how we
should be
convicted
by our
tendencies to
develop a
false sense
of security
based on
external
religion
at times
fortunately
our passage
doesn't end
with the
barren temple
and the
cursed fig tree.
In
verses 20
and 21
as the
disciples
pass
this
cursed
fig tree
they point
out to
Jesus
how it
is now
dead
withered
from its
roots.
And this
brings one
aspect of
the story
to a
head.
A tree
without fruit
is dead
and those
who would
block people
from true
worship of
God by
filling his
house with
vending
tables are
likewise
dead.
But how
does Christ
respond
to that?
In
verse 22
Jesus
pointed them
to have
faith
and then
recounts
the incredible
things that
can be done
in faith
and the
blessings that
we receive
by faith.
I mean
sometimes
biblical
texts become
familiar to
us and we
don't really
pause and
read them
slowly to
think about
them.
And the
thing is if
we're paying
attention to
this interaction
between Jesus
and the
disciples it
can seem
like a
really odd
transition on
Jesus' part
which he does
frequently.
Jesus look at
that dead
tree you
should have
faith.
So what do
we do with
that?
He is making
a profound
point.
He formed
a contrast
in this
response
between
dead
external
fruitless
religion
and living
by faith.
People can
be very good
at building
a religious
facade
even ones
that seem
very godly.
And what
Christ said
in contrast
to this
is not
that people
need to
try harder
or that
they even
need to
do
different
works
but that
they need
to believe.
This is
what the
gospel calls
us to do
is it not?
Let go
of our own
works because
none of them
measure up
anyway.
Let's be
honest.
and come
to Christ
by faith
to receive
salvation.
For those
who are
in Adam
the law
demands
perfection
and breathes
fire
and offers
only damnation.
For those
in Adam
the gavel
of God's
covenantal
courtroom
has sounded
and screams
guilty
and the
recompense
is death.
For those
who claim
to the
law
and remain
cordially
attached to
their own
efforts
to be
acceptable
to God
there's
no hope.
But
one of the
best words
in the
Bible
right
but
for those
who have
come to
Christ
by faith
Christ
offers to
us the
forgiveness
of all
of our
sins.
In
Christ
we are
able
to look
not to
our own
works
but to
make appeal
to the
cross
as the
reason
that God
should
forgive
us.
As the
Father
has poured
out all
of his
wrath
due to
sins
there.
we can
point to
Christ's
perfect
life
and point
to him
as our
representative
who stands
in heaven
to plead
our case
before the
throne of
God's
court.
For the
Christian
the gavel
has also
thundered
but for
those who
cling to
Christ
by faith
the verdict
does not
ring out
guilty
but
justified.
No one
can read
the list
of your
offenses
to God's
courtroom
because someone
has poured
blood on it.
Just one
final note
about our
text here
in Mark.
Many
have
suggested
that the
place
where these
money changers
were selling
their goods
was in
the
outermost
section
of the
temple
property
and this
area was
set aside
for
Gentiles
because
they were
not allowed
to enter
the innermost
parts
of the
temple
where only
Jews
could go.
By
setting up
these
sales
tables
the
nations
were
effectively
blocked
from
coming to
worship
God.
And yet
we read
in
Isaiah
56
6-8
and the
foreigners
who
join
themselves
to
the
Lord
to
minister
to
him
to
love
the
name
of
the
Lord
and
to
be
his
servants
everyone
who
keeps
the
Sabbath
and
does
not
profane
it
and
holds
fast
to
my
covenant
these
I
will
bring
to
my
holy
mountain
and
make
them
joyful
in
my
house
of
prayer
their
burnt
!
offerings
and
their
sacrifices
will
be
accepted
!
on
my
altar
for
my
house
shall
be
called
a
house
of
prayer
for
all
peoples
the
Lord
God
who
gathers
the
outcasts
of
Israel
declares
I
will
gather
yet
others
to
him
besides
those
already
gathered
God
longs
to
bring
the
nations
to
his
house
of
worship
and
the
good
news
is
that
each
and
every
person
is
welcome
to
come
and
trust
in
Christ
by
faith
God
will
deny
no
one
entrance
into
his
kingdom
if
they
come
to
Christ
and
trust
in
him
and
Christ
will
drive
out
those
who
would
block
you
from
coming
to
him
all
of
us
here
should
rejoice
at
that
invitation
whether
you
need
to
trust
Christ
today
for
the
first
time
that
could
be
and
this
is
the
moment
to
do
it
or
you
simply
need
to
hear
the
promises
of
the
gospel
anew
to
refresh
your
faith
come
to
Christ
now
and
drink
from
the
fountain
of
life
giving
water
the
life
that
he
offers
us
is
eternal
Christ
came
to
the
temple
in
judgment
and
he
cursed
it
just
as
he
triumphantly
entered
Jerusalem
Christ
will
triumphantly
come
again
at
the
last
day
he
will
render
judgment
and
will
issue
curses
for
all
those
who
have
trusted
in
false
religion
but
for
those
who
trust
in
him
he
will
render
the
verdict
of
not
guilty
and
will
welcome
us
what
a
striking
word
isn't
it
welcome
us
into
the
new
creation
where
we
will
be
given
a
crown
of
life
and
loved
by
him
forever
let's
pray