Hosanna, The Fig Tree, and Prayer
Mark 11:1-26
Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest is what the people in the street cried out to Jesus the day after the celebration meal with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Hosanna literally means “oh save,” the word means salvation- “save us.” This large crowd shouting out the salvation of Jesus had assembled not only because of their desire to see Jesus, but also because they wanted to see this man Lazarus who had come back to life. (John 12:9) Jesus raising back to life Lazarus was a huge event- it was the event that had a huge part in triggering Palm Sunday. In light of Jesus raising Lazarus, John 12:18 tells us “For this reason also the people went and met Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.”
In our chronological walk through the books of the gospel, we now enter the events of the last week of Jesus’ life before His execution on the cross. Mark 11 is our text that we’ll be working through this morning, and in that chapter is a very difficult scripture to understand- I’ll go ahead and read it to you now so that you know where we’re heading. It’s Mark 11:22-24…
Does this verse mean we can ask for anything and we can receive that thing as long as we have enough faith and belief? Well in order to properly answer that question, let’s back up and look at the surrounding context that leads up to Jesus stating this. Mark 11:1-3
Ok, so after raising Lazarus, in Bethany, and after visiting Zaccheus’ home in Jericho, Jesus and His disciples traveled to Jerusalem as most all of Israel was ramping up for the Feast of the Unleavened Bread and the Passover Celebration. They stayed again in Bethany, a small village less than 2 miles from Jerusalem, near the Mount of Olives- a mountain that overlooks Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. After the celebration dinner with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, Jesus sent 2 disciples into Bethphage, the nearby village across from Bethany in order to fetch a donkey’s colt, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” I love the detail that they would find the donkey immediately as they entered the village, and that Jesus told them what would be said and what they should say in return. And what happened? Verse 4… (verses 4-7)
Everything was just as He said it would be- perfect, future event foresight from Jesus. And all these that had heard of Lazarus being raised back to life came out to accompany Jesus, verse 8… (verse 8-10)
With these words and actions, the people were declaring Jesus as the long awaited, prophesied Messiah, and not only that, but there was also a hint of defying Rome’s rule over them and declaring Jesus the King of Israel. So, I want you to picture it, Jesus riding not on a horse- no a horse had the image more of vengeance and war- but a donkey, a common poor person’s animal- was one that symbolized humility and peace. And its springtime, new green growth is appearing on the roadsides, and people are cutting down big green leafy branches to spread out in the road in addition to their coats. There’s a lot of excitement, joy, expectation, wonder, and anticipation in the air. A large crowd is declaring Jesus as King, and with all this pomp and circumstance, what does Jesus do as He arrives into Jerusalem, the City of Kings? Does He take charge and make orders now that He has arrived? Does He shew out the Romans? What He does is actually really surprising, look at verse 11…
That was a little underwhelming, right? He just left? Had most of the people Jesus intended to confront already left for the day? Was there significance in Jesus merely observing the state of His Father’s house, and then coming back to it later? Was the intent to show the large processional group that yes, He was King, but that there was a problem concerning the Temple that prevented Him from functioning as their King? More than likely, it’s a “yes” to each of these. So, as disappointing as it was to the crowd, after surveying the Temple with His piercing eyes, he returns back to Bethany. Definitely not a move one would expect from any King. But the next morning, they return back to Jerusalem, and on the way, look at what happens, verse 12… (verses 12-14)
I believe this event, is very much attached to the previous days’ event when Jesus looked around the temple and then left, returning to Bethany. In order to see the connection, there’s something you have to understand about fig trees. Fig trees, after the leaves fall off during winter, they begin to grow their leaves back during springtime. But as their leaves are growing, simultaneously there is growing a little knob, that is a bit of a forerunner to the real figs that will later grow. These little knobs are eaten by children, and others who pick them off, and if they are not eaten, they eventually fall off before the real fig is formed later in the year. Now if there’s a fig tree that is budding it’s leaves in spring, and the knobs are not present, then this means that figs will not later form on the tree. In this passage, though it was not yet the season for figs, Jesus and the disciples would have had every reason to expect a green leafy fig tree to contain edible pre-fruit knobs, that served as an indicator of a healthy tree that would later yield fruit. But there wasn’t. The tree in its current state wasn’t going to yield figs any more than a dead tree would yield figs.
Now here’s the parallel. The previous day the same thing happened. The joy and excitement of a spring time Passover celebration, with all the newly green branches budding in the fields and being laid down to cover the streets, as a crowd of people declared Jesus as King- from a distance this would all appear to be very promising of Israel bearing fruit that would be pleasing to God. From a distance, they looked like a green, leafy, healthy fig tree. But as Jesus arrived up close, to Jerusalem, and there entered the Temple courtyards- He very clearly saw through the green leaves, that there weren’t any real indicators of fruit growing. The forerunner knobs were completely missing. All the green leaves were pointless, there wouldn’t be fruit from the fig tree of Israel, as a whole.
Consider these circumstances of Mark 11 with the words of Micah the prophet in Micah 7:1-2: “Woe is me! For I am Like the fruit pickers, like the grape gatherers. There is not a cluster of grapes to eat, Or a first-ripe fig which I crave. 2 The godly person has perished from the land, And there is no upright person among men. All of them lie in wait for bloodshed; Each of them hunts the other with a net.” In this very moment of fig tree barrenness, there were men lying in wait for the bloodshed of Jesus. Men that actually claimed to know and serve God, men primarily functioning out of what was considered as God’s house- His Temple. The very establishment that was to serve as a means of reconciliation between God and man, was now the very establishment attempting to stop the One who would provide permanent reconciliation between God and man. It was an impossible situation. What did Jesus do in facing these odds?
Before we look and see in verses 15 and following, let me share with you another Biblical reference to a fig tree. It’s a parable Jesus had previously taught, in Luke 13:6-9. He says “A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’ And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’”
At this point, in our passage of Mark 11, Jesus has been ministering in Israel for three years, looking for fruit on the fig tree of Israel, without finding any. (Just like the parable!) He’s ready to cut the tree down, yet- does He destroy the temple right then and there? No, in His mercy, He gives it more time, but not without doing a little digging around it- removing weeds, and putting in some fertilizer that might help jump start growth leading to the bearing of fruit, verse 15… (Mark 11:15-19)
The fruit Israel was to bear was right connection and communication with God, and they were to be the mouthpiece announcing the way for right connection and communication with God for all nations. Yet business, economics, and greed were some of the weeds choking out the growth of fruit. So, Jesus did some digging- some weed pulling- driving out those who were misusing what God had given. And then He left, more than likely to head back for Bethany.
Now in the verses that follow, we enter into the third day/the third time that Jesus is traveling to Jerusalem. In light of Jesus rising from the dead on the third day, this perhaps is not a coincidence. Verse 20-21…
Jesus’ command to the fig tree wasn’t fulfilled slowly over time, as the death of a tree might naturally occur, but rather it happened immediately, and within 24 hours it was completely withered from the roots at the bottom all the way up to the top. It was completely dead. Just like Jesus would be in the early hours of the third day of His crucifixion. Completely dead. Surely Peter wasn’t surprised at this point, that what Jesus had said came true- no, he had seen that kind of thing happen over and over so many times in even more radical ways. But perhaps his comment was just him taking notice. The tree would have stuck out visually amongst the sea of other spring foliage that was green and budding. Yet perhaps the miracle seemed a little dark and out of place in light of the joyous kingly processional 3 days earlier. And all of Jesus’ other miracles they had witnessed were ones bringing life, blessing, and healing- not death, curse, and withering. But the truth is, you can’t have the Jesus of life, blessing, and healing without knowing the Jesus who righteously in His authority will one day bring death, curse, and withering to those who have rejected Him as King. Nor can you have the Jesus of life, blessing, and healing, unless you first know the Jesus who died, who was cursed, and who withered away on the cross.
Jesus was just days away from this death, curse, and withering away on the cross. His followers were about to face the most difficult, seemingly insurmountable mountain of their spiritual journey. Even after His resurrection, they would then be sifted, persecuted, and hunted down by religious Jews and heathen Romans. There would still be a battle raging between those accepting of Jesus’ sacrifice, and those still looking to the temple standing on the mountain next to the Mount of Olives. The nation of Israel would also soon suffer a mighty blow for not only being unfaithful to God, but for also having rejected the gift of His son Jesus. Yes, there were dark days ahead for Jesus and His followers, dark days on many levels. And as Jesus headed to Jerusalem now for the third day in a row, and as Peter was taken aback by the withering of the fig tree, in light of all the foreshadowed darkness, Jesus says these words of encouragement, verse 22…
Though the newly crowned King would be arrested and be sentenced to death just three days later, even though all the disciples would then be scattered, despite those adhering to the temple and it’s traditions still not believing, even though the followers of Jesus would very quickly become men and women killed for their faith, even though Jerusalem and the Temple would soon be destroyed by the Romans- despite the death, curse, and withering… HAVE FAITH IN GOD. This wasn’t a permission to “name it and claim it” moment, this was a serious moment of Jesus encouraging the disciples to trust and have faith in God in spite of the troubling circumstances coming their way.
Jesus and His disciples are walking back towards Jerusalem from the side of the Mount of Olives where Bethany was located. Between the Mount of Olives and Jerusalem is a valley, the Kidron Valley. Whether Jesus and the disciples are at the high elevation of the Mount of Olives, or whether they are already crossing the Kidron valley and looking up towards Jerusalem and the Temple, either way- they would very clearly see the Temple sitting up high on the mountain in which it was built, and perhaps looking straight ahead at the Temple and the elevation they are about to walk up, Jesus then says, verse 23…
All the darkness coming- centered around this mountain of Jerusalem. All of the dark days ahead- revolved around this mountain on which the Temple sat. And as impossible as it seemed, God had already set into motion the removal of that mountain. It was going to happen no matter what at this point. And I believe Jesus here offered to all those listening who were entangled in 1000s years’ worth of tradition and bondage, He offered to them a way out. To truly believe they could be set free from the mountain of Jerusalem and the mountain of the Temple. Set free to believe and follow Jesus into a new covenant, into a new kingdom, into a new relationship with God- offered only by Him entering into death, becoming a cursed, withered sacrifice on the cross. Then in verse 24, he says…
The word “therefore” connects this verse to the previous verse 22 and 23. So, when Jesus says “all things” does He really mean ALL things, including things disconnected from this immediate context? Can you ask and believe to become God? No. Can you treat God like a genie and ask for any tangible material and if you believer hard enough He’ll give it to you? No. Obviously there must be some parameters, some rules that accompany what Jesus says here. In fact, even when we today say words like all, or everything, everyone, anything- we usually don’t really mean all, everything, everyone and anything. If I asked right now if everyone is listening, someone might respond, “well- not everyone everyone- I don’t see Mayor Jimmy Harris here listening.” To the waiter at a restaurant, we might say I’ll eat anything you have- but we wouldn’t really eat a rock they cooked medium well. No, the words we use are defined by the context in which we use them.
There’s obviously at least one caveat to this verse, Jesus mentions it in the next verses 25 and 26… If you are asking for forgiveness from God (that would be included in “all things” from verse 22), but haven’t forgiven someone else- then even if you boldly ask and believed really hard that you have received the forgiveness, you won’t receive it. Why would Jesus have mentioned this particular caveat? Well, given the whole context of the situation and the dark days coming ahead, the disciples would soon have an over-abundance of opportunities to forgive or not forgive people and circumstances.
If we balance this verse with the rest of scripture, there are other places that would point to this verse not being absolute in nature. Paul was denied healing, although he prayed for healing 3 times. God’s response was “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9a) Jesus healed the man blind from birth and He confirmed that it wasn’t the man’s sin or lack of faith that had previously kept Him from being healed, no- he was sick “so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:3)
Scripture gives us other parameters concerning prayer. James 4:3 says “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” So, you can’t ask for “all things” and expect to receive them if you have the wrong motives. 1 John 5:14-15 says “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” Notice the “whatever we ask” was proceeded first by the parameter of “anything according to His will.” The “all things” of Mark 11:24 would thus need to be within the parameter of “anything according to His will.” Even Jesus Himself, as we’ll see later praying in the garden, prays: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39) One commentator puts it like this: “Prayer is not a means by which God serves us. Rather, it is a means by which we serve God. Prayer is not a means by which we get our will done in heaven, but a means by which God gets His will done on earth.” Wow, we should put that filter on every time we pray. Prayer is the vehicle by which we serve God and accomplish His will on earth. Is that how you approach the “all things for which you pray and ask” of verse 24?
Somehow we have to live in the tension of knowing Jesus asks us to boldly pray and ask- knowing that there is power in our words, yet at the same time realizing He is the source of power and He is the One who determines movement in the physical and spiritual realms. We live in a similar tension as we look at God’s abundant grace that covers all, and pair it with His desire for us to produce fruit- to show our faith by our works. We live in tension between God predestining and orchestrating events, and on the other hand we also have a free will. We can’t lean to heavily to one side or the other on any of these subjects. We have to live in the middle, resting in the tension, knowing that both are true, and seeking His wisdom in how to navigate life with His word as our rudder.