Jesus Curses The Fig Tree

To understand this story we have to go back to Luke 13.

Here the apostles told Jesus that there were some Galileans who were slain by Pilate. In the ancient days, when something bad happened to someone or a disaster happened to them it meant that they person killed or destroyed were big sinners. Jesus told them that is not the case, and if they did not repent they too would perish the same way.
In this case Jesus was saying if you did not believe in Jesus as messiah and turn away from your sins you too will die the second death meaning no resurrection. Remember the only way we can have eternal life is through believing and accepting Jesus as our Saviour.

The Jews had rejected Jesus as the messiah and Jesus gave them a parable in Luke 13:6 -9
Here Jesus was referring to the Jews, he had walked among then and ministered to them 3 years but they did not accept him and he gave them a little more time to repent and was saying if they don't repent he will give them up to the devil to do as he pleases. It was in 70AD that he gave them up to their conceptions and ideas of the messiah. As a result Rome who represents the devil came over and destroyed Jerusalem. No stone was left unturned as he has told them before.

This will help us understand Mark 11:12-22

Jesus had entered Jerusalem riding on a colt, an animal which simplified peace. The Jews still rejected him and were not happy with him. The next day he left Bethany and on the way he was hungry and saw the fig tree. This fig tree had leaves and usually if a fig tree had leaves it automatically meant there was fruit. No leaves no fruit, so as Jesus moved closer he noticed there was no fruit. Now Jesus was God incarnate but he did not use his power to predict from afar off if the fig tree had fruit. Just like you and me he moved closer only to realize there were no fruits. Then we are told in verse 14 he cursed it so that no one ate fruit from it again.

Remember Jesus and his disciples were on the way to Jerusalem the city that had rejected him as the messiah. He had revealed himself to them 3 years and more but they did not believe. In the previous parable in Luke 13:6-8 Jesus said if it does not bear fruit after one more year then cut it down. With that in mind Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem and curses this fig tree that is no bearing any fruit. In the olden times when something was cursed it meant that thing was judged to eternal death. If a person was cursed it meant that he would never have hope of going to heaven or eternal life. Therefore when Jesus cursed the fig tree he was saying you will never bear fruit and will be lost completely.

The fig tree in this story was a symbol of Jerusalem, Christ was saying that Jerusalem has already been cursed or judged. It had already passed the period of probation and was now condemned to destruction. The fig tree in Luke 13 had been tendered by the gardener one more year but it did not bear fruit and we are told in Mark that Jesus cursed it. Jesus was patient with the Jews in Jerusalem to believe he was the messiah but they hardened their hearts. From afar off you would see the rabbi, pharisees, civilian Jews and the chief priests claiming to obey God and strictly keep his laws. but as you moved closer there was no fruit and he cursed it. If you continue reading on you will notice when Jesus goes to Jerusalem he chases out the people selling and buying in the house of God.

I hope this has opened up your eyes a little about what the cursing of the fig tree was about.