Page de couverture de He is Good | The Tree, the Temple, & the Curse | Mark 11:12-21 | Coleton Segars

He is Good | The Tree, the Temple, & the Curse | Mark 11:12-21 | Coleton Segars

He is Good | The Tree, the Temple, & the Curse | Mark 11:12-21 | Coleton Segars

Écouter gratuitement

Voir les détails du balado

À propos de cet audio

 Coleton walked through Mark 11:12–21 in a “documentary style,” scene by scene, showing how Jesus’ actions with the fig tree and temple symbolized God’s judgment on empty religion and pointed toward Jesus as the true and better temple. 1. The Fig Tree: Looks Alive but is Diseased • Jesus curses the fig tree not because He expected fruit out of season, but because fig trees always produced early figs (paggim) before leaves. • A leafy fig tree without fruit symbolized decay and disease. • The fig tree was a living parable: Israel (and the temple) looked full of life, but inside was barren and corrupt. Author Quotes: • James Edwards: “Once a fig tree is in leaf one therefore expects to find branches loaded with paggim in various stages of maturation. This is implied in verse 13…” (Pillar New Testament Commentary). • Tim Keller: “Growth without fruit was a sign of decay. Jesus is simply pronouncing that such is the case here.” (Jesus the King). • Hosea 9:10: “When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree.” ⸻ 2. The Temple: Corruption in the House of God • The temple was busy with sacrifices and money changing, looking religiously alive, but it was full of corruption and exploitation. • The Court of the Gentiles (where nations could worship) had been turned into a marketplace, blocking people from encountering God. • Jesus overturns tables, declaring the temple a “den of robbers.” • The fig tree mirrors the temple: full of activity but fruitless in righteousness. Author Quotes: • William Lane: “The sale of animals in the Temple forecourt was an innovation of recent date and was introduced by the High Priest, Caiaphas in A.D. 30…” • James Edwards: “The leafy fig tree, with all its promise of fruit, is as deceptive as the temple, which, despite its religious activity, is really an outlaws’ hideout…” ⸻ 3. The Withered Tree: The Old System Passing Away • The next day the fig tree is withered to its roots, symbolizing the end of the temple system. • Jesus’ death and the tearing of the temple curtain marked the new way of access to God—through Christ alone. • Jesus has done what the temple never could: provide full forgiveness of sins and direct access to God. Author Quote: • James Edwards: “The fig tree thus symbolizes the temple: as the means of approach to God, the temple is fundamentally—‘from the roots’—replaced by Jesus as the center of Israel.” ⸻ 4. Jesus Reverses the Curse • In Genesis 3, Adam was cursed by a tree and covered his shame with fig leaves. • In Mark 11, Jesus curses the fig tree, showing He will reverse the curse. • On the cross, Jesus covers our shame with His blood. Author Quote: • Cyril of Jerusalem: “In this way the curse laid upon Adam and Eve was being reversed.” (Catechetical Lectures 13.18). ⸻ 5. Application for Us Today Coleton gave two warnings and one encouragement: 1. Beware of being a leafy tree without fruit. • Religious activity without true spiritual fruit is empty. • Genuine faith in Christ produces fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc.). 2. Beware of becoming a corrupt temple. • Just like the priests rationalized sin, we often say: “I know what God says, but…” • Our bodies are now temples of the Holy Spirit, and corruption comes when we disobey God’s Word while justifying our choices. 3. Give Jesus access and authority over every area of life. • Don’t hold back hidden areas. • Through Adam came death, but through Christ comes life in all its fullness. • He wants to bring blessing and restoration wherever sin once ruled. Author Quote: • 2 Corinthians 5:17: “If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old has gone, the new is here.” ⸻ Discussion Questions 1. What does the story of the fig tree teach us about the difference between appearance and reality in our spiritual lives? 2. How can we tell if we are producing real spiritual fruit and not just leaves? 3. In what ways might the modern church (or our personal lives) look like the temple—busy, impressive, but lacking true worship? 4. Why is it easy to rationalize sin with “I know God says, but…”? How do we guard against that? 5. What are the “hidden markets” in your life—areas you’ve not surrendered to Jesus’ ...
Pas encore de commentaire