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It was the day after Jesus’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He knew that in four days He would be nailed to a cross. There was much He wanted to teach His disciples in those remaining days – and there is much He wants to teach us through them.

He and His disciples had more than likely been lodging with Lazarus, Martha and Mary in Bethany the night before. On that Monday morning they were headed to the temple in Jerusalem.(1) En route, Jesus was hungry. Apparently, Martha hadn’t fed them breakfast that morning. Or more likely, He had forgone breakfast to spend time with the Father in prayer. He saw a fig tree beside the road and it was in “full leaf”. Both Matthew and Mark in their Gospels tell us that Jesus “went over to see if He could find any figs.”(1)

Let’s stop and consider that for a moment. Jesus knew whether or not that tree had figs on it long before He walked over to see it. Our God is all-knowing. Jesus Himself had taught, “What is the price of five sparrows — two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them.”(2) There isn’t a detail that escapes His view or His knowledge. Just as Jesus knew everything about each of the men that accompanied Him – the one who would betray Him, the one who would deny Him, the one who would doubt Him – He knew there was no fruit on that fig tree.

He knows all things past, present and future. So, if He was hungry, why was He walking over to a fig tree that He already knew was barren? And secondly, Jesus had turned a little boy’s lunch into a feast for thousands. If He was hungry, why didn’t He just turn some of the leaves of that tree into fruit? Something tells me that there was a whole lot more to what happened that morning than what meets the eye!

Allow me to share a fact about fig trees before we move on. In that part of the world, fig trees produce leaves in March/ April, then bear mature fruit twice each year – the first at the beginning of June, and the second from August through October. Since this event would have taken place during the March/ April timeframe, Mark rightly records that “it was too early in the season for fruit.”(1) By the way – Jesus knew that!

But, during this time of year, as fig trees are becoming fully leafed, they produce a crop of small knobs, called “taqsh” (pronounced “tuhk-wAAsh”). In essence, they are a forerunner to the mature figs and drop off the tree before the “real” fruit is formed. Most often, back then, the taqsh were left to fall off the tree, but on occasion they would be eaten by hungry peasants. If, however, there were no taqsh, it was an indication that there would be no figs. So, it would have been evident to anyone who inspected the tree closely that the absence of taqsh meant there would be no figs when the time came.

Thus, the example of the fig tree proved to be a lesson to be learned. From a distance, the tree gave the outward appearance that it was healthy and growing. It was pleasing to the eye, and all indications were, that in its time, it would produce a bountiful harvest. But Jesus knew, and on closer inspection He showed the disciples, that the tree was not healthy. God created the tree with a singular purpose – His purpose – to bear fruit. He didn’t create it to be a fruitless tree. And though harvest time had not yet arrived, it was obvious by the condition of the tree that it would be fruitless.

In a parallel passage, Luke writes that as Jesus “came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, He began to weep.” He knew that “It is too late, and peace {was} hidden from {their} eyes. Before long, your enemies… will crush you into the ground… because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”(3) The Father had created and called His people, Israel, to bear fruit to His glory – to bear witness to His Majesty and to worship Him through their very lives. And yet, they had rejected Him. They had turned their focus upon themselves to the point they no longer even recognized Him – when He stood in their presence. Though the city appeared on the outside to be bountiful and healthy, Jesus knew all too well that the nation – God’s people – would be fruitless. But the lesson did not stop with them.

In just a few days from then, as we see recorded in John 15,(4) Jesus would teach the disciples that each one of them was to be a branch – attached to Him, grafted into Him – the Vine. Their purpose as a branch would be to bear fruit – fruit that brings glory to the Father, fruit that remains, and fruit that multiplies. He would remind them that a branch cannot bear fruit on its own. It can only bear fruit when it is attached in a healthy way to the vine. The life and sustenance for the fruit to be borne can only come from the vine. The branch’s role is simply to remain connected to the vine in order for it to be used to bear fruit. If the branch pulls away from the vine, it will become fruitless.

That picture of the branch and the vine is a picture of how we are to walk with Jesus. He said, “Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.”(5) We were created – and we have been redeemed – in order to be used by our Master to bear fruit. We don’t produce the fruit; He does! But in His sovereignty, He has chosen to use us as the branches through whom He produces His fruit. We are to be prepared in season and out of season(6) to bear fruit – whether it is March/ April, June, August thru October – or any moment of any day. That is true for us as individual followers of our Master, and it is true for us as local churches.

Regrettably, too many of us as followers, and too many of us as local churches, look like that fig tree. On the outside, we present with a full crop of leaves, seemingly healthy and growing. But our Master knows all too well, that our lives are fruitless and not producing a harvest.

Jesus has called us to turn from ourselves, take up the cross and follow Him – which includes being branches that remain in Him – healthy branches that are usable by Him to bear His fruit.

So, what does the Master see in our lives? Are we healthy growing branches with leaves and taqsh or mature fruit? Or are we branches that appear to be healthy but are truly barren?

The good news is that, unlike that fig tree, He has made a way for us to become fruitful. He has made a way for us to become fruitful branches. All that is required is for us to turn to Him by faith and choose to allow Him to graft us into His Vine. He’s done all the work. He’s the Master Vinedresser. It’s already done, if we will but receive it. Let’s not miss the lesson Jesus is teaching us of the fig tree!

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Portions of this post are taken from Taking Up The Cross, chapter 2, entitled “Created to Bear Fruit.” This fifth book in the Lessons Learned In The Wilderness series is also available through Amazon in print or for your Kindle or Kindle app. Click HERE for more information on this book.

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(1)  Mark 11:12-14 (NLT)

The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so He went over to see if He could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard Him say it.

(2)  Luke 12:6 (NLT)

(3)  Luke 19:41-44 (NLT)

(4)  John 15:1-17

(5)  John 15:5 (NLT)

(6)  2 Timothy 4:2

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