Series Introduction: 

If this is your first time joining us, you picked a great Sunday to come. We just finished a sermon series focused on some of the various people Jesus encountered during his earthly ministry, and we are now transitioning into a new series called “Journey to the Cross” where we will look at the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry as recorded in the Gospel of Mark. This series will culminate with the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, which we will celebrate on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. 

Scripture Reading:

Mark 11:1-25: Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’” And they went away and found a colt tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it. And some of those standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them what Jesus had said, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. 

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 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. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

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. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 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.” 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. And when evening came they went out of the city.

As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 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. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 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.”

Matthew 23:37: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!"

Opening Prayer: 

Father God, I pray that you would bless this time of preaching. I pray that you would give me words to speak, and that you would open up the mind and hearts of those who need to hear. Let the message be what you intended, and let us leave here strengthened to worship and serve you wherever you may lead us in the week to come. Bless us Lord we pray, Amen.

Introduction:

If you grew up as a child and watched PBS between the years 1968 and 2001, then you probably are familiar with the TV Show “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.” It was a surprisingly low-budget show where the host Fred Rogers would use puppets and visits from his neighbors to help children understand the world around them and to help them process everything from the feelings a child might feel when their parents divorce to the stress a child might feel getting a haircut. What made the show work, and the reason it lasted thirty one seasons, was that Fred Rogers, the creator and host, was an amazingly calming presence.Fred Rogers always felt safe and predictable. For over thirty years, if you turned on Mister Rogers Neighborhood, you knew exactly what you would get. 

Why am I talking about Mister Rogers? Well as I mentioned earlier we are beginning a new series called “Journey To The Cross” and in this series we will be focusing on the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection that resulted in salvation being made available to all. God’s word describes Jesus as humble, gentle, kind, loving, and merciful. He loves children and made time for them when others would not. He is a friend to sinners, and one who welcomes the unwanted and the outcast. All of these things are true, and if you only read these passages you might think that Jesus was like a first century Mr. Rogers, a man who loved everyone and just wanted to teach us some helpful life lessons so we could all get along together. 

The problem with this incomplete picture is that a man who only did those things would never have been crucified. In fact, if you read the gospels from beginning to end you will sometimes come across moments that seem out of character for Jesus, if you have only ever focused on his gentleness and mercy. The account we will focus on today seems like one of those moments, but as we will see Jesus does nothing without reason. 

Hosanna In The Highest!

Our passage from Mark’s Gospel begins with Jesus preparing to enter Jerusalem. Before entering, he sends two of his disciples to retrieve a colt, but not just any colt. Jesus gave some very specific instructions regarding this animal. You see, Jesus was about to fulfill the prophecy made almost six hundred years before Jesus entered Jerusalem. 

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

• Zechariah 9:9, ESV

For three years Jesus had been teaching about the Kingdom of God and performing great signs and wonders in the outer regions of Judea and Samaria. He had been saying and doing things that only the Messiah could say and do. People were talking about the possibility that Jesus might be the long awaited Messiah, and for Jesus to enter Jerusalem in this way would have been a clear sign to anyone familiar with the scriptures that the Messiah had finally come to Jerusalem to reclaim his throne.  

The colt was a symbol of peace. Christ did not come on war horse but humbly mounted on a donkey. The prophecy declares that he would come to you in righteousness and bringing salvation with him. The people were probably expecting a political salvation from Roman rule, but the salvation that Jesus brought to them was far greater. Jesus was going to free the people from their bondage to sin and death by taking their sin upon his shoulders and paying the penalty of death so that they might be able to receive the gift of eternal life that no one but Christ could earn. 

He was going to conquer the world by saving the world. He was going to restore peace by reconciling the world to the love of God that we had been separated from for so long. The only blood he would shed would be his own, but his Kingdom would expand further and last longer than any warlord or conquer in all of history or any yet to come. 

As Christ himself declared: 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 

• John 14:27, ESV

And again: 

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”

• John 16:33, ESV

In addition to peace, the colt also symbolized service. Donkeys were service animals that carried the burdens of men. Jesus came not to be served, but to serve

But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

• Mark 10:43-45, ESV

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

• Matthew 11:28-30, ESV

Humble service is at the heart of Christ, as well as the heart of his disciples: 

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

• Galatians 6:2, ESV

The crowds were thrilled to see Jesus enter Jerusalem in the manner he did. They were celebrating that their salvation was near, even though they were still thinking in terms of an earthly political salvation. They were hoping for an earthly king who would defeat their earthly enemies, but Christ had come to defeat the greatest of enemies, the powers Sin and Death. Satan’s kingdom would be toppled by the King who came in peace bringing salvation with him. 

The multitudes gathered to receive Jesus as their king. They took off their coats and pulled palm branches off of trees to lay before him. They shouted out “Hosannah” which means “save us we pray!” and when they added “Hosannah in the Highest!” they were asking God to save them through Jesus, the Messiah King! 

The Temple and the Fig Tree

We are told in verse 11 that Jesus rode right up to the temple and looked around, before turning back and heading out with his disciples. We are not told what he was thinking, but because of what followed I imagine a great sadness filled his heart. Jesus saw the moneychangers and profiteers who were selling things in and around the temple. He saw the disrespect for the true worship of God, by those who would prey upon the poor for profit, but he said nothing at this time. The hour was late and so he headed back to the place he would be staying at. I am confident that Jesus probably spent a great deal of time that night in prayer, as was his custom, in order to prepare for the week ahead that would culminate in his crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection.

As Jesus left Bethany to return to Jerusalem he passed by a fig tree that was not bearing any fruit because it was not the season for figs. The disciples hear Jesus say to the fig tree “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” Which some see as an out of character moment for Jesus. It was just a fig tree afterall, and it was not even the right season for figs. 

Remember what happened just before this moment, and what was just about to occur in the temple. Jesus had been welcomed and celebrated by the people, but upon reaching the temple he saw that their worship was corrupt. People had taken what was holy and used it as a means to exploit the poor and vulnerable for profit. Now of course not everyone in Jerusalem was guilty of those things, but they had still allowed them to occur. If the people or the religious leaders had wanted to they could have driven them out, but they did not. 

There are many teachings in scripture, including many of Christ’s own teachings, that call the faithful to bear fruit in keeping with repentance. There are also many passages that warn the fruitless trees that they will one day be uprooted and destroyed. It is harsh, but anyone who has gardened knows that sometimes you have to prune or even remove the fruitless plants for the good of the rest of the garden. If you don’t the fruitless plants will continue to draw nutrients and life from the fruitful plants, limiting their ability to do what they were planted to do in the first place. 

God is extremely patient, but he is not foolish or permissive. He does not delight in destruction, but he will purge the wicked in order to preserve the faithful remnant. If this scares you then let me remind you that this is not saying that God will abandon us if we do not do enough good. No, the only way we bear fruit is if we are in Christ: 

 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

• John 15:5, ESV

All you need to do is to walk with Jesus, to follow him, to allow him to lead and guide your life. If you do that the fruit will come. 

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

• John 15:8, ESV

God’s Word tells us the fruit of our lives that we ought to see growing if we continue to grow in our walk with Christ. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

• Galatians 5:22-23, ESV

Fruit does not grow overnight, but a Christian whose life is not producing spiritual fruit cannot be said to truly be a Christian at all. After all, what does it mean to be a Christ follower who never follows Christ and acts nothing like their Lord. 

The sad truth is that it is easy to look good from a distance. When Jesus saw the fig tree from a distance he approached hoping to see fruit, just like when he approached the Temple he hoped to see the genuine worship of God taking place. Instead, in both cases, he saw a fruitlessness and knew that neither the tree nor the temple could be allowed to stand forever. 

“Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” 

• Matthew 3:10, ESV

When Jesus returned to the temple the next day, we are told that he caused quite a disturbance. 

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. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 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.” 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.

• Mark 11:15-18, ESV

Jesus knew he was at the end of his ministry, and that his time teaching in the temple would be his last public teachings before his betrayal and execution. It is fitting that Jesus would end his earthly ministry in God’s dwelling place on earth. The temple was meant as a place of prayer and sacrifice where people could draw near to God, but it was being used as a place of commerce and business. 

Jesus treats the temple as his own property, claiming it as “my house” and driving out those who are unwelcome and would hinder or harass any who came looking to draw near to God. Jesus very plainly and publicly claimed the temple as his own, and made it clear that those who come in are his guests and his servants, and they must come in with the respect that is due. 

If you have ever been to a market place in a foreign country you might know something of how loud they can be with merchants shouting to get your attention and people haggling over prices. Now imagine if you had to walk through all of that to come to worship this morning. Imagine trying to pray over the sound of people shouting their best sales pitches just outside, and you can get a small taste of why this was unacceptable to Jesus. 

After many were driven away from the temple, many people who had welcomed the Messiah at first began to turn against him. We are told to the Scribes and Pharisees sought to destroy Jesus. One would think that the most religious people would be happy to see the temple cleansed of merchants and moneylenders, but they apparently did not like the way things were handled. Some think that perhaps they themselves were profiting off of the merchants and moneylenders, and so did not like having them driven out. Others were fearful and astonished. They had expected Jesus to condemn the Romans, but instead he was condemning the people of Jerusalem for the way they allowed the temple to be used for profit and exploitation. 

When evening came Jesus again left the temple, and returned with his disciples to Bethany. However, when they arose the next morning to set out again for Jerusalem something had happened to the fig tree from before: 

As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 

• Mark 11:20-22, ESV

The fig tree that only yesterday had seemed so full of life was now withered all the way down to its roots. Just as Jerusalem had welcomed their Messiah with shouts of “Hosanna!” only for it to be revealed that their temple was polluted and their worship was fruitless repetition and ritual, so too would the people who had praised Christ one day be found shouting for his crucifixion in a matter of days.  Inwardly their hearts were far from God even if outwardly they appeared spiritually healthy. 

Jesus takes this opportunity to give his disciples another lesson on prayer: 

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 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. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 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.”

• Mark 11:22-25, ESV

The disciples should not have been astonished at the fig tree, but they were, and so Jesus reminds them not to be surprised when God shows up just as He said he would. For three years Jesus was preparing his disciples for what was going to take place, but they were still unprepared and unsure. 

Jesus reminds them that faith in God goes farther than fruitless fig trees. Mountains were the most immovable objects that the disciples could have imagined, but Jesus reminds them that even the greatest, sturdiest, and most immovable powers on earth are nothing compared to God. Interestingly, the temple of Jerusalem itself was in an elevated place sometimes referred to as the “Temple Mount” or “The Mountain of the house of the Lord.” It may be possible that Jesus was predicting the fact that the Temple itself would be destroyed not too long after the resurrection of Christ, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the birth of the Christian Church.  

At the same time, I think there is something more universally true about this teaching. For those of us who are filled with the Holy Spirit and who are walking in step with Christ, we ought not be surprised when God shows up in mighty ways. To follow in Christ’s footsteps means that you will sometimes find yourself against seemingly impossible and immovable forces. When we find ourselves in those positions, pray and have faith in God, and watch as those mountains move.

Now It is easy to misunderstand this principle. The power of our faith is not what moves mountains. The power of the one in whom we have faith, that is what can move mountains. Jesus does not teach faith in faith, name it and claim it, the power of belief, faith in the power of positive thinking, or anything like that. Just as Christ produces the fruit in our life, as we abide with him, so too does God move mountains for us when we have faith in him and come to him in prayer with expectation. 

Lastly, let us notice how Jesus concludes his teaching by reminding us to forgive anything we hold against anyone, so that we too can be forgiven. Just as Jesus drove out the moneylenders that corrupted the worship of the temple, so we need to drive out any hatred, malice, or animosity that may be hindering our prayers and choking out the fruit that God wants to see in our lives. If moneylenders in the temple was an affront to God, how much more is hatred and an unforgiving spirit in the heart of a believer. We are, after all, the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Clean out your heart, believe in God, and see if He won’t show up in amazing and unexpected ways!

Closing Prayer: 

Father God, we thank you for the gift of salvation that you made possible through your Son, Jesus Christ. I pray that you would bless us as we enter this time of decision. If there is anything in our hearts that is preventing us from living fruitful lives, I pray that you would help us to drive that out so that we could be more effective followers of you. If anyone here needs to make a decision to follow you, I pray that you would give them the courage to take that first step of faith. In whatever decision we need to make, we pray that you receive the honor and the gory. Amen.