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Jesus's Quality Control By Paul Thompson

Turn with you, will you, to our text this morning in Matthew chapter 21 and I'm going to read Matthew's account.
We've just heard Pete read Mark's account. Now we're going to hear Matthew's account reading from Matthew 21 from verse 18-22.
Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry seeing a fig tree by the road.
He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. And he said to it,
May you never bear fruit again. Immediately the tree withered.
When the disciples saw this, they were amazed.
How did the fig tree wither so quickly? they asked.
Jesus replied,
I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree but also you can say to this mountain,
Go throw yourself into the sea and it will be done.
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
Quality control. How unbearably hard life would be without quality control.
From the food we eat, the liquids we drink, the goods and services we take for granted all give us pleasure and are safe and help us and give us a lifestyle that is the envy of the rest of the world.
Quality control simply is the maintenance of standards of quality of manufactured goods.
A more modern term is quality assurance.
Now in the passage before us we see Jesus doing quality control over the attitudes and actions of people who desire to be in his kingdom.
And we shouldn't be offended by this but often we are.
When someone ruffles our feathers and tells us we have a bad attitude we can easily take offence rather than humbly taking the time to see if they might be right about our wrong attitudes.
And Matthew of course is writing to teach and to prove in his Gospel that God has sent Jesus to be his King.
And as we read Matthew we see Jesus demands to be our King because of who he is and what he does.
Notice Jesus has just rebuked all those who were buying and selling and the money changes in the temple.
Look at verse 13,
And it is written, he said to them, My house will be called a house of prayer but you are making it a den of robbers.
So we shouldn't be surprised that this is fresh in his mind and here he condemns wrong attitudes of hypocrisy.
And he gives his disciples private instruction on right attitudes, right attitudes to prayer.
So our passage is by implication a clarification of what it means for his disciples and us who are his disciples today.
Notice our passage is surrounded by words and acts of judgement.
We have seen this in the passage that Pete has just read us, that this whole section here on the fig tree and faith and prayer,
Mark plonks it right down in the middle of this whole episode of Jesus coming into the temple and rebuking hypocrisy.
So our passage is surrounded by words and acts of judgement.
Firstly the cleansing of the temple reflected in Jesus' expulsion of the merchants and the judgement upon the priesthood
and indeed upon the temple itself.
Secondly the debate over his authority.
We see that in verses 23 through to 27 where the chief priests and elders are indicted for failing to recognise the source of Jesus and John's authority.
And thirdly the three parables from verses 28 through to chapter 22 in verse 14 which combine as a powerful pronouncement of judgement upon Israel.
Now once we understand the context and with Matthew's sets of patches it is relatively easy to understand I believe and I want to suggest what Jesus means and how it applies to us in 2006.
Matthew and Mark are the only writers who include this story in their gospels.
Matthew looks at it as a time based, in a time based way chronologically.
He is concerned with the exact order of events while Matthew is concerned with themes and he is concerned with the theme here of what is King Jesus' quality control
over those who profess to believe in God and Himself and respond in lives of worship.
And the answer King Jesus gives us is his quality control is firstly is over our showy hearts and we see that in verses 18 and 19.
Let's read verses 18 and 19 again.
Early in the morning as he was on his way back to the city he was hungry seeing a fig tree by the road he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves.
See Matthew tells us in verse 17 that Jesus has left the crowd and he went out of Jerusalem to Bethany where he spent the night.
Then as we have just read in verse 18 early in the morning as he is on his way back to the city he is hungry and seeing this fig tree he goes up to it but all there is is leaves.
Now fig trees in Palestine bear three kinds of fruit, the late or autumn figs, green or winter figs and the first ripe figs.
Would you like the second kind on the tree that ripen from June onwards?
Now what's happening here? At first glance it appears that Jesus the Son of God who is all knowing is mistaken.
After all hasn't Matthew just told us that Jesus was hungry and that he went up to a fig tree to see if there was fruit?
Naturally we are tempted to think that he is going to the fig tree for his breakfast but this fig tree is an exception.
It is the time of the Passover, April and it already has all its leaves.
Normally fig trees around Jerusalem get their leaves in March or April but it's not until June when they have all their leaves and the first ripe figs appear.
Mark supplies the solution to our dilemma. It was not the season for figs he says.
Jesus went to the fig tree not expecting to find figs desirable to satisfy his hunger.
How does Jesus react? Well as we have seen in verse 19,
then he said to it, may you never bear fruit again and immediately the tree withers.
The very fact that Jesus pronounced the curse because there is no fruit is a very effective way for him to grab the disciples attention
and to point them to the reason for his action.
And of course the Old Testament prophets frequently used the fig tree and its fruit as images of Israel's relationship to Yahweh and her experience of his judgement.
You see this miracle is an acted parable relating to the cleansing of the Temple.
Jesus did it to jar his witnesses into serious thinking and spiritual probing and that's what King Jesus challenges us to do now.
Although King Jesus offers the disciples no interpretation of the cursing itself he does draw a lesson.
But it concerns a different matter and as they ponder it and relate it to other events and teaching of Jesus' miracles they will come to understand its meaning.
That Yahweh is responding to Israel's unfaithfulness and by implication unbelief.
Her rejection of this King who is Messiah will issue the severest judgement.
She advertised she was fruitful but it was just hypocrisy.
And aren't we often guilty of being just like the fig tree advertising we have leaves when there is no fruit or little evidence we are real Christians?
Brethren in light of this passage I need to examine myself and so do you.
Are we often just leaves as we worship God together here?
The sober reality is that as this cursed fig tree withers never to bear fruit again,
so the present generation of Jews together with their land, their capital Jerusalem and their Temple suffered sudden and irretrievable judgement at the hand of God.
In AD 70 Jerusalem was sacked, razed to the ground by the Romans.
But King Jesus' quality control is not just about showy hearts, secondly it is over our doubting hearts.
Look at verse 20 and 21, when the disciples saw this they were amazed.
How did the fig tree wither so quickly they asked?
Why do the disciples doubt and why do we often doubt God?
Doubt and faith are like oil and water, you can't mix them.
Remember a few chapters back in Matthew 14 when Jesus comes to his disciples?
It's the fourth watch, that's between 3am and 6am in the morning.
It's cold and bleak and strong wind has whipped up the waves.
These toughened sailors are scared, then they see someone walking on the water and they are absolutely terrified.
It's a ghost they say and they cry out in fear, but what does Jesus say to them?
Take courage, it is I, don't be afraid.
Remember what Peter says, transfixed by the wonder before his eyes?
Lord if it's you, there's doubt here.
He's not sure, but he replies, tell me to come to you on the water.
And what does Jesus say?
Come, so Peter gets out of the boat and he walks on the water towards Jesus,
but notice what happens when he sees the wind, he's crippled with fear and doubts and beginning to sink.
He cries out, Lord save me.
And what does Jesus do?
He reaches out his hand and he catches him and he says, you of little faith, why do you doubt?
Isn't that you and I so often?
God sends storms into our lives, big storms sometimes and we see the storm,
but Jesus says, come to me, focus on me, that our hearts flood with doubts
and we go down sinking under the waves and almost drowning and Jesus comes and reaches out his hand
and catches us with the promises of his word.
But look back at verse 21 and notice that rather than dismissing their question,
Jesus uses it as an opportunity to teach them about faith and prayer.
And he now gives us two outrageous examples to motivate them and us to believe and pray.
And the first is the action parable, he's just done.
Verse 21, I tell you that if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree.
Notice firstly the two conditions he gives, have faith and don't doubt.
But notice the incredible promise he gives that the two conditions are met.
Not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, what Jesus is saying is, no my friends, don't doubt.
You can ask God our Father to do the miraculous, the supernatural.
Providing you trust him and don't doubt, it is possible.
Why could Jesus make such an outrageous promise to his disciples and us in turn?
It's because Jesus acted in the conviction, not merely that God would supply the power needed to kill the tree,
but also that God would surely accomplish what this episode symbolises, namely the judging of rebellious Israel.
In other words, the disciples exercise of faith and ours is to be modelled on Jesus' own exercise of faith.
What a motivation and as we shall see, Jesus gives us the faith to believe.
Now notice the second outrageous example King Jesus gives us in verse 21.
But also you can say to this mountain, go throw yourself into the sea and it will be done.
Jesus moves from the figure of the fig tree to this mountain, which in this context must mean the Mount of Olives.
Jesus here is speaking of the removal of this mountain as a conscious allusion, if you like, to the coming of the day of Yahweh,
both for judgment and salvation. A prophecy in Zechariah 14.4 states,
On this day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives will split in two from east to west.
So Jesus' quality control isn't just over our doubting hearts. Thirdly, it's over our believing hearts.
Look at verse 22.
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask in faith. Here is the final outrageous statement Jesus makes.
Here is his punchline, he's wrapping it all up. What are we to make of the promise that is here?
No limit on what we can ask God for, whatever you ask for, and no qualification on God's response.
Matthew says you will receive or Mark says it will be yours. The only condition he gives is it is to be a prayer of faith.
In Mark's account of this passage he records Jesus' command, have faith in God.
And the promise in Mark 11.24 is believe that you have received it.
In the original language the verb received it implies the request has already been granted. Such is the confidence of faith.
Does this mean that we can ask God for anything then? That he is like Father Christmas or Santa Claus who can give us whatever our hearts desire? Of course not.
As we have seen Jesus is speaking of a coming judgement on those who profess to be God's people.
So the petitions we are to request of God must relate firstly to our preservation from his coming judgement.
As it would apply to the disciples that they would pray for preservation from the coming judgement.
So we can plead with God for his forgiveness if we are often just leaves in this church advertising we have fruit, professing we are Christians
when our attitudes and our lifestyles advertise we are just leaves.
If you are like me we need to pray and I need to pray. Oh God help me to repent of being just leaves and developing me the fruits of your spirit,
love, joy, peace, faith and good works so others inside and outside this church will see I am a real Christian.
But we can pray confidently because this King who makes this promise to us has ushered in God's Kingdom and a crucial way his Kingdom is going to be advanced is by prayer.
Didn't Jesus teach his disciples what it is, what is to be the critical plank in their prayer? Thy Kingdom come, thy Kingdom come.
But why is faith imperative to be heard by God? Well it's an insult to God not to believe in him.
God delights to be believed in, it excites him, it gives him the greatest pleasure.
Every father wants their son or their daughter to believe in them. How much more so God our Father?
The writer to the Hebrews says,
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards earnestly those who seek him. Hebrews 11 and verse 6.
Are we born with this belief, this total and utter reliance on God in every area of our life? No, of course not.
We are born believing in ourselves and relying on ourselves and as Christians we must learn more and more to trust this mighty God and trust his Son and the promises in his Word.
God says this faith is his gift to us, it's a revelation of who his Son Jesus Christ is given to us by the Holy Spirit.
And he shows us we are rebels ripe for judgment and consigned to rot in hell but for his amazing grace.
What is to be the pattern of our prayers? It's God's Word, that is his Will for us.
So King Jesus' pattern prayer in Matthew 6, 9-13 which we are all familiar with, let me read it to you.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors and lead us not into temptation but deliver us for evil.
This is to be our model. Notice it is not just about my personal needs but it's about kingdom praying.
Young people, let me encourage you to speak with the older Christians here and get them to tell you how God has miraculously answered their prayers down through the years.
Finally, what then is King Jesus' quality control? It's over our often showy hearts, our often doubting hearts and it's over by God's grace our new believing hearts.
I want to close with two passages, firstly as sober words of King Jesus from Matthew 7, verse 21-23.
Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, didn't we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?
Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you, away from me you evildoers.
Secondly, some words of exhortation from the writer to the Hebrews from chapter 12, verse 1-3.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles us
and let us run with perseverance the race that is marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
If you are not a Christian here this morning, in light of King Jesus' words here, become one immediately.
Ask God to give you the power to believe and to repent.
The Bible declares that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Better to do it now and be safe at his coming than be forced to do it before he uses you to stoke the fires of hell. Amen.
Let's pray, shall we? And then we'll sing our final hymn.
Our God and our Father, these are sober words that pierce into our hearts and expose our inconsistencies, our hypocrisy, our doubts.
Father we pray that you would forgive us where we have only been leaves dear Lord in this church and not a beautiful fruit of your spirit.
Father forgive us for doubting you and Father work by your Spirit that fruit of faith that we might trust you more and more in your Son the Lord Jesus.
And that Lord we might pray in a new way by faith believing dear Lord that you will answer our prayers, that you will bring in your kingdom, that you will call out your sheep, that Lord your will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.