Why did Jesus curse a fig tree?
The regathering of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel is prophesied repeatedly in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, Jesus offered another clue to the timing of the end of the age when He mysteriously cursed a hapless fig tree. What was the Lord communicating — to His surprised disciples and to us — by His seemingly uncharacteristic action?
Jesus’ message was clearly for the Jews first, even as He demonstrated a willingness to bless Gentiles as well. However, His love for individual Jews was matched by impatience with the Jews as a collective whole. That is why He offered His disciples a dramatic object lesson by cursing a hapless fig tree on His way to cleanse the temple of money-changers: “Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, ‘No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you'” (Matthew 21:19).
That fig tree, found barren of figs even though it was not the season for figs, withered dramatically at Jesus’ command.
Jesus described the judgment that would fall upon Jerusalem and the Jews in general, because most of them refused to accept Him in their time of visitation. Symbolized by a fig tree, the nation that bore little fruit would itself be cursed to wither for a season.
Approximately 40 years after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, Rome’s 10th Legion put down a Jewish insurrection with an iron boot, destroying the Temple in the process. Lacking much fruit in the season of His first Advent, the Jewish nation was cut off and cast aside for almost two millennia. The lesson of Luke 13:6-9 was applied to God’s own chosen people.
But that is not the end of the story.
Over the centuries following Rome’s expulsion of the Jews in 70 AD, the Promised Land fell under a curse. God’s curse lingered on the Land throughout the millennia of the Jewish exile — as foretold in Ezekiel 33:28-29. And make no mistake, the Land was forsaken — denuded of vegetation, deprived of people, and largely devoid of life. In 1869, Mark Twain documented the cursed status of the Holy Land in his book, The Innocents Abroad. He rightfully understood that God’s hand of judgment had fallen on His own Promised Land.
Once the land was wrested from its Ottoman occupiers and a commitment had been given to support Jewish aspirations, the reestablishment of Israel would have seemed to be a fait accompli. But Jewish motivation was not yet sufficient to emigrate to a Middle East wasteland.
The horror of the Nazi Holocaust changed Jewish hearts and minds. Jews realized that away from their Promised Land they would always be homeless. So, by the thousands (and eventually millions) they streamed back to Eretz Israel — the Land of Israel.
The fig tree branch was becoming tender and beginning to put out leaves.
In the week between the triumphal entry of Palm Sunday and His crucifixion, Jesus spoke much about Israel’s rejection (Matthew 21:28-44), the shift of the Gospel to the Gentiles (Matthew 22:1-14), and the judgment about to fall on Israel (Matthew 23:13-39). He also responded when the disciples asked Him, “Tell us, when will these things (the destruction of the temple) happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3).
The fig tree offers a key to understanding the timing of the end. Jesus said, “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door” (Matthew 24:32-33).
Jesus specifically pointed His disciples back to the dramatic lesson of the fig tree from earlier in the same week. The fig tree that was cursed for failing to bear fruit for the Messiah would be restored. And, along with all the other signs of the times, that crucial sign tells those with eyes to see that He is near.
In the case of the most important prophetic sign of all, the evidence is right before our eyes. The withered tree that did not bear fruit when Jesus was here 2,000 years ago has become tender and put forth new branches. We know that Jesus is coming soon. All of the great prophetic promises fulfilled just recently in the land of Israel prove that we are living on borrowed time!
Comments:
I don’t wish to denigrate Jewish or Christian brothers or sisters about this article featuring Israel knowing you are Jewish, but I definitely DO NOT AGREE WITH IT! Here’s why:
In this article the writer quotes from some dubious Bible version on Matthew 21:19 which is bad enough, but then goes on to make the erroneous statement, “That fig tree, found barren of figs even though it was not the season for figs” “cursed to wither for a season.” etc.
Look. This is a very important teaching for us all and I believe it is important to understand what the real truth is and what the King James Bible says in Matthew 21:19: “And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.” Clearly, Christ cursed the fig tree so that it withered and died FOREVER! Not “just for a season.” as the author of the article claims. Clearly Christ cursed the fig tree because it wasn’t producing FRUIT and if you combine this with Christ’s “Parable of Ten Talents” in Matthew 25 it is easy to understand that if any believers do not produce fruit for their Messiah, then they are cursed FOREVER. This is why Christ cursed the fig tree FOREVER!
The writer goes on to say, erroneously, “That fig tree, found barren of figs even though it was not the season for figs.” What a load of rubbish! It was the season that figs should have been on the tree!
In Israel, the fig tree uniquely produces not one harvest of fruit, but two harvests in a growing season. Also fig trees produce fruit WITHOUT pollination or fertilization. We can think about that too! Normally it produces a crop of figs in late JUNE, and then again another crop comes along in early SEPTEMBER. The first crop appears in Spring before the leaves arrive. At this time because the fruit is green it is sometimes inconspicuous for a period among the leaves in April as the leaves unfold before the fruit ripening in May. So what is the real significance? Firstly, there should have been fruit on the fig tree because it was covered in leaves around April, but there was no fruit. Outwardly, it looked like a beautiful, healthy fig tree covered with green leaves (as many professing Jews and Christians often do today), but it was valuless and fruitless. Therefore Christ cursed it FOREVER.
So why did Jesus do this to the fig tree on this day? Following his triumphant entry into Jerusalem the day before, (when he cleansed the Temple and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and seats of them that sold doves – and called all the Jews in it “a den of thieves.” (Matthew 21:12-13 KJV). The reason why he entered Jerusalem was for the PASSOVER sacrifice. Normally it is held around April/May when the fig tree (believers in Israel) should have been producing fruit for the LORD, not only for Israel but for the world – but largely were not. This is why the Jews in the temple were wickedly selling doves (at extortionate prices) to the poor people who under the law were required to offer up doves instead of lambs as a passover atonement sacrifice for their sins. This is why Jesus, upon overthrowing their tables said, “It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves”.
Thus, on the DAY AFTER this event, he cursed the fig tree (Matthew 21:18-22 KJV) . In Matthew 21:21 KJV he explained why to his disciples: “Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, it shall be done.” This is why Jesus in Matthew 24:32-33 uses the ‘Parable of the Fig Tree’ to educate his followers to understand the “signs of the times” for his second coming.
Really, throughout the Bible, it is the OLIVE TREE that represents FAITHFUL Israel, reigning with Christ the Messiah, and true Prince of Peace of all. Jeremiah 11:6 and of course, Romans 11:24 is very plain about this.
So really. I think the great lesson to be learned from Christ cursing the fig tree is, if all BELIEVERS in Christ, (whether Jew or Gentile) DO NOT PRODUCE FRUIT FOR THEIR LORD IN THEIR LIVES – they are cursed to shrivel up and die FOREVER! It’s a pretty sombre warning isn’t it? Every believer should read the section in Matthew 25:24-30 KJV about the man who received the single talent and didn’t produce any fruit, then relate it to Christ cursing the fig tree. This I believe is the true meaning.