Mark 11:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.

NIV: Then he said to the tree, 'May no one ever eat fruit from you again.' And his disciples heard him say it.

NASB: And He said to it, 'May no one ever eat fruit from you again!' And His disciples were listening.

CSB: He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again! " And his disciples heard it.

NLT: Then Jesus said to the tree, 'May no one ever eat your fruit again!' And the disciples heard him say it.

KJV: And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

NKJV: In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.

On His morning walk to Jerusalem, Jesus has approached a fig tree to see if it has any fruit available to eat. When it doesn't, He declares that no one will eat from it again. That declaration will turn the tree into a withered mess (Mark 11:20).

Jesus' proclamation isn't the result of low blood sugar-fueled vindication. It is a prophetic illustration. Several prophets in the Old Testament record God comparing a fig tree to Israel, usually when threatening judgment on the nation (Jeremiah 8:13; Hosea 9:10; Micah 7:1–7). Israel's purpose is to show the world a people that worships God alone and is blessed for it. God chose Israel to bring knowledge of Him and salvation to the Gentiles (Genesis 12:1–3).

Instead, the Jewish religious leaders reject both the Gentiles and God's method of salvation. They have allowed money changers, merchants, and people taking a shortcut through town to clog the outer courtyard around the temple (Mark 11:15–16), a space which should be set aside for Gentiles to worship. And they reject Jesus, the one through whom the world will be saved. Israel, like the fig tree, bears no fruit in this season, when fruit is needed, so it will be destroyed.

In AD 70, when the Romans lay siege to and destroy Jerusalem, it will be the end of that Israel and that Judaism, but God will give Israel favor again. The recreation of Israel in 1948 shows that God is on the move—in His own timing, of course. During the tribulation, Israel will be at the center of world conflict. It appears 144,000 Jews will be separated and protected from the Antichrist to evangelize to the world. After the tribulation, in the millennial kingdom, Jesus will reign from Jerusalem (Isaiah 42:1).

Mark 11:12–14 is another example of Mark's habit of placing two related stories around a third, subtly related idea. These connections become clear when the stories are seen together, such as Jairus' sick daughter wrapped around the ''daughter'' with an issue of blood (Mark 5:21–43). Jesus approaches the fig tree and finds it unfruitful, so He judges it (Mark 11:12–14). He then finds the temple corrupt and judges it (Matthew 11:15–19). The next morning, the disciples find the fig tree is dead (Mark 11:20–25), a fate Jerusalem will share in AD 70. Matthew joins both parts of this story of the fig tree in Matthew 21:18–22.

Jesus and the disciples arrive in Jerusalem a week before the crucifixion, and Jesus begins the last days of His public ministry. They spend their nights on the Mount of Olives and their days in Jerusalem (Luke 21:37). Jesus accepts the accolades designed for a king (Mark 11:1–11), attacks materialistic tradition that keeps people from worshiping God (Mark 11:15–19), gives an object lesson about the fate of fruitless Jerusalem (Mark 11:12–14, 20–25), and reveals the Jewish religious leaders' hypocrisy (Mark 11:27–33). Despite the support of the crowd, Jesus is pushing the leaders toward the crucifixion.

The preceding passages included several miracles and lessons from Jesus. These set the stage for the last, dramatic days of His earthly ministry. In this chapter, Jesus enters Jerusalem to great fanfare and openly confronts local religious leaders for their hypocrisy. Over the next few chapters, Mark will continue to record controversial teachings, leading up to Jesus' arrest and early sham trials, recorded in chapter 14.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.