:: By Andrew Moore
(Old Testament reading- Zech 9 or 14)
(A battle for faith)
The Claremont college school swimming carnival is tomorrow.
And we’ve been teaching our kids how to dive.
Do you remember learning how to dive into a pool?
I’ve forgotten how hard it must have been …
To hit the water hands and head first, … when your every fibre of your being is telling you just want put your feet out.
And what we had to do, is to say, “just trust us…”
(arms beside your head, put your head down …. And jump out)….. but they’d lift their head up, and there’d be a big belly flop.).
How hard it must be to teach adults to dive!
(pause)
It’s an illustration in faith.
“Faith” is essential.
There are voices, or instincts… saying “no, no this is not right… I know better”… But if we’re to win that swimming race you must trust me.
(pause)
The most important step in becoming Christian and remaining Christian is to trust God. Without trust there is no relationship…
To believe him.
Depend on him.
-> From beginning to end… from faith TO faith Paul says.
It’s not until we “trust”, that we enter into that relationship… that there is joy and forgiveness and freedom….
BUT…
It’s a struggle too (sometimes every fibre of our body, every voice in our head says says “no”)… for sometimes its like diving into a swimming pool for the first time.
I want to talk to those today who “struggle to believe”.
(pause)
With God, there is a great promise to those who trust him. To those who have faith and it’s in Mark chapter 11.
v 22- 23…. Read.
It’s a breathtaking promise isn’t it?
You must not doubt. You must believe in your heart that what you pray will come to pass.
You must not be double-minded. You can’t say you believe, and really you don’t… that is to not trust at all…
But if you do trust, the outcome of that prayer will not just be any answer, but be answered in a spectacular, and earth-shattering way.
(The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective, James says!.)
(pause)
For the next 7 weeks we’ll be finishing off the book of Mark.
We are on the home stretch now as we head to the death and resurrection.
The whole gospel has been preparing for what is about to occur. In fact, God from before the foundation of the world, had been preparing for this moment…
The disciples are with Jesus.
Jesus has lived with them, and eaten with them, he has taught them and rebuked them, they’ve seen his power and witnessed his authority (his power over death, his authority to forgive sins) …. It must have been an incredible experience…
(My brush with fame is to have come within 10 meters of Princess Di…
The disciples have spent the best of 3 years with the Son of God.)
But the difference now, is that now is to be the biggest test of their faith.
Jesus will be taken from them.
(pause)
In Mark 11, Jesus enters Jerusalem.
This was not without notice…3 times Jesus had told them the purpose for his mission, that he would die, and after 3 days rise.
The last time he specifically said Jerusalem.
(pause)
He enters Jerusalem three times.
He goes in, in the morning, and out in the evening, except the third day which remains incomplete.
The amount of material describing each day increases from day 1 to day 2 to day 3.
(pause)
Let’s have a look at the first day-
He stays at night in “Bethany”… this is probably where he gets the young donkey from, and travels from Bethany to Jerusalem.
And on this first visit the crowds are there to receive him.
The crowds have heard of his ministry. They were astounded at his teaching… his authority.
And from chapter 2, a great crowd from Galilee AND JERUSALEM followed Jesus…
So there is little wonder that there is a great fuss made over his arrival in the city.
(pause)
Now what sort of reception would be appropriate for a king or President to enter his royal city (for this is the capital of Israel – Jerusalem)?
The President of the United States- is moving into the oval office. What would you expect- Cavalcades, 21 gun salute. Flag waiving at the gates.
Or the Roman emperor returning from a crusade against the Barbarians.
A great big horse, with armour clinking, a chariot….
(pause)
The messiah entering Jerusalem, his holy city is mounted on a little donkey… … a colt of a donkey.
(pause)
In fact it is perfectly appropriate for the Son of God.
Zechariah 9:9 (read). (over 500 years before Jesus).
In fact, Genesis 49:10-11.
(pause)
In some sense the crowds understand this…that here is a great one, for they shout out…Psalm 118 “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”- a great victory Psalm.
Hosanna means “God save us”…
Jesus goes to the temple, the religious heart of the city.
– it’s as though he’s returned to his own house… the temple- where God meets with his people …
Jesus has come. The Kingdom of God, the last days,.. have come…
It’s quite an encouraging part of the gospel…
The disciples – they obey Jesus without question. They go into the village, and take a colt, they don’t ask anyone if they can borrow it- just as Jesus said. They answer exactly as Jesus says…
(pause)
But it all for comes to nothing.
- the crowds quickly disperse. – it is late,…And Jesus returns with the Twelve.
It’s a great anticlimax…
(pause)
It reminds me of The Parable of the Sower.
Remember the 4 soils.
Some along the path
Some on the rocky ground
Some among the thorns
Some on the good soil…
This soil is a rocky path- they hear the word, and immediately receive it with joy, they endure for a while, … but just as quickly as it is sown, it is blown away.
It doesn’t take root.
Beware of enthusiasm
Enthusiam in itself means nothing.
Starting means nothing… finishing is what’s important.
And as the death of Jesus approaches, and the risk to their own life of being associated with Jesus increases, the people will fall away from Jesus.
Enthusiasm doe not equal faith.
Noise, great concerts, … in the name of Jesus, doesn’t mean anything, unless it leads to faith.
(pause)
What about day 2?
Again Jesus goes to Jerusalem from Bethany.
Bethany is about 3 km from Jerusalem. It’s a small village, at the Mt of Olives.
And it seems like Jesus hadn’t had enough for breakfast. He is hungry!
Jesus sees this fig tree without any fruit…
Genie brought some figs the other day- they are very nice- sweet, chewy fruits.
Anyway, Jesus sees this fruit and curses it!
Read v 14.
It looks like Jesus loses his cool (!?)
It appears meaningless and out of character…
It’s triggered off because he was hungry,… and we know what can happen when we’re hungry and there’s no food in the fridge.
(pause)
When he gets to Jerusalem this time, there is no repeat of the reception on day 1.
Jesus goes to the temple (which is the same as day 1).
And Jesus is angry.
What’s going on here with Jesus??
Well again, we must try to understand. We need to put on our Old Testament glasses.
And maybe readjust our understanding of Jesus (and God!) … if we think Jesus is some sort of meek and mild / passive, pale…push over… we’ve got the wrong man!
(pause)
People would come from all over Israel to make sacrifice in the temple.
This was part of their worship to God.
They would travel from all over Jerusalem, and buy their animals in Jerusalem rather than bring them all the way from home.
… we actually know from Jewish writings that there were 4 markets set up for this purpose on the Mt of Olives where people could buy doves and other animals for their Temple offerings.
And what appears to have happened, is that other markets, which were probably introduced by Caiaphas the High Priest, have been set up IN COMPETITION to the traditional Mt of Olives markets.
And these markets have been set up in the temple. And so the temple forecourt had been transformed into an oriental bazaar and cattle mart.
Jesus walks in on this…and he is appalled.
The forecourt of the temple, the court of the gentiles has been taken over…. And now there is nowhere for those who aren’t Jews to come and pray.
(it’s not as though they could go down the street and pray somewhere else… )
Notice, this is Jesus going in to bat for us here… we are the gentile, and it’s a little foretaste of the future, the gospel will go to all the nations.
(pause)
Jesus says too that they’ve made it a den of robbers. The money changers would collect a surcharge- the money changers are corrupt.
The sellers of the animals too have probably inflated the price of their animals.
-> religious leaders using God, using God’s holy place to make money….
Using the church… and preying on vulnerable people for selfish reasons.
Reminds me of James chapter 5, the prophecy against the landowners who are ripping off the poor- “Behold the wages of the labourers who mowed your fields, who you defrauded, are crying out against you”!!!!.
-> And so Jesus drives them out.
(pause)
Jesus who had the day before ridden on a donkey… epitomising humility, now castes people out of the presence of God…
What’s the point about Jesus?
Jesus comes gently, as one to serve, not be served. But he is not weak. And he will not be domesticated by a corrupt and irreligious Jewish establishment.
And he will not tolerate this sort of crass abuse of God’s house.
(pause)
But what about the fig tree???
Well it’s this outburst from Jesus in the temple which helps us understand the fig tree.
The cleansing of the temple is sandwiched between the story of the fig tree. It’s a very clever way of explaining – and the evangelist (Mark) uses the cleansing of the temple as a commentary for the fig tree story.
(pause)
The prophets in the Old Testament frequently spoke of the fig tree in referring to Israel. The fig tree is Israel. (Isaiah 20:1-6; Jer 13:1-11 Ezekiel 4:1-15, and so on.)
And Jesus comes to the city as saviour,… but also with a very great warning. Judgement is also coming.
And it is coming on a city which is very impressive.
Which is very religious.
But which has had it’s insides eaten out of it.
In verse 13, Jesus finds the fig tree in leaf,… it’s appearance from a distance is that this tree is a good tree, BUT>>>> on closer inspection there is no fruit.
And this is just like ISRAEL!!
Just as the leaves of the tree hide fact that there is no fruit on the tree, no fruit to enjoy, SO it is with Israel- the magnificence of the Temple, the shouts of joy at the entry of Jesus, the ENTHUSIASM and RELIGION – conceal the fact that Israel has no faith.
They honour God with their lips but their heart is far from God.
Read Micah 7:1-4.
Jeremiah 8:13.
If there is there to be faith in God, it must be IN THE HEART.
Enthusiasm by the crowds, and here religion, (liturgy, music, great buildings, a big church… can be impressive… But it is nothing without the heart.
And the message is- God will judge.
In fact he will utterly destroy… On the third day (which begins in verse 2), the second half of the fig tree story, we see that the tree has withered away to the roots- complete destruction.
(pause)
Well what is verse 22 and 23 about?
It’s about faith.
Read vv 20-23
Of all the things that Jesus has done… of all the miracles. This is really a small one…
Peter doesn’t have that faith, and it’s obvious because he is surprised at the withered fig tree.
The promise is that if we have faith, we will do much greater things than curse a fig tree.
(pause)
But what’s he talking about?
The telegraph this week was all about the Bali 9…. (Andrew Chan,… Kerobakan prison..).
Did he not have enough faith???….
Jesus is talking about something very different (although just as relevant today, in fact more relevant).
Jesus is talking about a whole new realm of reality.
(pause)
There is an important little piece of information that we need to get here.
Jesus is standing near the Mt of Olives.
In the prophet Zechariah God says that on the last days,… the judgement day, the Mt of Olives will be split in half, and spread apart to form a plain.
In the valley will flow living waters, and that is where the people will go.
And the king of kings will live in Jerusalem.
(Zechariah 14).
These verses are an allusion to that prophecy.
-> Jesus is the messiah, He is the king of kings,… and he is bringing in a new era of salvation.
These are the last days.
And the disciples don’t get it!… and so they can’t get off the starting block.
They don’t have faith because they have failed to understand Jesus’ teaching on the kingdom of God.
They don’t understand that Jesus is the messiah who brings in the last days.
It is out of their experience.
They have been taught (it was in their mothers milk), that kings don’t die, and that what Jerusalem needs is a strong, powerful,… military style leader who’s going to blow the enemies to smithereens.
And it will take a miracle to see it.
But when they enter the new age (for they will), and cross over from serving self, to serving God… their prayers will be answered in the most spectacular of ways.
As they pray for new converts…
As they pray for the growth of the churches…
As they pray for the coming of the kingdom in all its glory.
As they pray for people to turn from sin and darkness, death and hell, to the joy of knowing God our saviour.
As they
But there’s a context to this prayer.
And it is the context of someone who is a new creation.
Verse 25 teaches us that if you want to pray the prayer of verse 23 and 24, you must be part of the new creation, the new people of God.
It’s a little litmus test of that.
(pause)
And so they need to dive into that water.
(pause)
Faith…how hard it is for someone to believe- to be like a little child…
We’re brilliant at making excuses too
-“I don’t like water”..
-“It’s safer to walk thank you… I’ll walk… I’ll sit in the stand and watch”.
-“It’s too cold…”.
Did you know most people read books and only remember what they agree with. Or is that just me???
When most people read they just reinforce inherent prejudices.
And just like with any book, we can do that with the Bible.
You have “theological system”…. in fact we all have a “theological system” (let’s be real….. you have to have one)….
And just like with the Bible, we do it with Jesus, and with God.
We think we know better.
Faith, means believing the God who is there.
And maybe with us, as it is here for the disciples… it’s not a tweaking at the edges… it’s a quantum change.
A new reality that we need to grasp.
(pause)
The problem with their faith- this worldly.
Prestige and fame.
And not the glory that comes through death.
(pause)
The great news for us is that Jesus is trustworthy.
He did die, and after 3 days rise from the dead….
And he is patient with us like a nursing mother… like he is with the disciples. He gives us his Spirit, to overcomes our faithlessness.
Let’s pray.