The Last Week: House Cleaning
Thom Redmond
Matthew 21:18-22
18In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, 19and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.
20The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
21Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. 22You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”
Mark 11:15-18
15When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 16and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. 17He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”
18When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.
Matthew 21:18 What stands between you and a God-sized goal?
Matthew 21:19 Jesus expected to see Fruit since the tree was in bloom. So why did he curse the tree?
- The Fig Tree’s quick death reminds us that Jesus has
The barren fig tree symbolizes Israel’s spiritual condition. Remember, Israel had it all…and lost it.
Matthew 21:20-21
Jesus presents the disciples with one of the most powerful promises in the Bible.
- This kind of prayer activates
Mark 11:15-18 Jesus keeps moving
Ok, why is Jesus so angry? Let’s go back in history. I Kings 8:41-43
The Temple was meant to have a global impact, pointing to Jerusalem as the location for the presence of the living God.
BTW, A temple still exists today. I Corinthians 6:19-20
Question: Is your temple a house of prayer? If Jesus showed up to your temple, what would your response be?
Mark 11:18 Notice the Pharisees are precisely like the barren fig tree.
What would we look like if Jesus weren’t first in our lives?