Sunday
Morning Bible Study
March 13, 2005
Introduction
We don’t often like inspections. We don’t like it when people are looking
over our shoulder and checking us out.
Illustration
A newlywed farmer and his wife were visited by her mother, who immediately
demanded an inspection of the place. The Farmer had genuinely tried to be
friendly to his new mother-in-law, hoping that it could be a friendly,
non-antagonistic relationship. To no avail, she kept nagging them at every
opportunity, demanding changes, offering unwanted advice and making life
unbearable to the farmer and his new bride. While they were walking through the
barn, the farmer’s mule suddenly reared up and kicked the mother-in-law in the
head, killing her instantly.
At the funeral service a few days later, the farmer stood near the casket
and greeted folks as they walked by. The pastor noticed that whenever a woman
would whisper something to the farmer, he would nod his head yes and say
something. Whenever a man walked by and whispered to the farmer, however, he
would shake his head, no and mumble a reply. Very curious as to this bizarre
behavior, the pastor later asked the farmer what that was all about.
The farmer replied, “The women would say, ‘What a terrible tragedy’ and I
would nod my head and say, ‘Yes, it was.’ The men would ask, ‘Can I borrow that
mule?’ and I would shake my head and say, ‘Can’t. It’s all booked up for a
year.’
As much as we don’t like inspections, sometime they’re necessary. And no,
you can’t borrow the mule.
Jesus is now beginning the last week of His earthly ministry in Jerusalem.
:1-11 The Triumphal Entry
:1 And when they came nigh to Jerusalem,
unto Bethphage and Bethany
Bethphage – “house of unripe figs”; Bethany
– “house of dates or figs”
:7 And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him
Because this colt had never been ridden, there was no saddle. The disciples
throw their coats on the back of the animal to improvise a saddle.
Jesus would be fulfilling an ancient prophecy:
(Zec 9:9 NKJV) "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your
King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a
donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.
:9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying,
Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:
The crowd is all around Jesus. People are in front of Him leading the
procession. People are behind Him following Him to Jerusalem.
Hosanna – hosanna – Hebrew
for “save now”
The people are quoting from Psalm 118:
(Psa 118:22-26 NKJV) The
stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. {23} This
was the Lord's doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. {24} This is the day the
LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
This is another study in itself. But this specific day, which we call Palm
Sunday, was actually predicted by the ancient prophets (Dan. 9:25). If you follow Daniel’s prophecy, you can
calculate the actual day of the arrival of the Messiah in Jerusalem.
Jesus showed up on time.
{25} Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity.
{26} Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from
the house of the LORD.
The words “Save now” are “Hosanna”.
The people are quoting a well-known Messianic Psalm. They are proclaiming
the entering of the King into Jerusalem.
:11 …into the temple: and when he had looked round …
Jesus enters into the outer courts of the Temple,
looked around checking things out. I wonder what Jesus is looking at? The word
could almost be translated “He inspected” the Temple.
After His inspection, He headed back to Bethany
for the evening. Lazarus, Mary, and Martha lived in Bethany.
:12-14 Empty Fig Tree
:12 when they were come from Bethany,
he was hungry:
Matthew tells us (Mat. 21:18)
that it was very early in the morning, before 6:00
a.m.
:13 … he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
the time of figs was not yet –
The main crop of figs come in early autumn and this is only the spring. But
there is also what is called a “first ripe fig” that will start to grow in the
early spring before the leaves come out on the trees. By the time the leaves
are out, the “first ripe figs” are ready to eat. There should have been figs on
the tree with the crop of leaves.
nothing but leaves –
All show, no go. All hat, no herd.
:14 …No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever…
Wow. It sure sounds like Jesus gets cranky when He’s hungry.
Illustration
A hungry African lion was roaming through the jungle looking for something
to eat. He came across two men. One was sitting under a tree and reading a
book; the other was typing away on his typewriter. The lion quickly pounced on
the man reading the book and devoured him. Even the king of the jungle knows
that readers digest and writers cramp.
Illustration
A man had just finished reading his book “Man Of The House” while making
his commute home from work. When he reached home, he stormed into the house and
walked directly up to his wife. Pointing his finger in her face, he said, “From
now on I want you to know that I am the man of this house and my word is law!
You are to prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and when I’m finished eating my
meal, I expect a sumptuous dessert afterward. Then, after dinner, you’re going
to draw my bath so I can relax. And when I’m finished with my bath, guess who’s
going to dress me and comb my hair?” His wife thought for a moment and
responded, “The Funeral Director is my guess.”
Is this all about Jesus being cranky or bossy?
:15-19 Temple
Cleaning
:15 …began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple…
Jesus comes back to the Temple
on Monday morning and takes action. He’s apparently thought about it over
night.
There was quite a racket going on in the temple in those days.
Selling and buying
Originally the idea was to provide a service for those who had to travel so
far to offer their sacrifices. Instead
of having to bring their animal with them, they could simply purchase an animal
at the Temple to sacrifice (Deut. 14:24-26).
But the priests learned they could make a few bucks by charging higher
prices in the Temple. And since all sacrifices needed to be
“without blemish” and since the priests were the one to determine what was
“without blemish”, they could disqualify any sacrifices not purchased at the Temple.
Quite a racket.
Money changing
Whether it was to bring their “tithe”, the tenth of their income (Mal. 3:10), or to pay the annual temple tax (Ex.
30:13), the people were bringing money to give to God.
But at some point, someone decided that pagan Gentile coins were not
acceptable in God’s Temple. And that’s how the moneychangers got started.
Alfred Edersheim, a Jewish historian and cultural expert says that at this
time in history, the priests were netting the equivalent of $300,000 a year in
money exchange alone.
Dove Selling
The mention of doves refers to the poor man's sacrifice. If you were too
poor to sacrifice a sheep or goat, you could sacrifice doves. Nothing sickens God’s heart more than taking
advantage of the poor.
:16 ……that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
People were using the Temple grounds
as a shortcut.
:17 …My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer…
He acts as if He owns the place.
All this stuff was causing people to hate going to church.
Just before the Ark of the Covenant was destroyed and the city of Shiloh
wasted, the same kind of thing was going on at the Tabernacle. The high priest’s two sons, Hophni and
Phinehas were doing all kinds of things to rip people off.
(1 Sam 2:17 NKJV)
Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for
men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
What’s it all about?
I see a common thread through all the events we’ve read about today.
Lesson
He desires fruit
It is not uncommon in the Scriptures to compare the nation of Israel
to various plants or trees. Israel
is described in the Old Testament as a fig tree, a grapevine, and an olive
tree. What do they all have in common? They produce fruit.
(Luke 13:6-9 NKJV) He
also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his
vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on
it and found none. {7} "Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look,
for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut
it down; why does it use up the ground?' {8} "But he answered and said to
him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.
{9} 'And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it
down.'"
What is God looking for? Fruit.
What happens with the tree that doesn’t produce fruit? It is cut down.
Who was Jesus talking about? He was talking about the
nation of Israel.
If they didn’t produce the fruit of repentance and following after Jesus, they
would be cut down.
Very shortly, Jesus will be telling another similar story to the Jewish
leaders in the Temple (Mark
12:1-11)
(Luke 20:9-18 NKJV) Then
He began to tell the people this parable: "A certain man planted a
vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long
time. {10} "Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit
of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away
empty-handed. {11} "Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also,
treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. {12} "And again he
sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. {13} "Then the
owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son.
Probably they will respect him when they see him.' {14} "But when the
vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the
heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.' {15} "So
they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner
of the vineyard do to them? {16} "He will come and destroy those
vinedressers and give the vineyard to others." And when they heard it they
said, "Certainly not!" {17} Then He looked at them and said,
"What then is this that is written: 'The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone'? {18} "Whoever falls on that stone will
be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."
What is God looking for? Fruit. Did
you notice how Jesus also quoted from Psalm 118 (the stone which the builders
rejected …)?
Have you noticed the severity of consequences in each situation for the one
that doesn’t produce any fruit? God is
serious about fruit.
We might be tempted to say, “Well God sure taught those Jews a good lesson,
but we’re not Jews”
(Rom 11:17-22 NKJV) And
if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were
grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness
of the olive tree, {18} do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast,
remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. {19} You
will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in."
{20} Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by
faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. {21} For if God did not spare the natural
branches, He may not spare you either. {22} Therefore consider the goodness and
severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you
continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
What is God looking for? Fruit.
What does “fruit” look like?
What are we talking about?
It’s results in your own personal life:
(Gal 5:22-23 NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, {23} gentleness, self-control.
Against such there is no law.
It’s results in the two-fold work of the church: Reaching lost people and
building up fellow believers.
Are there people who will point to you and say that you have been an
influence for good on their life?
It’s about people. It’s about growth. It’s about faithfulness.
How do we produce fruit?
(John 15:1-8 NKJV) "I
am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. {2} "Every branch in
Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He
prunes, that it may bear more fruit. {3} "You are already clean because of
the word which I have spoken to you. {4} "Abide in Me, and I in you. As
the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither
can you, unless you abide in Me. {5} "I am the
vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much
fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. {6} "If anyone does not abide in
Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw
them into the fire, and they are burned. {7} "If you abide in Me, and My
words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
{8} "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will
be My disciples.
1. Pruning (vs. 2) – being cut
back, cutting back the non-essentials
Sometimes we are pruned through the difficult times we go through:
(Heb 12:11 NKJV) Now no chastening seems to be
joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the
peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Illustration
Chirpy
A newspaper in San Diego
printed the story of a woman who had a little canary whom she affectionately
named Chirpy. The little bird brought all kinds of song and beauty into their
home.
One day while vacuuming, she thought, “My, the bottom of
Chirpy’s cage is dirty. I’ll just vacuum the bottom of his cage:’ While she was
vacuuming, the phone rang. So when she reached over for the phone, she lifted
up the vacuum cleaner and it sucked in Chirpy, all the way down the tube, down
to the little bag. Of course, she opened the vacuum cleaner and cut the bag
open and there was Chirpy inside trying to survive. She breathed a sigh of
relief. But she thought, “Oh, he’s so dirty.” So she put him under a faucet and
ran water all over him. And then when she finished with him under the faucet,
where he was about to drown, she dried him with a blow dryer. A newspaper
reporter asked, “Well, what’s he like now?” She replied, “Well, he doesn’t sing
very much anymore:”
-Max Lucado, In the
Eye of the Storm
I think that Jesus cleansing the Temple
was pruning.
2. Abide – get connected and
stay connected (vs. 4) to Jesus.
For some of you, it’s possible you’ve never been connected to Jesus.
He paid for your sins by dying on a cross so that you could have a
relationship with God.
(John 1:12 NKJV)
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become
children of God, to those who believe in His name:
Once you’re connected, stay connected.
The key to bearing fruit is your time with Jesus.
3. The Word (vs. 7)
David writes about the godly man who meditates in God’s Word day and night:
(Psa 1:3 NKJV) He shall be
like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its
season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
4. Prayer (vs. 7)
Each of us as individuals are a temple of the Holy Spirit (1Cor. 6:19). What did Jesus say that the Temple
was to be called? A house of
prayer.
(Gal 6:7-9 NKJV) Do not
be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also
reap. {8} For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but
he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. {9} And let
us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do
not lose heart.
5. Keep going – keep doing good
It’s like the story of the little boy with a small shovel. He was trying to clear a pathway through
deep, new-fallen snow in front of his house.
A man paused to observe the child’s enormous task. “Little boy,” he inquired, “how can someone as
small as you expect to finish a task as big as this?” The boy looked up and replied confidently,
“Little by little, that’s how!” And he
continued shoveling.
You can’t bear fruit sitting on the sofa.
If you’ve done these other things, get up and do good.