Shabbat Shalom everyone. Take your Bibles please and open it to the Gospel of Mark. Today we are in Mark chapter 11. This is the chapter that presents before us Yeshua, the Lord Jesus, our Mashiach, our Messiah, as He is arriving to the city of Yerushalayim in anticipation of becoming the Sacrificed Lamb, the Redeemer, the Savior of sinners. He is going to be the one that is going to give His life a ransom for many. Well in chapter 11 of the Gospel of Mark, we see first of all the fact that He presents Himself to Israel as the King of the nation of Israel. And so please follow me, Mark chapter 11, I'll read the first 26 verses for this ministry meeting for today.

"And when they came to Yerushalayim, unto Beit Pagay, and Beit Oni, at the Mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you. And as soon as ye entereth into it, ye shall find a colt, tied, whereon never man sat, loose him, and bring him. And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? Say ye that the Lord hath need of him, and straightway he will send him hither." And they went their way, and found the colt, tied by the door without, in a place where two ways met. And they loose him.

And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? And they said unto them, Even as Yeshua had commanded, and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him. And he sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way, and other cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. And they that went before, and they that followed Christ, saying, Hoshana, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Hoshana in the highest. Hoshana in the highest. And Yeshua entered into Yerushalayim, and into the temple. And when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the even tide was come, he went out unto Bethoni with the twelve. And on the more, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree afar off, having leaves, he came, if happily he might find anything thereon. And when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves. For the time of figs was not yet. And Yeshua answered and said, Unto it no man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever. And his disciples heard it.

And they come to Jerusalem. And Yeshua went into the temple. And he began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple. And overthrew the tables of the money changers and the seats of them that sold doves. And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer. But ye have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and the chief priests heard it and thought how they might destroy him. For they feared him because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

And when even was come, he went out of the city. And the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance, Sayeth unto him, Master, behold the fig tree which thou cursed is withered away. And Yeshua answering said unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I said unto you that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea. And shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass. He shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any, that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. And I'm going to stop here with verse 26 of this 11th chapter of the Gospel of Mark. Well, beloved brothers and sisters, to refresh our mind, in our previous ministry meeting we saw how our blessed Lord Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, was on the way to the city of Jerusalem, knowing very well what was going to happen to him when he will arrive to the city of Jerusalem.

But while he was on the way, he was the one who was teaching the disciples, instructing the disciples, and all along he knew what was going to happen to him. In our previous chapters, in chapter 8, verse 31, he says, "The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and the chief priests, and the scribe, and be killed; but after the third day he will rise again." In chapter 9, verse 31, he taught the disciples, and he said unto them, "The Son of man is delivered unto the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise on the third day." And then the 10th chapter, which we have gone over in our previous meeting together, there once again, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah reminded the disciples that when they will arrive to Jerusalem, he is going to experience suffering, sorrows, rejection, and ultimately be killed, but he will rise on the third day.

And he said in chapter 10, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribe; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him unto the Gentiles; and they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him; but the third day he shall rise again." So from all this, beloved brothers and sisters, we learned that though he very well knew that he is going to suffer and to be killed ultimately, he never moved for a moment. As a flint, he went all the way, as a solid rock, he went all the way to the city of Jerusalem.

And now finally, in chapter 11, he arrived to the city of Jerusalem. What will he find out? What will the people be like when he will arrive? Will the people accept him? Will they reject him? Will the people of Israel, the Jewish people, acknowledge him as the Mashiach, as the Messiah, and embrace him? Will they ultimately reject him, and eventually, as he has already predicted, that he will die? So notice in this 11th chapter, it's a very moving chapter, because he's not presenting himself as the Messiah of Israel. He's presenting himself now to the nation represented by the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, in a sense, is a city that represents the whole nation of Israel.

Will the nation accept him and embrace him? Well, look what we have before us, beloved brothers and sisters. In the first 11 verses, we have the fact that Yeshua is now presenting himself before Israel as the King of Israel. You know, the promise of a coming king, of a coming Mashiach, was already foretold by our forefathers in so many passages in the Hebrew scripture. And so notice, he is now presenting himself as the king, but now he's preparing himself to appear before the city, before the people of Jerusalem in the first six verses of this chapter. So look what we read. First of all, in verse one, Yeshua and his disciples arrived to Mount of Olives.

Notice that, I'm going to read that. When they came now to Jerusalem unto Bethpage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, he senteth forth two of his disciples. Now notice, they would arrive to the Mount of Olives. He is standing there on Mount of Olives, right below the slope of the Mount of Olives. You have those two little towns. One of them called Beit Peg and the other one called Bethany. In other words, the one Beit Pagei in Hebrew. And Pagei simply means the house of an unripe fig. And the other one called Bethany and that called the house of affliction. So you just imagine this is the mountain of Olives right across the Kidron Valley below.

And going up the mountain, you see the Temple Mount, which is today, of course, occupied by other buildings. But you can just look back in your mind and envision 2,000 years ago, Yeshua the Messiah is now ready to present himself before Israel as the king of the nation. And here we see him viewing Mount Moriah, viewing the Temple Mount, arriving to the mountain called Mount of Olives. Mount of Olives, in Hebrew, Har Hazetim. It was a mountain that he spent many times there. He taught there on Mount Olives. He prayed there on Mount Olives. He preached there on Mount Olives. The Olivet Discourse. He taught there for Mount Olives.

This is a place that he spent much time. In fact, Beit Page and Bethany, specifically Bethany or Beit Oni, is the house where Eliezer, Lazarus in English, Eliezer in Hebrew, Miriam and Marta lived. And many times he had spent a visit with Eliezer, Marta and Miriam, her sister. In fact, on this place called Bethany or Beit Oni in Hebrew, you remember he raised from among the dead Eliezer, Lazarus. And he says, Lazarus, come forth. It is right here on the slopes of this mountain, while the whole mountain itself is called Har Hazetim, the Mount of Olives. Now he is ready to present himself before our nation, the nation of Israel.

And so what does he do? According to verse 1, he is sending two of his disciples to go to the close-by town in order that they will bring to him a cult that was prepared for him. And so in verses 2 and verse 3, Yeshua instruct these two disciples to go and bring a cult to him upon which he will be sitting down and beginning his journey down from the slope of Mount Olives through the Kidron River and all the way up to Mount Moriah, because he is going to go into the temple which stood at the time where Yeshua came at his first coming. So notice these two interesting verses.

He said unto them, verse 2, Go your way unto the village over against you, and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a cult. That word for cult in Hebrew is air or aton. It's a young donkey. But notice he said, ye shall find a cult. And he added these words, Whereon never a man set. Loose him and bring him. And if any man will say unto you, why do you do this? Ye will say, the Lord has need of him, and straightway he will send him hither. Now it is so amazing that Yeshua, the Messiah, was the one that gave us the word of God.

We know that God gave us the scripture by divine inspiration. And through the Hebrew prophets, again and again, predicted that the Messiah will come one day. That at his first coming, he's going to be riding on a donkey, presenting himself in humility before the nation of Israel. Now we read, by the way, the prophet Zechariah. Zechariah wrote about 500 or so years before the Messiah came. And look what Zechariah said, predicting the first coming of the Messiah. Notice again, Jerusalem is mentioned. Zechariah chapter 9 and verse 9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king cometh unto thee. He is just, notice, having salvation.

But then he adds, he is lowly and he is riding upon an ass and upon a colt, the fall of an ass. You see, the prophet Zechariah predicted that when the Messiah will come at his first coming, he will come in humility. He will not come in power and in authority and in rulership as he will come in his second coming. But he will come in humility. As Zechariah predicted by divine design, he says, rejoice, Jerusalem. Rejoice, daughter of Zion. Your king is coming. But when he is going to come, he is going to be the one that will come to accomplish salvation. And he is humble, he is lowly, and he is riding upon a colt, upon a donkey.

Now, can you imagine, beloved brothers and sisters, how the word of God is being fulfilled before the eyes of the nation of Israel, waiting for the Messiah to come. There was a messianic anticipation. The people of Israel were longing for a coming Messiah to relieve them from the oppression that they were under the Roman occupation in the land. They were longing for the Messiah. And when he came, as we will see it in a moment, they didn't quite recognize him and accept him as the king of Israel, the king of the Jews. So Zechariah predicted it and Yeshua fulfilling it. Zechariah looked at the coming of the Messiah, at his first coming, in humility.

And Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, is unfolding before the people of Israel the fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah. So we read here in verses 2 and 3, go to that city, to that town. You will find a colt, and notice it says here, where we never a man sat. Now, I was pondering this expression. You know, a donkey is a stiff neck. It reminds us of humanity. And the human race will not let God lead them, and God take charge over them. The donkey is a representation of humanity, rebellious, disobedient. And a donkey that has never man sat upon is a donkey that if you will sit upon that donkey, he will kick.

He will throw you off him. He will not allow you until you break him. And then he is able to allow for you to sit on him. But here it is amazing how the Bible is so rich. Because here we can see that when they brought that donkey to him, even though that colt was a colt that was not trained, yet the master can sit on him and control him because he would listen to the Messiah, the servant of Jehovah, and will allow him to take him on the way to the city of Jerusalem. So, notice how wonderful. They have gone. Verses 4, 5, and 6. In Mark chapter 11, verse 4 said, They went their way.

They found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met. They loosed him. And indeed a certain of them that stood there said to them, Why do you lose the colt? And they said unto them, even as Yeshua had commanded, and they let them go. Now, you can see that he knows everything ahead of time. He's telling to the two disciples, he says, I know what's going to happen. You're going to find a colt there. And I know that somebody will ask you, Why are you losing the colt? And you will tell them the master is looking for him. Yeshua wants him.

And they will allow you to take their colt to bring it to the Lord Jesus, the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, in full control. Even though he's soon going to be taken and be rejected and be crucified and die on a Roman cross, yet he's in full control. You know, the beginning from the end, the end from the beginning, and he's still moving forward towards the city of Yerushalayim. And so in the next verses, beloved brothers and sisters, verses 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, now Jesus the Messiah presenting himself before the people of Israel as the King of Israel. Now I want to pause here for one more thought before we're going to move along.

I would like you to turn with me to Daniel chapter 9. In the book of Daniel, the prophet Daniel received a revelation from the Lord, from God. God said to Daniel through the angel of how things will come to pass with respect to the restoration of the people of Israel. And so Daniel, we read in chapter 9, in verse 24, the angel Gabriel, speaking to Daniel, and he said, Daniel, 70 weeks are determined upon your people. Your people is Israel. And upon your holy city. Your holy city is the city of Jerusalem. In other words, 70 weeks, this is 70 times 7, 490 years Daniel is determined upon your people when they are finally going to be restored as a nation.

And then he tells him, those 77 or 490 years, what they will accomplish. In verse 24b, it says, to finish transgression, number one. To make an end of sins, number two. To make reconciliation, number three. To bring everlasting righteousness, number four. To seal up the vision and prophecy, number five. And to anoint the most holy one, or the temple. He gave him sixfold things that will be accomplished after 490 years that determine upon the people of Israel. And then Daniel was told by the angel, in verse 25, that the beginning of the 490 years will be, verse 25 of Daniel chapter 9, "Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem unto the Messiah, the prince shall be seven weeks and three score and two weeks.

The street shall be built again and the wall even in troublous time." And after, verse 26, 486 years, he says, "The Messiah shall be cut off." Now, Daniel was told by the angel, Gavriel, that certain amount of years will pass by until the time will come where the Messiah will be cut off. In other words, he prepared Israel through the prophet Daniel that the Messiah will have to die after a certain amount of years and eventually accomplish redemption and salvation for Israel and as well for the nations of the world. And so we understand, beloved brothers and sisters, that we are here in Mark chapter 11, that the time has arrived for the Messiah to give his life a ransom for many.

And so I'm back in Mark chapter 11, after we read Daniel 9, we also read Zechariah chapter 9 and verse 9, "And we see him calling that colt to come. They brought that little donkey." And now notice what we read in verse 7 on. We find that the people placed garments on the colt and set Yeshua on that little donkey. Notice that verse 7 I'm reading here. "And they brought the colt to Yeshua. They cast garments on him and he set upon him." That colt. Now to remind you that that colt never man set on him. And that donkey represents the human race. Rebellion. In lack of submission. And disobedience. We're going to see it in a moment.

And that's the reason why the Messiah had to come down to this world. And if that colt represents the human race, we can see that the Lord is able to tame this donkey and eventually sit on that donkey and began his ride, his travel from Mount of Olives down the slopes, crossing the Kidron Valley and climbing up to Mount Moriah where the temple in Jerusalem once stood. But he sat on the donkey. The donkey submitted to Yeshua the Messiah. No rebellion. He didn't kick. He didn't throw him off his back. It shows us that the animals will listen to the Messiah. But men, because of sin, is still rebelling against him.

So he sat on the donkey as it says here in verse 7. And notice he began now his journey, his travel towards the city itself. So in verses 8, 9 and 10, "Then the multitude of Israel cried out." Look at this amazing cry that we find in these verses. "Many spread their garments in the way. Others cut down branches of the trees and strolled them in the way." You see what they did? They cut branches. They lay it before the Mashiach, Yeshua, as he is sitting on that donkey. And in a sense, they are showing to them that these people who were obeying him, shows to everyone he is the one that is going to be the king of Israel.

We are in a sense, some call it the triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem. They cut trees. They cut trees. They straw them in the way. Even their clothes, some of them spread their garments in the way, and they allow him to walk over them as he walked all along the way towards the city of Jerusalem. And what do they say? Beloved brothers and sisters, notice in these verses, they are quoting the word of the Lord. I want to remind you that these were the people of Israel. They didn't have any testament written down in their hands, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, was living in their midst. They have the Tanakh, the Hebrew Scriptures, in their hands. And those that believed on him understood to the measure of light that they had that he was that promised king of Israel. I want to read just the verse in Matthew chapter 21. We read in verse 5, "Tell ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king cometh unto thee, meek and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the fall of an ass." This is quoting what the people said as they were reading Zechariah chapter 9 and verse 9. And you can just imagine what it must have been. Branches are cut.

Branches are placed on the ground. The covering, the clothes of the head of many of them who believed on him, they laid it on the ground and allowed Yeshua, the Messiah, step upon it as he's going towards the city of Jerusalem. And notice the cry. In verse 9 of our chapter, "They went before him and after him, and they cried saying, Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Hosanna means save now. Hosanna, save, please save, Hosanna. And then they said, "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Baruch haba b'shem Adonai. We read in verse 10, "Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, David, that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest." Now you see, brothers and sisters, those that cried these statements about Yeshua, the Messiah, were those who anticipated the coming of the Messiah. They read the word of God, and they understood from Zechariah chapter 9, and from Daniel chapter 9, and from the book of Psalms, that when the Messiah is going to come, he's going to ride on a donkey, he will enter into the city of Jerusalem. And they were quoting what the psalmist of Israel has said, "Baruch haba b'shem Adonai, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." They were quoting what the people, the psalmist of all and the writers of all, were writing in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Turn with me to Psalm 118. This is the passage which these men and women, of course, who believed that Yeshua was the Messiah, they were the ones who were quoting what the Hebrew writers were speaking. And notice that. How wonderful to see the fulfillment that was spoken by the prophets of all. The psalmist, of course, is a prophet as well. And he prophetically wrote in Psalm 118, in verse 22, "The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone of the corner." This is the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

"Save now." Here's that word. "Hoshana." "Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord." "O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity." Verse 26. "Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord." "Baruch haba b'shem Adonai." They were literally reading the text from the word of God or at least knowing it by heart. And they were crying this aloud. And they were proclaiming to all that the Messiah has come. "Baruch haba b'shem Adonai." "This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." Now, let me just clarify here that one of the biggest problems that Israel have had in past history and still today is not understanding that when a Messiah will come, he will have two appearings.

He will come once in humility in order that ultimately he will become the sacrificial lamb. He will be coming the first time to be rejected and despised by men. But he will also come a second time and he will be a ruler, a king of kings and Lord of lords. But you see, these people who cried for this assume that when he is now coming, he is going to establish the Messianic kingdom and Israel will be delivered from the Roman oppression and he will establish that which was promised by the prophets of Israel. They did not quite understand and grasp the fact that he must suffer and die before he will take the place as the king of Israel.

So, even though they cried, they quoted the Hebrew scriptures as we read. "Hoshana!" "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." "Blessed be the kingdom of our father David that cometh in the name of the Lord." "Hoshana in the highest." They were longing for the restoration of the nation and the establishment of the kingdom of our father David. "God promised to David that in a future day he will raise up a man and this man will receive a kingdom which shall never end." David received that promise. "And that his throne will remain forever." "And that his kingdom will never ever have an end." David received that promise.

"These Jewish men, women, boys and girls who have cried this cry were hoping that the coming kingdom that was promised to our father David." "Hoshana in the highest." "Saved now." "Deliver us now." "Bring about the promised kingdom." "That's what they desire from the Lord." Well, we know very well that before this kingdom can be established there must be a condition suitable for the king to be received and not to be rejected. Repentance of the nation. The confession of the nation that they have sinned against God is necessary in order for the kingdom to be established. And so notice that Yeshua now finally as it says here in verse 11 Yeshua enter in Jerusalem and into the temple and notice that beloved brothers and sisters when he finally have arrived to the temple in Jerusalem and does this again.

He had been there many times but now it is, you might say, the last days. A few days later he's going to be killed and he's going to be crucified on a Roman cross and he will die as he had predicted. So he's entering finally into the temple. Notice verse 11. When he had looked round about notice that upon the old things and then it was already evening he went out back to Bethany with the twelve disciples. Let me show you to see in our mind how it happened. He's walking the people coming down on the slopes on the Mount of Olives. cutting branches. They are laying the branches on the ground.

They take their garments they put it on the ground and he's riding all the way down sitting upon a donkey upon a colt. He's crossing the Kidron Valley and he began to go all the way up to the Mount Moriah where the temple once stood. He finally arrived to the temple there on Mount Moriah and when he arrived he's looking around. And as he's looking around he's in a sense inspecting. Is Israel waiting for the Messiah and ready, prepared for the coming of the King? He's inspecting the condition that existing right there and then in the temple in the city of Yerushalayim. And you notice it is amazing to see how verse 11 clearly says that he looked around.

He looked around upon all things in a sense he's examining to see what went on there in the temple in the city of Jerusalem. And you know brothers and sisters the inspection that he did there in the temple remind us how God is viewing the condition of his people. You know God does inspect how do God's people conduct themselves. He's observing to see how they behave. In past history he inspected how the people of Israel have behaved and if they were ready for the coming of the Messiah for the coming of the King. and I would like to suggest that he is inspecting today the manner and the behavior whereby you and I behave today.

In the book of Revelation we have the Lord is observing the condition of the seven churches of Asia Minor from Ephesus all the way to the Laodicea and he is observing he is inspecting and he is seeing what is the condition that is existing here in this locality. Are the people of God ready? Are they living for me? Is their heart right with God? And so he is inspecting. He came he finally arrived to the city of Jerusalem and he is inspecting the condition that existed there of the people of Israel. Now, we did not read that in the Gospel of Mark but in the Gospel of Luke we learned that Yeshua knew very well the condition of the people of Israel when he came at his first coming.

As he coming down the slopes of Mount of Olives and going up to the Mount Moriah he cried that cried it's found more than once in the Gospel of Luke. Listen to that. He said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem which killeth the prophets and stoneth them that are sent unto thee. How often you can hear the heart of the Lord. How often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen does gather her brood under her wing but ye would not. he said to them behold your house shall be left unto you desolate and verily I say unto you ye shall not see me until the time when you will say blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

You see he knew the condition that existed among the people our own nation in those days when he came at his first coming. and he cried he longed to restore the people of Israel. O Yerushalayim Yerushalayim which killeth the prophets and stoneth them that are sent unto thee. How often would I have gathered you as a hen gathered her chicks but you do not want to be gathered. In other words there was a rebellion that existed in the time of the first coming of the Messiah. Look at another verse in Luke 19 another very interesting verse which Yeshua as he coming down the slopes of Mount Olives and going up to the Mount Moriah in chapter 19 of the Gospel of Luke verses 41 42 and 43 it says listen to that.

When he was come near he beheld the city and he wept over it. And he said if thou hadst known even thou at least this thy day for the days shall come upon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compass thee round and keep thee in on every side and they shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee and they shall not live in thee one stone upon another because thou knewest not the time of your visitation. you can just imagine beloved brothers and sisters here Yeshua coming down going up to the Mount Moriah entering into the temple and on the way he is weeping.

He is crying and he said oh if you only knew the day of your visitation but you do not know. And he already predicted as he was approaching the city of Jerusalem it says in Luke 19:45 he went into a temple and he began and that's what we are going to read here in our chapter in the Gospel of Mark when he finally arrived to the city of Jerusalem he found the reality the true condition that existed in the temple in the city of Jerusalem. But he wept over the people. He wept over the city. He longed to have gathered the people back to himself. That's the wonder of the love of the Mashiach for Israel the nation but also the love of God towards all the nations of the world.

The Lord Jesus the Lord Yeshua came to accomplish the work of redemption. So back please to Mark chapter 11 and from verses 12 all the way to verse 14 we find out that the Lord is actually pronouncing judgment on a fig tree which is really representing the people of Israel.

notice and I'm reading in verse 12 and on the more now it's the second day he went back to Mount of Olives to Bethany he's coming again now and on the more when they were come forth from Bethany he was hungry and seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves leaves he came happily that he might find anything thereon and when he came to it he found nothing but leaves for the time of the figs was not yet was not yet and Yeshua answered and he said unto it he was speaking to the tree no man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever and his disciples heard this now these three verses are interesting because now

we find out that he shows us through this symbol this picture of the fig tree he shows us that there was no fruit that he wanted to see from his own people he expected that when he gonna come he will find fruit for God represented by the fruit on that fig tree and remember his disciples follow him and as they follow him he's teaching them spiritual lessons and so on the morrow he see a fig tree on the way from Bethany into the city of Yerushalayim and he's coming nearer and nearer and nearer to the fig tree what does he see only leaves but no fruit no figs and so you know what he does

he pronounce a judgment on that tree he's speaking to the tree he's saying to the tree in verse 14 no man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever his disciples observed what he was saying now again there is a great lesson here beloved brothers and sisters you see God is expected fruit from Israel Israel were the chosen people Israel had the responsibility to be a light to the nations to the nations of the world and as long that they were submissive to God through godly men as Moshe as Joshua and all those men of all the godly men they could be a testimony to the world but when they departed from the Lord there is no

fruit for God there is no figs only leaves and I don't want to only look at Israel in a negative way it speaks to us about the assembly the church the ecclesia as long the days merely external profession without inner reality God is not pleased with it he demand fruit from his people that will be a blessing to the world around him he comes he arrived to the tree what he says nothing but leaves when I read about the fig leaves it reminds me of Adam in the garden of Eden when sin came in he and Eve cover themselves with fig leaves represent human works not divine works represent man's achievement an external appearance without

inner reality that's what we really learn here from this passage and how we can apply this to ourselves when we are not bringing fruit for God we only have nothing more than just leaves without any fruit the apostle Paul says in Galatians chapter 5 verse 16 walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh he continued on and he speaks about the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Holy Spirit of God in the same fifth chapter of the book of Galatians no fruit nothing but leaves it represents the fact that God did not receive from Israel the fruit that he intended from them to give for him

as God many times do not receive the fruit from the church from the body of Messiah from whom he is expecting to receive fruit for himself so notice now what Yeshua does Yeshua in verses 15 16 17 and 19 after pronouncing judgment upon the fig tree Yeshua now cleansing the temple in the city of Jerusalem can you imagine beloved brothers and sisters where the temple of God became now a place where there was merchants buying and selling and business and all these kind of things that existed in the house of God and so we read in verse 15 they come into Jerusalem arrive again in Jerusalem and what does he do?

he began to cast them out the one who sold and bought in the temple and he overthrew the tables and the money changers and the seats of them that sold doves and he would not suffer that any man would carry any vessel therein you see he is coming what does he see? buying and selling money changers what was done there instead of using the house of God Beit Hamikdash to be a place of praises that would rise up to God's nostrils there was that which is done religiously you know buying and selling and changing money and all these kind of things around in the midst of God's people and instead of being occupied with God and it become like a place where business transactions have been carried on and notice that he turned over the seats of them that sold doves why does the word doves mention there?

because there were also lambs sold there and other animals doves are the little birds that only the poor could afford to come and to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord according to the book of Leviticus god have allowed the poor who could not afford to bring maybe a lamb calf to offer those doves upon the altar if you remember when Yeshua the Messiah was born that his mother Miriam in Luke chapter 2 and his father Yosep his stepfather they brought these doves to the temple Luke 2 in other words you can see the heart of the Lord for the poor for the ones who are unable to provide for themselves while the rest are

buying and selling and changing money and continuing on right in the middle of the temple of God in the city of Yerushalayim and so the Lord was unhappy apparently it was not only the external condition that represented by the fig leaves that had only leaves but apparently when you come into the temple itself internally he see the condition that things were just not right and so we find out that he turned the tables he overthrew them the seats the money changers and so on that was sitting there and selling and buying and then in verse 17 we read that Yeshua proclaimed the word of the Lord through the prophets he taught them and he said

unto them is it not written my house shall be called of all nations a house of prayer but ye have made it a den of thieves you see the temple Beit HaMikdash was given to Israel the nation to be a place where Israel will lift up their voice in prayers and praises to God and the many of the nations of the world will come into this temple and lift up the name of the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob but look what happened when the people were not right in their spiritual state the house my house it is written he is quoting Isaiah 56 my house shall be called of all nations the house of

prayer Beit Tfilah a house where the people who will believe on me will lift up their voices and cry to me with all their needs and lift up my name in the temple of God in Beit HaMikdash but look what happened you have made it a den of thieves quoting Jeremiah chapter 7 and verse 11 in other words you have turned around that which I have intended the temple to be and instead of using the house of God as a place of prayer and praise you have made it a den of thieves in fact beloved brothers and sisters he exposed the condition of the people at that time by charging them and challenging by the

way this was not the first time that he cleansed the temple he have already done so according to John chapter 2 in the early days of his ministry and now in the last days of his ministry he cleansed it once again in John 2 and verse 16 he have done the very same thing three or three and a half years earlier now that he is just about to become the Lamb of God the Mashiach the sacrifice he is cleansing the temple once again and saying my house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer but you have turned it into a den of thieves you know that shows us that Israel the nation

was not ready to accept the Messiah in repentance and turn around and him reigning over them as the king of Israel but we know that it was not possible because the Messiah had to die for sin sin had to be paid for and therefore in the next verses you can see that we are heading on towards the time that Yeshua will give his life as a ransom for many and so I am moving along from here on beloved brothers and sisters verses 18 and 19 the spiritual leaders this is the scribes and the chief priests sought how they might slay him and destroy him he knew what was going to happen he predicted that he

said behold we go up to Jerusalem and the son of man shall be delivered this is chapter 10 and verse 33 he will be delivered unto the chief priest and unto the scribe they shall condemn him to death and they will deliver him unto the Gentiles and they shall mock him scourge him spit upon him and ultimately kill him and on the third day he will rise again so here we can see the fulfillment of what he has already said to the apostles so now the scribes are angry they are not happy the chief priests are not happy at all we read in verse 18 they sought how they might destroy him for they feared

him because all the people were astonished at his doctrine the ordinary Israelis specifically the people who came from the Galil they already were overwhelmed with the person of Yeshua the Messiah but the leadership is the one that were not happy with the fact that he was acknowledged by the people they were afraid of the people because the people were astonished at his teaching he didn't teach like the scribes like the chief leaders of Israel he was the man of God who presented the word of God in humility and in authority so in the last verses beloved brothers and sisters verses 20 to 26 after he pronounced judgment on the tree which represented the nation of

Israel and also publicly denounced the fact that they had made the house of God like a den of thieves he's publicly declared that judgment is going to come upon the nation who did not accept the Messiah at his first coming and so in verses 20 to verse 26 Yeshua teach the disciples of the importance to believe God and to follow after him and so look at this passage and I think this is very precious because Yeshua shows us here that in spite of Israel failure in spite of Israel disobedience eventually it is important to learn the truth of forgiveness God ultimately intends to forgive and restore Israel after he will first of all discipline them

and finally let me just read those verses for us verse 20 it says in the next morning this is now the third day as they as they passed by they saw the fig tree it was dried up from the roots and Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him master behold the fig tree which you cursed is withered away you see the fig tree was cursed earlier now the following day they are coming what do they see that the fig tree is now withered away and because the fig tree here is a representation of the nation of Israel the testimony of Israel to the world which God called Israel to be a lie to the Gentiles

or lagoim it will wither away temporarily until ultimately when he will forgive Israel in a future day and restore them to the place of blessing and a testimony for him here in this world so Peter said look the tree that you cursed is withered away and Yeshua now explaining to them in verse 22 on and notice how it's almost like it's out of context but the context is here he said to them in verse 22 Yeshua said unto them have faith in God for verily I say unto you that whosoever shall say unto this mountain be thou moved and be thou cast into the sea and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe

that those things which he says shall come to path he shall have whatsoever he saith therefore I say unto you what things soever ye desire when ye pray believe that ye will receive them and ye shall have them Peter disciple have faith in God change your ways don't have this way that I saw the nation at my first coming you have a different lifestyle you have faith in God and you will see that you will eventually be blessed now some people took this verse that he says you know if you will pray you want to cast this mountain to the sea it's going to happen now listen God does not want us to rearrange the

universe we're not going to say the mountain and I want you to move to the sea and this sea I want you to move to this side no but it's mountains of challenges and conflict that exist in our lives beloved brothers and sisters the life of God's people involve many mountains of conflict and challenges and it is possible with the Lord's help if we have faith in God to receive a response from him if we only believe you remember what our pastor Paul said I can do all things through the Mashiach which give me strength Yeshua Jesus said in John 15 without me ye can do nothing faith in the God of the Bible the

God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah is essential if we are going to be successful in overcoming mountains of conflicts and problems in our lives and finally brothers and sisters listen to this and with this I'm going to close for this meeting verses 25 and 26 the essential need of forgiveness when we are asking from God in prayer to help us and to answer our prayer and when you stand praying he's saying to the disciples and to those who followed him forgive if he have ought against any that your father which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses but if he do not forgive neither will your father which is in heaven

will forgive your trespasses now reading this passage I was saying to myself wait a minute it seems to be out of context it doesn't seem to fit the whole event that happened here he's coming to Jerusalem was not in a condition to accept the Mashiach and then the Lord said to them you have made my house a house of thieves instead of having it a house of prayer you are not ready to by the fig tree representing the nation who will wither away temporarily and not be a testimony for the Lord until the future day and if you read it in the context you see that he is applying this as well to a future

day when Israel eventually will be forgiven and a restored nation in a future day as the prophet Hosea said bear with me and I'm done Hosea chapter 14 verse 1 O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou has fallen by thine iniquity take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips the praises of our lips the offerings of our lips ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses neither will we say any more to the work of our hands ye are our gods for for for in thee the fatherless find

mercy I will heal their backsliding God is saying of Israel I will love them freely God is saying of them for mine anger is turned away from him I will be as a dew unto Israel he shall grow as the lily and cast forth his roots as a Lebanon his branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the olive tree and his smell as the Lebanon they that dwell under the shadow shall return they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine the scent the rough shall be the wine of Lebanon God though judging Israel declaring the day will be the one that will be cursed for that season because of the

rejection of the Messiah at their first coming in a future day Israel eventually will return to the Lord and ultimately will be a blessing to the world in the coming day and so beloved brothers and sisters this passage deal with the presentation of the Messiah as king of Israel but misunderstood by the nation and eventually despised and rejected and he will go to the cross where he will become the lamb of God which take away the sin of the world well may the Lord bless his word