Mark 11:12–25
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
[12] On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. [13] And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. [14] And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
[15] And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. [16] And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. [17] And he was teaching them and saying 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 den of robbers.” [18] And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. [19] And when evening came they went out of the city.
The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree
[20] As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. [21] And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” [22] And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. [23] Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. [24] Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. [25] And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” (ESV)
A Prayer for Monday of Holy Week (Scotty Smith)
The Earthly Temple and the Empty Tomb (Chad Ashby)
Jesus, the Fig Tree, and the Temple (Erik Raymond)
The temple was the place where people would go to meet God. They would have their greatest need fulfilled through satisfied fellowship with Jehovah. From a distance the temple appeared to be doing a pretty well, it appeared to have it together. The tree had leaves, if you will. However, upon a closer inspection from the Savior the temple was, like the fig tree, barren and fruitless. The tree was a picture of Israel. It should have had fruit on it; after all it was the season, and it had leaves. Israel should have had fruit, but they rejected their Messiah.