Jesus spoke to the fig tree and commanded it to never bear fruit again. The next day, it was withered from its roots (Matthew 21:20; Mark 11:21). Jesus said of the temple in Jerusalem, it would be left desolate (Matthew 23:39). However, worship continued there for years after Jesus’s death upon the Cross. In AD 70, the Romans demolished the temple, even to the uprooting of its foundation stones. Without God’s presence in the temple, it withered long before it was destroyed. However, like the fig tree withering and eventually disappearing completely, so the temple was completely removed from the face of the earth.
Jesus used the fig tree to teach His disciples greater lessons. He began by teaching them they must have faith when they pray. He encouraged them to believe for the impossible when they prayed, because they had (and we have) a God who is able (Romans 4:14; Philippians 3:21; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 2:18, 7:25): “[He] is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20). The disciples would soon come against much opposition as they followed Jesus, building the church. The lesson of the fig tree was meant to expand their minds to the possibilities of life with the indwelling Holy Spirit and living in God’s will.
Finally, the simplest and most straightforward teaching for Jesus’s disciples in regard to the fig tree is, every follower of Jesus must bear fruit. The fig tree was not ready, because it was not its season. The Bible teaches Christians to be ready in season and out (2 Timothy 4:2). It is not enough to “follow the rules.” One must be engaged in a personal relationship with Jesus. Showing up at church and playing the role of Christian without heart, soul, mind, and strength attached is fruitless (Mark 12:30). The one who has all the appearances of a Christian but not the fruit of a Christian will wither and die. No one can sustain their own Christianity; only through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ is one able to bear fruit.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22–25).
Are you walking in the fruit of the Spirit? Are you experiencing a relationship with Jesus on a regular basis? Are you spending time in His Word and speaking with Him through prayer on a daily basis? Or are you simply going through the religious motions and feeling empty of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? If you are the latter, there is something you can do. You can confess your sin of hypocrisy and ask Jesus to come and dwell within you and teach you His ways. He will honor the request of a sincere heart. Then the excitement of living a Christian life will dwell within you and through you, in ways you could never imagine. What are you waiting for?
(This is an excerpt from Jacquie Hoekstra’s Bible study book on Peter, Peter: A Life Transformed. You can pick up your copy today from most online retailers.)