---

Mark | 1-6 | 7:1-13 | 7:14-23 | 7:24-37 |  8:1-21 | 8:22-33 | 8:34-9:10 | 9:11-32 | 9:33-50 | 10:1-12 | 10:13-27 | 10:28-45 | 11:1-11 | 11:12-26 | 11:27-12:12 | 12:13-27 | 12:28-34 | 12:35-44 | 13-16 | PDF |

---

Mark 11:12-26 Bible Study – Cursing the Fig Tree and Cleansing the Temple

Outline

I. Jesus curses the fig tree (12-14)
II. Jesus cleanses the temple (15-19)
II. Pray with faith (20-26)

I. Jesus curses the fig tree (12-14)

Discussion Questions

• Why did Jesus “curse” the fig tree? Did He just lose His temper? Was there a deeper lesson here?
• What does the Bible say about believers, trees, and fruit?

Cross-References

Luke 13:6-9 – And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

John 15:5 – I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Matthew 7:17 – So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. The fig tree – It is often asked “Why did Jesus curse this fig tree? Was it a careless act of temper? Was He destroying someone’s property? Why would He destroy the tree if it was out of season?”

We will look at a few of these questions.

A. Some curses in the Bible are not in the same category as curses today. Modern-day cursing often involves profanity or anger. In the New Testament, a curse was a pronouncement of judgment on someone or something.

Matthew 25:41 – Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Jesus was using His words to command a miracle that would cause this tree to die.

B. The tree was by the wayside –

Matthew 21:19 – 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.

Jesus did not go onto someone’s private farm and destroy their tree. It was growing next to the road, likely on public property.
It was quite common at that time for travelers to pick fruit from trees that grew beside the road. In fact, one was even allowed to pick grain or fruit from private fields and orchards if they were hungry (Deuteronomy 23:24-25), though there is no evidence that this was the case here.

Because Jesus is the Son of God, everything belongs to Him. He is sovereign over creation and has the right to use creation for His own purposes. That applies to a herd of pigs (Mark 5:13), trees, and even the donkey that Jesus used to ride into Jerusalem (Mark 11).

C. Why did Jesus curse the tree when it was “out of season” for fruit? –

According to scholars, in Palestine, the fruit grows before the leaves on fig trees. When they saw the tree from a distance, the natural assumption would be that since it had leaves it also had fruit. Fig trees could have more than one crop per year and sometimes had fruit for up to ten months a year.

The tree should have fruit, but it didn’t.

Matthew 7:17 – So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

D. The symbolism of the fig tree –

Jesus often mentioned trees and fruit. They were fitting illustrations for his parables. A fruitless tree is considered to be worthless, deserving nothing except to be cut down (Luke 13:6-9).

While this passage doesn’t specifically mention the symbolism associated with this, many scholars believe that through this event Jesus is pronouncing judgment on Israel (which is sometimes referred to as a fig tree as in Jeremiah 8:13, Hosea 9:10). Israel as a nation rejected Jesus. It should have born fruit by receiving God’s Son as the Messiah. They had received all of God’s blessings, the Law, Scriptures, and prophets. For millennia, God had tilled and fertilized their hearts. Yet even with all of the work the Lord put into preparing the soil, the tree of Israel was barren.

One piece of evidence supporting this interpretation is that the cursing of the fig tree is recorded next to Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. That is another manifestation of Israel’s “fruitless” status. Therefore Jesus’ judgment on the fruitless tree is a reminder of a judgment upon Israel if they didn’t come to repentance.

Similarly, it is a reminder to us. Trees are for producing fruit. If a fruit tree doesn’t produce fruit, it will be cut down.

The same is true for us. God chose us so that we may bear fruit.

John 15:16 – I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide.

If we don’t bear fruit, then there is a problem and we deserve the judgment that is coming.

Matthew 3:10 – Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Application – Spend some time to evaluate your life. Are you bearing fruit? In what areas are you bearing fruit? In what areas do you need to bear more fruit? Pray and ask God to help you be fruitful by redeeming the time and using it well to build His kingdom.

II. Jesus cleanses the temple (15-19)

Discussion Questions

• Was this the first time Jesus had driven out the businessmen in the temple?
• What does this passage teach us about people?
• What does this passage teach us about Jesus’ character?
• Why did the people do these same things again after the last time Jesus cleansed the temple?
• How long after Jesus cast them out the first time, do you think it likely that they started again?
• Why did Jesus prohibit them from doing this?
• What was their core problem?
• How did the chief priests and scribes react?
• Why do you think they defended this practice instead of condemning it?
• What lesson can we learn to apply to our lives today?

Cross-References

John 2:12-17 – This is the first time Jesus cleansed the temple.

Exodus 30:11-16 – Every man should pay a Jewish coin “half a shekel.”

Leviticus 14:22 – Also two turtledoves or two pigeons, whichever he can afford. The one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.

Luke 2:24 – Birds were required for sacrifice.

Luke 2:24 – And to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

Isaiah 56:7 – 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.”

Jeremiah 7:11 – Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. Cleansing the temple – This was the second cleansing of the temple, (John 2:12-17). It is clear that the people didn’t learn their lesson. Because of Jesus’ authority and their own shame, they had reluctantly submitted the first time. But when He left, they were free once again to fulfill their own desires. And their desire was money, lots of it. Their greed pushed them to ignore their own conscience, Jesus’ instruction, and all common decency, and use God’s house as a place for their money-making ventures.

The practice of selling animals for sacrifices may have started off as a service to pilgrims who had traveled a long way. But now it had morphed into a greedy scheme to exploit temple visitors.

3. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. –He had already cleansed the temple before. Yet here they were doing it again. We learn that people are sinful and easily return to their same bad habits unless their hearts have been changed. A relationship with God is not primarily about external behavior. Behavior can be faked. When an authority is present, a person may appear very contrite and teachable. Yet when that person leaves, they go right back to their sin again.

This is what happened in this passage. They hated the light because their deeds were evil. Jesus’ force of authority could demand submission for a while, but when He wasn’t there their reason for doing what was right was gone.

Reflect – Do you behave differently when you are in front of others than when you are by yourself? Do you switch tabs or close programs on your computer when your boss or spouse walks by?

Looking good in front of others isn’t very difficult, but we should remember that God looks at the heart. He knows who we really are.

Every year the NCAA Basketball Association holds a tournament for universities called “March Madness.” More than sixty teams join in. Men across the country tune in. To make it easier to watch, CBS created a program that could be used to stream it online. This program had a built-in feature called “Boss Button.” You could push it when your boss came around. It would immediately close out the program and open a fake spreadsheet. The viewer would then appear to be hard at work.

Luke 8:17 – For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.

4. Extreme situations call for extreme measures –

Jesus was called a Lamb in other passages. He was gentle and meek, a servant. Yet, in this case, decisive action was called for. Jesus could not stand idly by and do nothing while a holy place for worship was corrupted. His principles demanded action. Only decisive and visible action would have made any difference.

Imagine if Jesus stood next to these people selling their goods, cleared His throat, and said, “Excuse me. Can you do this outside? I think it’s not very suitable here.”

How would the people have reacted? Firstly, they wouldn’t have heard Him because of the commotion. Even if they did, they would have ignored them, served the next customer, and kept counting their money. No, a polite “excuse me” wasn’t going to work.

Application – We may face situations that call for extreme actions as well. We should remember that Jesus was the authority in the temple since it was actually His house. We should therefore be willing to take bold action like this where we are the authority (in the home and the church).

For example, maybe a father needs to confiscate a book, magazine, DVD, or electronic device of his child who is being tempted by it.

The point is that if you are a leader act like it. Be a leader. Confrontations can be unpleasant and hard work. Holding the line against a teen who wants to play video games all night is no fun task.

Do not turn a blind eye and allow sinful things to go on just because it is uncomfortable to confront them. If God has placed you in authority somewhere, use your authority as an influence for good. Sometimes people may think you are the bad guy for spoiling their fun. It doesn’t matter. Do what’s right even if other people are unhappy about it.

At the same time, balance the above with Jesus’ frequent reminders that leaders should be loving servants.

6. The leaders sought to kill Jesus –

Mark 11:18 – And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.

These leaders were there every day and saw what was going on. Why did they do nothing about it? Perhaps they were in on it. They likely received money from this system. When Jesus rocked their boat, they got mad. Jesus was also angry, but His anger was righteous anger. They were angry because they lost face and probably profit.

Their solution was to kill Jesus.

7. Applications –

It is possible to go to church or fellowship regularly without worshiping God! We can see the same issue today. Evangelists, pastors, and missionaries get on TV, radio, or in front of the church and beg for money. Some offer products like prayer cloths or holy water. Some charge for prayer or will offer to bless a product you send for a fee. These follow the same sin that the Catholic church committed when they sold absolution, papers declaring the forgiveness of sins.

Many scandals have broken out and exposed these bad actors for their fraudulent practices. The bad reputation of these evangelist money-grabbers has tarnished the reputation of the church.

However, this thought process has tinkled down to mass numbers of church-goers who believe that Christianity is a path to financial prosperity (1 Timothy 6:5-6). Some go to church for the wrong reasons, of which there are many.

Social life – Some go to church because it’s a place to meet friends, and there are plenty of fun activities like trips, parties, and sports. One church even went on a mission trip to Alaska! While these activities aren’t wrong and can help people connect, it’s easy to focus more on the fun and friendships than on worshipping God. Church is not just a social club. Are you attending church just to hang out with friends?

Safe feeling – Many others go to church for the feeling of safety that it provides. It makes them feel they are doing well spiritually. They get their assurance of salvation from going to church rather than from faith in God.

Warm feeling – Many first-time churchgoers say that they feel at peace after they attend. Even many non-Christians may say this. They feel comfortable and happy when they go to church. Many continue like this without ever really knowing the gospel and what it means to truly worship God. Are you going to church because it makes you feel peaceful?

Pressure – Another category of people go to church because their parents or friends put pressure on them to go. They are the ones who go because they “have to.” Are you going to church because you have to?

Pharisaic – Another common reason for going to church is that it has become an ingrained ritual. We go because “we have always gone” or it’s “what we do on Sundays”. In a way, this is good to set a habit. However, we need to be careful not to fall into the trap of letting church become an impersonal ritual. Are you going to church because that is what you do on Sundays?

Psalms 24:3-4 – Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.

Reflect – What is the solution for us to avoid these church-traps?

There is no magic trick. We need to have the right attitude and motivation. If you have been going for the wrong reasons confess and ask God to give you the right motivation. When you go to church focus on worshipping.

Focus on listening to the sermon and growing spiritually. You can try some new things to make church fresh and personal. Pray before you go and ask God to prepare your heart. Pray on your own during the prayer times. Think deeply about the words of the songs. Make notes and applications on the sermon.

Discuss what you learned with others. Choose one or two points and practice them during the week. Confess all selfish motivation. Go to worship, learn, grow, and encourage others. Think about what you can give to God and people, not what you can get.

John 4:24 – God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

1 Timothy 6:5-6 – And constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Also, if the church you go to is not a place where you can truly worship and grow you should think about finding another church.

Reflect – If Jesus visited your church, what would He say?

8. Righteous anger –

Jesus overturned the tables where people were exchanging money! In John 2:15, it says that he made a whip of chords and “drove them out.”

Jesus was angry. It is a contrast with His normal gentle and meek demeanor.

There are two kinds of anger, one is sinful and one is not. The sinful kind is way more common so we naturally assume that all anger is bad.

Sinful anger stems from selfishness. Someone does something to us that we deem unfair so we get angry. Someone gossips about us behind our backs and we get angry. Somebody steals money, cheats us, lies to us, takes our seat on the subway, cuts in line, fouls us in sports, etc. and we get angry.

In all of these cases, anger is a sinful response. We are upset because our rights were violated This kind of anger is sin and we should avoid it.

However, the kind of anger Jesus displayed was righteous anger. This kind of anger is aroused because of injustice and sin. This is the kind of anger Jesus had. He was angry because people were sinning and violating the temple.

Isaiah 57:16 – For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of life that I made.

Ephesians 4:26 – Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.

In Greek, this is actually a command to be angry! We are supposed to get angry when we see sin in the world.

The opposite of righteous anger is apathy. In one Chinese city, a video came to light. It showed a young girl badly injured on the side of a road. Scores of people walked by not paying her any heed. They were apathetic. A hit-and-run should make us angry. Human trafficking should make us angry.

If we don’t ever have this kind of anger, there is a problem. Followers of Jesus should not be apathetic and indifferent.

Romans 12:15 – Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Reflect – Share about a time you had righteous anger.

III. Pray with faith (20-26)

Discussion Questions

• What can we conclude about where they were staying from verses 11,12, 19, and 20?
• Why had the tree withered up? Was this a coincidence?
• What did He teach His disciples from this situation? What was the key principle here (have faith in God.)
• What can we learn from verses 23-24?
• Does this teach us that God will answer your prayers if you just believe hard enough?
• If this is not what it means, what does it mean?
• In what kind of situation could you have this kind of faith that a mountain would be moved for you?
• How should this passage influence our prayer lives?
• Some have read passages like this and concluded that it is wrong and a cop-out to pray “if it’s God’s will” as this demonstrates a lack of faith in what we are asking for. What would you say to them?
• What does it look like if someone has this kind of faith?
• How does how we forgive others affect how God forgives us?
• What do you need to do based on these verses?

Cross-References

Matthew 6:10 – Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

1 John 5:14 – And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

Romans 8:26 – Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Romans 10:17 – So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Luke 1:37 – For nothing will be impossible with God.

1 Corinthians 2:5 – So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1. Jesus and His disciples were staying out of the city – Each day they passed in and out. This is why one day Jesus cursed the tree and the next day they saw it again. Verse 11 tells us that they were staying in Bethany. Most likely that was with Lazarus and his family.

2. Have faith in God –

The tree had withered in response to Jesus’ curse.

Mark 11:20 – As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.

Here we see the second reason for the cursing of the fig tree. It was an object lesson about faith.

A. The Word of Faith movement – This movement is the fastest-growing segment of professing Christianity. While they rarely use Scripture to support their arguments, this is one they would point to. Originally, this stemmed from the Pentecostal movement in the late 20th century. Its founder also studied the new age teachings of mind science which taught “name it and claim it.”

This group essentially believes in a faith force. Even God is bound by this faith force. If you believe in something, speak it out and you will receive it. The idea is that if you have enough faith, God will automatically give you what you want.

This goes hand in hand with the prosperity gospel. People believe that God will make them wealthy and healthy. This brings God down to our level. He becomes our servant or a genie granting us wishes.

The source of healing is always God, not man, and not even our faith.

B. “Have faith in God.” –

Mark 11:22-24 – 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.

God is the source of the miracle, not us. It is not about believing in yourself, your plans, or your expectations.

Reflect – How can a person have such strong faith as to command a mountain to be moved?

The only way to have such strong faith is if God revealed to you that it should be moved. In other words, His own will is the key. I could not have faith that a mountain would move unless Scripture said so or God communicated directly with me about it.

We cannot declare from Scripture that God desires to heal every person. There are many people even within the pages of Scripture who are not healed. Therefore, we should not unilaterally declare God’s healing upon every sick person we meet, though we should pray for them.

Application – Be bold to do the things that God has commanded us to do. If we are not sure, pray.

Have faith in God. Even if God didn’t reveal His plan of action to you in a specific circumstance can you have faith? Surely you can. Maybe you aren’t sure if God will someone, but you can have faith in His character, that He is loving and will do what is best for us. You can have faith in His sovereign power, that He is completely able to control circumstances and even supernaturally intervene. We can pray with confidence, not because we know that God will always answer “yes” to what we are asking, but because we know who we are praying to.

Reflect – What is the difference between praying with the right kind of faith and praying with doubt?

D. How can you guarantee a “yes” answer?

The only way to be sure God will answer “yes” is if you ask Him to do something that you know is according to His will.

Claim God’s promises in prayer. These include eternal life to those who believe and forgiveness to those who repent.

Psalms 37:4 – Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

You are not God. You cannot change God. Instead, seek after what He wants and adjust yourself to His will. Prayer is not about changing God but changing us. When we truly seek His will, no matter what it is, our lives will be filled with genuine contentment.

Mark E-book study: If this is helpful, you can download our full Mark study in PDF or other formats.

Mark Paperback Book: You can also order a paperback version of the complete Study and Obey Mark study from Amazon.