The story of Jesus cursing the fig tree is found in two of the Gospels – Matthew 21:18-22 and Mark 11:12-14, 20-25. Here is the account from Mark:
“On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
So why did Jesus curse the fig tree? There are a few key things to understand:
- It was not the season for figs – verse 13 notes that it was not yet the season for figs. So Jesus knew that figs would not be present on the tree. The fig tree giving the appearance of leaves but without any figs was symbolic of the nation of Israel – they had an appearance of religion but lacked spiritual fruit.
- It demonstrated Jesus’ authority – By cursing the fig tree and causing it to wither, Jesus demonstrated His power and authority over creation. This miraculous act revealed His identity as the Son of God.
- It illustrated faith and prayer – Jesus used the fig tree’s withering to teach His disciples lessons about faith and prayer. He told them that with faith, they could pray and see mountains move. The fig tree illustrated that what seems impossible is possible with God.
- It was a visual lesson – The visual image of the leafy yet fruitless fig tree and its subsequent withering provided a vivid object lesson for the disciples to see the importance of not just appearance, but spiritual fruitfulness.
- It showed God’s judgment – The cursing and withering of the fig tree can be seen as symbolic of God’s judgment on Israel for rejecting their Messiah. Their leafy appearance of religion would be judged for lack of spiritual fruit.
- It pictures redemption – Some see the fig tree as representative of the old unredeemed life, cursed by sin. Jesus’ power to revive the dead fig tree pictures His power to grant new life to sinners.
The fig tree in this account is uniquely mentioned in the Gospels among Jesus’ miracles and teachings. Its leafy appearance that lacked fruit led to Jesus’ curse, resulting in the tree withering from the roots up. This acted as a memorable object lesson for His disciples on faith, prayer, spiritual fruitfulness, and the urgency of bearing fruit for the kingdom before it is too late. It warns against mere appearance of religion without true fruit, a lesson for Israel, the disciples, and all believers today.
The Background
To fully understand this episode, it is helpful to be aware of some background information related to fig trees:
- Figs were an important food source in Israel and a symbol of peace and prosperity (1 Kings 4:25, Micah 4:4). Fig trees were common.
- Fig trees produce fruit before leaves emerge. So leaves appearing meant figs should be present (Hosea 9:10).
- Eating from a tree’s fruit symbolized dependence on God’s provision (Deut 8:8).
- The Old Testament uses fig tree fruitfulness as a picture of Israel’s spiritual condition (Jeremiah 8:13, Hosea 2:12).
- Lack of figs could indicate God’s judgment on Israel (Jeremiah 5:17).
- In summary, fig trees and their fruit had strong cultural and symbolic significance.
So when Jesus saw the leafy fig tree without fruit, He would have recognized its meaning. Although not the season for ripe figs, there should have been small immature fruit or remaining overripe figs from the past year if the tree was healthy and fruitful. Its leafy appearance hid its lack of fruit – an apt picture of Israel’s own spiritual barrenness hidden behind religious practices.
The Significance
Based on the context, here are some key reasons behind Jesus cursing the fruitless fig tree:
- To demonstrate Christ’s authority – As the Messiah, Jesus possessed great authority – even over nature and creation. The fig tree immediately withered in obedience to His curse. This revealed His power as the Son of God (Matthew 21:18-22).
- To teach about faith and prayer – Jesus used the fig tree to teach vital lessons on faith, prayer, and forgiveness. The visual display of the withered tree reinforced His teaching on believing prayer and forgiving others (Mark 11:22-25).
- To symbolize spiritual fruitlessness – The leafy yet barren fig tree represented Israel’s spiritual condition. They appeared religious but lacked spiritual fruit. The cursing symbolized coming judgment.
- To picture God’s judgment – The fig tree illustrated God’s judgment on faithlessness and lack of repentance. Its withering warned of the consequences of rejecting Christ (Luke 13:6-9).
- To emphasize bearing fruit – Fig trees were meant to bear fruit. The cursing displayed the importance and urgency of bearing spiritual fruit before it is too late.
- To signal a turning point – Jesus’ actions signaled a pivotal moment as He prepared to face the cross. Things would not remain the same.
Jesus certainly had purpose behind His surprising cursing of the leafy fig tree. It served as a memorable object lesson for His disciples and pointed to spiritual meanings beyond just the physical tree itself.
Lessons for Disciples and Believers
The account of Jesus cursing the fig tree contains important lessons for His disciples and all believers today:
- Authentic faith – More than just an outward show, real faith produces spiritual fruit in words, actions, and character (Matthew 7:15-23).
- Persistence in prayer – Through believing prayer, believers have access to Christ’s power to see great things happen (Mark 11:22-24).
- Forgiveness and reconciliation – Answered prayer requires letting go of unforgiveness toward others (Mark 11:25).
- Divine judgment – Lack of repentance and rebelling against God brings consequences, as shown by the cursed fig tree.
- Urgency to bear fruit – The opportunity to bear fruit for God’s kingdom is now. The cursed fig tree reminds us not to delay.
- Signs of the times – Jesus’ actions signaled a significant moment in His ministry and mission to the cross.
- Christ’s lordship – As Creator, Christ has power and authority over all of nature and creation, shown in the fig tree’s response.
This episode displayed Christ’s divine identity and authority in a vivid object lesson. It underscored that just appearance without spiritual fruit falls short of God’s purposes. Believers must exemplify authentic faith through repentance, prayer, forgiveness, urgently bearing fruit, and recognizing God’s signs.
The Cursing as a Parable
The cursing of the fig tree can also be seen as a visual parable in action. Fig trees were a familiar sight in Israel, frequently used as biblical symbols. Jesus enacted this visual parable to vividly communicate important spiritual truths.
The key symbolic meanings in this parable include:
- Fig tree – The nation of Israel
- Leaves – Appearance of spiritual life
- No fruit – Lack of spiritual fruit
- Jesus’ curse – God’s judgment
- Withering – Consequences of rejecting Christ
As a parable, it powerfully cautioned Israel against rejecting their Messiah despite an outward show of religion. God desired true spiritual fruit from His people. Barrenness would have consequences. The acted parable strongly warned of coming judgment if they continued rejecting Jesus.
Prophetic and Apocalyptic Significance
Beyond an object lesson for Israel, some see an apocalyptic element in Jesus cursing the fig tree:
- It is one of the only destructive miracles Jesus performed, unlike His many miracles of restoration and healing.
- It occurred during Passion Week, as Jesus approached the cross to offer Himself as atonement for sin.
- The fig tree uniquely suffered destruction, despite being an ancient symbol of Israel.
- It underscores the seriousness of rejecting Christ’s sacrifice for sin.
So the cursed fig tree potentially carried prophetic symbolism regarding God’s coming judgment on Israel for rejecting their Messiah. Its destruction foreshadowed the future destruction in 70 AD of Jerusalem temple after persistent unbelief.
Additionally, the fig tree is sometimes linked to the parable of the budding fig tree as a sign of Christ’s second coming (Luke 21:29-33). The creation itself will be judged and recreated just as the individual fig tree faced cursing and destruction.
While debated, there are reasonable grounds to see prophetic-apocalyptic undertones in this account beyond just an object lesson for Israel at that time. The cursed fig tree bears eschatological significance.
The Miracle of Redemption
Interestingly, Mark’s account notes that the next day, Jesus and His disciples passed by the cursed fig tree now completely shriveled up from the roots (Mark 11:20). While Mark does not record it, Matthew’s account includes Peter calling attention to the withered fig tree, and Jesus then promising:
Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt… if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith. (Matthew 21:21-22)
Some see Christ’s response as hinting that the curse was not necessarily the final end for the tree. Just as Jesus had the power to curse the tree, He also had the power to reverse its destruction. The one who withered the tree could also revive it in response to faith.
In this view, the fig tree represents the old fruitless life cursed by sin and unbelief, under God’s judgment. But Jesus offers the miracle of redemption – of spiritual revival from certain death. The cursed fig tree found new life in Christ (Romans 11:23-24).
This perspective sees the redemption of the fig tree as a promise of hope. No matter how shriveled up and cursed sin has made us, God can still revive and restore us to fruitful life in Him by faith in Christ.
Objections and Responses
Some interpret this account differently, raising objections. Here are some responses:
- Objection: Jesus destroyed the tree simply because He was hungry.
- Response: Jesus knew it wasn’t fruit season. He saw a deeper spiritual lesson in the tree.
- Objection: Killing the tree was unkind to nature and out of character.
- Response: As Creator, Jesus has authority over nature. His actions had purpose.
- Objection: There is no recorded miracle reviving the tree.
- Response: Jesus’ words in Matthew suggest He could revive it, picturing redemption from sin.
- Objection: Judging Israel seems inconsistent with Christ’s mercy.
- Response: Judgment came only after repeatedly rejecting mercy. Destruction was avoidable.
When understood in context, apparent objections to this passage fade. Jesus clearly had meaningful spiritual purpose in cursing the fruitless fig tree. It memorably conveyed vital teaching for His disciples and Israel on bearing spiritual fruit, prayer, coming judgment, and the hope of redemption by faith in Him.
The Withered Fig Tree Today
What application does the account of Jesus cursing the fig tree have for believers today?
- It reminds us of Israel’s story – blessed but judged for lack of fruit.
- It warns against mere appearance without spiritual depth.
- It urges us to respond in faith to bear fruit.
- It depicts Christ’s mercy yet seriousness regarding sin and unbelief.
- It calls us to believe God for bold prayers aligned to His purposes.
- It illustrates that what is impossible with man is possible with God.
- It conveys the priority of walking in forgiveness toward others.
- It highlights that time is short – the urgency of bearing fruit now.
May this account motivate authenticity and Spirit-produced fruit, not leaves only. And may it drive us to believe God in prayer for bold kingdom advance.
For the cursed fig tree, the parched ground signified death and judgment – the seeming end. Yet the gardener pleaded for more time and care (Luke 13:8). Even a shriveled up tree could still be redeemed and revived. May this be our hope as well.