THE DEAD FIG TREE

There is a powerful parable in Matthew 21 concerning the withered fig tree. It appears the dead fig tree is a dead religious system. “In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.” (21:18-19)

This tree is cursed because it gives cover (shade, comfort), but does not bear fruit. It looks like a Tree, smells like a tree, had leaves like a tree…but does not produce fruit like a tree… a dead religious tree.

Though the tree gives shade, but has no fruit, comes when we stop listening to the Voice of God, “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, “You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.”(Genesis 3:3)
But if we listen to the liar, the Dead solution who said, “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

The dead solution to ‘nakedness’ (sin and disobedience) is to ‘sew fig leaves together and make a covering’ from the dead tree. This is a natural solution, a Natural covering… trying to cover flesh with flesh by being covered by the Fig Leaf off of the Dead Fig Tree. Dead religious systems try to cover with fig leaves. Only Fruit, not Leaves can cover…. only The First Fruit. The Fig Leaf covers until the Lord asks this question: ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ (Genesis 3:11) The innocent sacrifice of shedding of blood to cover nakedness is Father’s answer in Genesis 3:21 that is fully realized in Christ in Galatians 3:27: “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.” The cursed fig tree is a dead religious system that does not produce fruit. Fig leaves from cursed trees cannot cover or atone.

“A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” Jesus