NOTES: Rich Mercy. Great Love, Part 2

Sermon: Rich Mercy. Great Love 2- Figs of Mercy

Date: Sunday March 26, 2023

Text: Matt. 21:12-22

Text: Matthew 21:12-22

“12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “ ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” 17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there. 18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once. 20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Connect:

Consider times when you hear a person say one thing but mean something else.

Today: God will mercifully address the conflict between what we claim and how we live.

We can understand mercy as an active desire to remove the cause of distress for others.

Text Explained:

19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

Story of Jesus encounter with the Fig Tree:

Teaching of the Fig tree:

Historically, Israel (the people group) were chosen to represent God on earth—

to be a beacon in the world of God’s goodness, and the channel of his redemptive plan. They were to be blessing (fruitful) for all people.

Jesus found “Israel” to be fruitless:

How did Israel get to this point? (Fruitless):

Hosea 9:10 “10 Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved.”

Genesis 3:7-8 “7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. 8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.”

Jesus in the temple-money changers:

“12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

* Human attempts at religion won’t work to cover up a lack of communion with God.

Hosea :6:6 6 For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. 7 But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me.

* God desires mercy and love over sacrifice; Mercy often requires sacrifice!

Jesus shows mercy to the fig tree. How?

Matthew 3:8–9 (ESV)”8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.”

*When Jesus brings judgment in the life of a believer, it’s an invitation to repentance—to let die the things that need to end, and turn toward fruitfulness in Him.

*The death of the fig tree reveals the mercy of God, as will Christ on the cross.

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—”

Galatians 3:13 ESV

Disciples ask “how” not why, the cursing of the tree:

20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

*Faith is only possible through intimate fellowship with the Lord in the power of the Spirit.

*“Doubt?”—here, this doubt is the opposite of faith, implies a lack of intimate fellowship with the Lord—doubting the relationship and his nature.

*A fresh and living experience of God keeps us from empty religion and faithless prayers.

Let’s Relate:

*Jesus invites our prayers to be an outflow of our relationship with him, settling the conflict between what we say and how we live.

Challenge:

What does this look like in the Church? A House of Prayer for all peoples!

Isaiah 56:7, “7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”