Jesus as fruit Inspector

 Read Mark 11.

Jesus had made His way into Jerusalem being heralded with songs and shouts of praise to God.  It was time for the Passover Feast and the city was crowded.  In verse 11, "he had looked around at everything," evidently sizing up what needed to be forthrightly addressed.  The next day, some changes would be made.

1. The cursing of the tree. (vv.12-14)
On the surface, this incident does not make sense.  Jesus knew there was no fruit on that tree.  In fact, the Scripture states that it was not the season for figs.  Yet, He pronounced that the tree would never bear fruit again.  The very next morning, the tree had "withered away to its roots." (v.20)

Obviously, Jesus was trying to communicate something greater by this demonstration.  The Old Testament prophets often compared Israel to a fig tree.  See Hosea 9:10 and 16.  There the LORD judged them for their lack of fruit.  In Jeremiah 8:12-13, the nation's lack of repentance from their sin is compared to a fig tree with no fruit.

The nation of Israel was producing no spiritual fruit.  But, they were ripe for judgment.

2. The cleansing of the Temple. (vv.15-19)
Of all places, the Temple at the time of the Passover celebration should have been the world's center for spiritual fruit.  But instead, the people were treated as objects of unjust gain.  The Temple officials were more concerned about profit than the Word and worship of God.  They forced worshipers to exchange their money to Temple money, for a fee.  Then, there was nothing wrong with trying to help those who needed an animal to sacrifice.  To inspect animals for suitability was ordered under the Law.  But to price-gouge was so sinful that Jesus intervened.

In righteous indignation, Jesus over turned the tables of the money-changers and drove out the animals of those who were cheating the people.  After all, this place belonged to God.  Those sellers had no relationship with God and no business in His Father's house.  John's Gospel (2:17) includes that the disciples connected this incident with Psalm 69:9-"For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me."

3. The challenging of the religious leaders. (vv.27-26)
These were the very men who should have been teaching the people God's Word, making leadership decisions based upon the Scriptures, and relying solely on that for their authority.  But instead of serving the nation in order to bear spiritual fruit, they had become the source of the nation's spiritual barrenness. 

How dare Jesus to walk in and destroy their lucrative business in the Temple!  By what authority could He think He could get away with this?  Jesus' response was to ask a spiritually revealing question.  The religious leaders of the nation never considered answering truthfully!  Instead, they looked for the popular answer.  As politicians do under pressure, they tried to table it, even though they had made up their minds.  By doing so, they stood self-condemned.  It was not a trap question from Jesus but an opportunity for them to confess Him as LORD.
 
Jesus is inspecting our lives for spiritual results.
Later that week, Jesus addressed spiritual fruitfulness with His disciples.  "By this my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." (John 15:8)