Why were the Pharisees threatened by Jesus? In this episode, J. Mark studies Mark 11:12-21, where Jesus repeatedly confronts the religious system of His day. Through the cursing of the fig tree, the cleansing of the temple, and the religious leaders’ plot to kill Him, Jesus exposes a fruitless religion that looked righteous on the outside but lacked true devotion to God. This episode challenges us to examine our own faith and ask whether our religion is merely outward or reflects genuine obedience to Christ.
Thank you for joining us as we study the Word of God together. We continue our journey through the book of Mark, and we are now in the last week of Jesus life. Last time we saw Him riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, and many recognized Him as King. However, as we know, some did not like Him or what He was doing. Jesus was a major threat to their system, and they felt the need to stop him at all costs.
Today’s lesson is one of the factors that led to his crucifixion. Our title is “Fruitless Religion,” and we will examine the extreme reaction of the religious leaders. Why did they have such a strong desire to destroy Jesus? Here was the Messiah, the one they had been looking for, yet all they wanted was His destruction. Let’s go with J Mark to Mark chapter 11 and learn more about this false religious system.
Religion is not a bad word. It means service and worship of God or the supernatural. And yet, religion can become an empty form, something we do with little or no internal conviction. It can become a series of empty rituals devoid of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, and more.
The text for this time is Mark 11:12-21. I’ve titled our study “Fruitless Religion.”
12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.
13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
14 In response, Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.
15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.
17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”
18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.
19 When evening had come, He went out of the city.
20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”
This text reveals several WARNINGS about fruitless religion that should cause all who profess faith in God to reevaluate their lives.
The First WARNING (about fruitless religion) is,
A Desirable Appearance
After resting in Bethany on Sunday night, Jesus and His disciples walked toward Jerusalem. They must not have had breakfast because Jesus was hungry.
As they walked, Jesus spotted a lone fig tree in the distance, perhaps the rising sun glinting off its leaves. Usually, when a fig tree has leaves, the fruit is present, too, because the fruit appears before the leaves. Jesus expected to find something to eat on this tree, even though, as Mark records, this wasn’t the time of year for figs.
However, when the small group of men reached the tree, the foliage was abundant, but there was no fruit, new or old. Jesus expressed His disappointment by cursing the tree, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”
What is happening here? In the Hebrew Scriptures, God used the fig tree to symbolize the nation of Israel. The prophet Hosea wrote, “I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first fruits on the fig tree in its first season.”
In Matthew 24:32 and 33, we read, “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So, you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! This is Jesus’ discourse on Israel’s future at the end of the age.
Religiously, Israel had a desirable appearance in Jesus’ time. Herod had spent many years and lots of money beautifying the Temple. It was one of the wonders of the ancient world. The Pharisees and Sadducees followed the Law to the letter. The sacrifices and offerings were offered on the proper days in the correct ways.
However, not everything was well; there were only leaves, no fruit. This is the message Jesus wanted the disciples to understand. The celebration the previous day was only so much of a show. The emotional expectation of the moment faded quickly because there was little or no substance to support it. It was not yet the time for figs.
I know that what is recorded here deals primarily with Israel as a nation and the disciples of Jesus in particular. But there is a lesson for us, too.
Do we have a fruitless religion characterized by a desirable appearance? Like Adam and Eve, are we attempting to hide our corrupted spiritual condition by covering ourselves with fig leaf garments of our own making? Are we going through the motions of worship, yet our hearts are far from God? These questions call for serious contemplation and lead us to the following warning Jesus gave about fruitless religion.
The Next WARNING (about fruitless religion) is,
A Devastating Appraisal
The scene changes now to the Temple in Jerusalem. The part Jesus entered was the Court of the Gentiles, the largest part. It was about 500 meters by 350 meters. It covered about 35 acres (about 14 hectares). The Temple authorities had prohibited the use of the temple’s outer court as a shortcut from the city to the Mount of Olives. However, the rule was neglected, and this irreverent conduct stirred the spirit of Jesus. Mark alone included this detail.
The religious leaders had turned this area into a stockyard. It was impractical for many worshippers who came from a distance to bring an animal with them to sacrifice. Instead, they carried the money that they needed to the market. Unfortunately, the animals’ prices were inflated because the sellers knew the buyers had few options.
Further, the money the people carried may have differed from what was accepted in Jerusalem, thus necessitating money changers. Again, the exchange rates were exorbitant, and the money changers grew wealthy at the worshipper’s expense. These exchanges of animals and money took place in the Court of the Gentiles.
Jesus saw all this taking place and was deeply moved. This was the substance behind the cursing of the fig tree. It was the religious activity that produced no fruit of righteousness.
Jesus assumes and exercises Messianic authority and opposes this religious and financial abuse. Upon entering the Temple, He drove out the buyers and sellers. He overturned the money changers’ tables and upset the chairs of those selling doves. He forbade anyone from carrying merchandise through the Temple court.
He then quoted Isaiah 56:7, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” However, He wasn’t finished. He issued the devastating appraisal. “You have made it a hideout of robbers.” Some translations say “a den of thieves,” but Mark chose the word for robbers. This fits what Jesus describes because that is what was happening in the Temple market.
Jesus said that all nations should have access to this house of prayer. That goes all the way back to God’s promise to Abraham that his descendants would bless the whole world. The Gentiles were being excluded from the house of God by the corruption of the covenant people of God, and Jesus was not pleased.
Is this possible in our time? Can those who profess to be the people of God hinder the irreligious from learning to know God in a personal way? Think about it.
The Final WARNING (about fruitless religion) is,
A Dramatic Reaction
Jesus’ actions triggered a dramatic reaction. The religious leaders kept seeking how they might destroy Him. This desire to kill Jesus began early in His ministry. In Mark chapter three, after Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, the Pharisees plotted how they could kill Him.
These leaders were afraid of Jesus and the people. The Triumphal Entry had shown His appeal to the ordinary people, and even now, the people in the Temple are astonished at His teaching. They knew if they tried to arrest Jesus openly, there would be a riot. If that happened, they would be called to account by the Roman authorities.
After Jesus and the disciples had spent the night in Bethany, they returned to Jerusalem the following morning. On their way, they passed the fig tree that Jesus had cursed. Peter remembered the incident and exclaimed, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” It was withered down to the roots; it had dried up completely.
The disciples saw that the tree Jesus had cursed had shriveled up at its roots. It was worthy only of being cast into the fire. It would never bear fruit again. The only possible use of it, as John the Baptist prophesied, would be for firewood. That burning was not far off for the nation.
We see that the people of Jesus’ day provoked Him to righteous indignation. He entered the temple and was furious at what he found there. He cared what these people were doing, and His condemnation provoked a violent reaction.
Instead of taking Jesus’ message to heart and allowing it to change them, they plotted to kill Him. In a few days, the religious leaders would mock Jesus while He hung on the cross. They thought they were finally rid of Him and His band of zealous followers, but they were mistaken. In a few short decades, the fruitless fig tree was cut down, burned in the fire, and lay lifeless for centuries. However, this is not the end of the story. God has a plan for Israel’s future.
How is it with you? Do you have a desirable religious appearance? Is there fruit to be found, or is it only leaves?
What is Jesus’ appraisal of your worship? Is it genuine, or only an empty form? Is your hypocrisy keeping others from seeking and finding Jesus?
What is your reaction to the appraisal of Jesus? Are you willing to allow Him to change you through His Spirit and His Word? If not, your experience will be like the Pharisees’. You will be in danger of being “cut down and cast into the fire.”
Now is an appropriate time to consider whether my religion is fruitless or bears the fruit of the Spirit, as detailed for me in Galatians 5:22-26. It is worth your consideration, too.
Those are good questions for us to think about. Thank you, J Mark. As we look back on those religious leaders, we can see how mistaken they were. Can we take a step back and look at our culture? Is there a dangerous system in place? Every culture must come to Jesus and allow Him to fix us. When the Spirit convicts me, how do I respond? God help us take the example of these religious leaders to heart, only to do the exact opposite.
If you’d like to respond to any of these questions or share anything with us, we’d love to hear from you. You can contact us by email or online. Our email address is [email protected], and our website is heraldsofhope.org. Go to the partner tab on the top right. Under this tab is the “contact us”. From there, you can message us directly. We look forward to hearing from you.
This was Hope for Today, and we are glad you were with us for today’s lesson. Today, we heard a lot about being fruitless. I’ll close with the verse from Galatians that describes the fruit we should be producing. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” Go and be fruitful.
