THE FIG
Mystery Series #1
INTRO: There is an old style of movie/book/novel that was called the whodunit. Though that is now an old-fashioned word, everybody does it. One of my favorite shoes on TV—CSI Miami, and all the CSI’s, use this theory. Well this new series, specifically this lesson, is going to use a Bible story involving Christ, and answer questions that can be considered mysteries (don’t build it up too high, the mysteries are smaller in nature, but make a big impact).
INTRO #2: If you really want to get crazy, while passing around the answer sheets, turn on youtube.com and type in “Fruit and Cake (Fig Newton Song)” and use this as your anticipatory set.
1. WHEN & WHERE
Jesus enters into Jerusalem, a triumphant entry just days away from his crucifixion, and was doing his daily habit of going to the temple courts every day to teach (Luke 19:47). Did he come to the temple to announce his blessings on the people? Far from it, he came to bring judgment on the very people who thought themselves to be in the center of God’s will.
He came from Bethany, a small village about 2 miles southeast of the city. He was hungry, so it is safe to assume he had not eaten breakfast.
A GIANT FIG TREE: THIS ONE LOCATED IN CALIFORNIA
THERE EXISTS THE EXPECTATION THAT FIG TREES ARE TO GROW UP AND BECOME MASSIVE PLACES OF SHADE & REST, PERHAPS WE SHOULD BE AS WELL WITH OUR LIVES.
BIBLE VERSE: Mark 11:12-14
12The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
BIBLE VERSE: Mark 11:20-21
20In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"
EXPLANATION: Go over some specific deal here relating to the story, maybe have a kid act it out, etc.
MYSTERY BUILD UP: I love a good mystery, love it, love it, love it. I sit in awe with questions such as Who Shot JFK, Did FDR know about Pearl Harbor, and What Happened to Demi Moore’s invisible hip (the latest W magazine for women shoes an attractive looking 47 year old Demi Moore, she is airbrushed so much that her left hip actually disappeared).
I plan to show this for two reasons:
A. The Mystery will build up the upcoming question so the question seems to be more puzzling.
B. I want to point out to the young women worried about their bodies just how fake these pics are.
2. WHAT
MORE BUILD-UP (JUST THE FACTS MA’AM): Jesus curses the fig tree. We get that. The fig tree shrivels up and dies, got that too. But, this event happens in late March/early April (they were still using the Gregorian calendar, just an FYI for the leader). Figs do not ripen until June
THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION: WHY WOULD JESUS EXPECT SOMETHING FROM THE TREE THAT WAS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR IT TO PRODUCE?
DISCUSSION: Allow time for discussion here, the students will probably come up with some awesome ideas here (and who the heck knows what else they might say).
3. WHO
THE ANSWER: Jesus is placing condemnation on 2 specific groups of people, one directly, and the other a bit less direct. Though most assuredly the disciples saw this as amazing the fact Jesus had control over even the plants, there was massive meaning here.
GUILTY #1: THE PHARISEES
This is technical meat, so older believers get ready here. In the Old Testament, the fig tree was often used as a symbol for Israel (check out Jeremiah 8:13, Joel 1:6-7, etc). The cursing of the fig tree is symbolic because it shows Jesus’ cursing of Israel—specifically the Jewish religion in general. The nation of Israel is suppose to nourish the entire world with its love, care, witness, and more. But instead, people pushed it back into a legalist nightmare. By not feeding the world, Israel was neglecting her responsibility.
Does this mean that if fail at our primary mission of feeding Christ to the world…are we being Pharisees?
GUILTY #2: NON-FRUIT PRODUCERS
This one is much more difficult one to swallow for us. So let me put it very kindly and very simple. Jesus saved us. Jesus asks us to save others. Jesus asks us to produce fruit that could lead to others salvation. Are we producing fruit? IF NOT, THEN WE ARE THE SOON TO BE WITHERED FIG TREE.
GALATIANS 5:22-23
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control.
POSSIBLE WITHERED FIG TREES INCLUDES: THOSE NOT DOING & THOSE NOT BECOMING!
BUT TOM… The deal still isn’t fair! After all, Jesus killed the fig tree, and the fig tree wasn’t even in the right season! It’s not right! The fig tree didn’t have any figs, that is true. But it couldn’t—it wasn’t even the right season. How do you explain that?
FIG TREE IN LEAF: Notice what the Bible says again in Matthew 11. It says “Fig Tree in Leaf.” What should it have said 2 months away from fig harvest season. It should have said “Fig Tree Budding” or “Fig Tree in Buds.” All trees have leaves, but fruit bearing trees must have buds to produce the fruit. Jesus saw that this tree was not going to produce, so he axed it (not literally), and took it out.
ARE YOU A TREE THAT IS BUDDING? OR JUST A TREE?
EXAMPLE: NEW DEAL
During the Great Depression, there was an agricultural program made to assist wages given to farmers called the AAA. In this program, the plan was to actually destroy crops and kill animals, in hopes that those plants and animals remaining would capture a greater price. So, what did the people do?
They plowed over their fields and slaughtered their animals. In 1933, over $100 Million was paid out to farmers to plow under their fields. Six million pigs were sliced into pieces and throw away, all the while other people are starving! Though the theory was to save the farmers, it turned out no increase in wage ever took place.
What’s the point? The point is that today Christ is the farmer. He is constantly taking the position of planting and plowing. God demands that our lives produce fruit, or if we read this verse in Mark 11, there exists a mild threat that we will be plowed down until were withered.
THE TRANSITION: So Tom, how do we avoid being plowed or withered? Good question, that brings up point number four….
4. HOW
A. GROW CLOSE TO CHRIST
We have to understand, how does a tree die? It dies/withers when the tree is cut off from a life source, let’s say in this case, water. As no water hits the tree, the inner base of the tree dies first, the leaves are the last to know. And how do we avoid being cut off from our spiritual source? Growing close to Christ.
(I will probably draw a picture on the board to illustrate this point).
B. GROW FRUIT
God does not ask us to be perfect. But He does ask us to produce. When He sees us, it is vitally important that we resemble a living tree (now I will contrast the pic of the beautiful tree I just drew with a nasty tree).
Then I will ask which tree would you go to in order to seek rest and comfort?
CLOSE:
Sources:
May, James. Have You Any Figs? Victory Temple Pentecostal Church of God, Louisiana, April 2003.
The Warrior Hero, Life Focus Bible Studies For Life, Leader Guide, 2009, page 55-61.
Appendix:
Fig Trees:
The vineyards around Israel weren’t filled with only grapevines. There were also olive trees and many types of fruit trees. Among those fruit trees were the fig trees.
There were several varieties of fig trees in the land during the time that Jesus walked upon the earth. One of these was a white fig tree that did not ripen until the third year. This tree put forth its fruit the first year, which hung on it the second, and were brought to perfection on the third, so that when it was three years old, it had figs from all three years upon it and was usually full of leaves, when other fig trees had no leaves yet.
There was also a second variety of fig tree that brought forth fruit twice a year and therefore would be filled with leaves and fruit at a time when the ordinary trees were not expected to be bearing fruit.
Then there was the common variety that most of us see each year that bring forth new leaves in early spring but take up to 5 months for the figs to ripen so that they would ripen in late summer or early fall in the land of Israel. According to the materials that I have studied it was unlikely that the fig tree that Jesus saw was one of these common varieties because he was in Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover in the month Nisan.
NAME: _________________________
THE FIG
Mystery Series #1
FRUIT & CAKE INTRO SONG
1. WHEN & WHERE: ______________________________________________________
BIBLE VERSE: Mark 11:12-14
12The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
BIBLE VERSE: Mark 11:20-21
20In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!"
MYSTERY OF THE UNIVERSE QUESTIONS
2. WHAT: ______________________________________________________
THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION: ______________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________
3. WHO? ______________________________________________________
GUILTY #1: __________________________________________________________________________
GUILTY #2: __________________________________________________________________________
GALATIANS 5:22-23
22But the fruit of the Spirit is ____________________, joy, peace, patience, kindness, ________________, faithfulness, 23gentleness and ______________________________________.
BUT TOM…
NEW DEAL EXAMPLE:
4. HOW? ________________________________________________________________
A. _______________________________________
B. _______________________________________