The Fig Tree, Part 2a

Let's pray together. Lord, we are grateful once again for the opportunity we have to dive into the Word of God and to examine what it is you have for us this evening. And we pray, Lord, that our hearts would be open, our ears attentive, and we'd be willing to receive those things that you have for us to learn. We thank you that you have given to us your word and that we can study it and we can learn more about you and who you are and thus better worship you. because of the revelation of Jesus Christ through the Word of God.

Guide us tonight as we receive instruction from your word in Jesus' name. Amen. If you got your Bible, I would encourage you to turn with me to Matthew Chapter 24 as we continue our study on the parables, search lights for the soul.

If you've been with us, we have been studying a multitude of parables, and now we have made our way to the end of our our study, as we will conclude with Matthews 24 and 25, studying the end-time parables, specifically dealing with the time of Christ's return. It's important for us to understand that the parables that Christ give in Matthew 24 and 25 come about as a result of a question that's been asked of him. One simple question, and that question leads to, you know, Christ into a long answer.

Like any good preacher, it takes him a while to answer a very simple question. And Christ spends more time answering this question than any other question posed him during his earthly ministry. And so we are able to understand the importance of the end times by realizing the emphasis that Christ places on this question and how he answers this question. And how he answers this to his disciples. And so we realized that in the disciples' mind, there was something that was uppermost in their mind, knowing that they were at the end of the ministry of Christ, knowing that the crucifixion was right around the corner.

At least that's what he told them. And they believed, to a certain extent, that he was going to die, although they didn't want to accept it. They would ask this question, Matthew 24. Verse number three, as he was sitting on the man of olives, the disciples came to him privately saying, tell us, when will these things be?

When will these things be? You've talked about how our house, it's no longer my house, God says your house will be left to you desolate.

He doesn't call it my house anymore because Iqabod had been written across the temple. The glory of the Lord had departed. So your house is going to be left to you in ruins. It's going to be left to you. It's going to be desolate. The disciples thinking, when is that going to be? And then they say this. And what will be the sign of your coming? In other words, the parosea. When will be the time of your full revelation? When will you be present among us in your full glory? And then this. End of the end of the age.

knowing that the coming of Christ will usher in the end of the age. The coming of Christ is synonymous with the end of the age. Lord, when will these things be? Tell us, Lord, when will you present yourself in your full glory? Lord, when will be the end of the age? That's the question. The last time we were together, we covered three points. We said, first of all, that there was a sermon to listen to.

Christ would answer the question with a sermon, a sermon called the Olivet discourse, Matthew 24, Matthew 25. And not only was there a sermon to listen to, but there would be a savior to look for, and then there would be a story to learn from. That was our introduction last time. For those of you who were not with us, let me briefly cover that with you.

There was a sermon, a sermon to listen to. Christ gives this sermon when he says, see to it that no one misleads you. I like how he introduces this sermon. Why? Because this sermon is greatly misinterpreted this very time or this very day that we live in. What does Christ say in Matthew 24? And Christ begins by saying, make sure that nobody misleads you. And then he gives 10 very descriptive signs. about the end of the age, about the signs that will be seen before his coming. He says, there will be deception, verse number five.

There will be dissension, verses six and seven. There will be devastation, disease, and disaster all in verse number seven. Verse number nine, there will be death. Verse number ten, there will be disloyalty. Verse number 11, there will be delusion. Verse number 12, there will be defection. In verse number 14, there will be a declaration. That's just all summation of the first 14 verses of Matthew 24.

Christ says, beware. But notice what he says in verse 8. These are just the beginning of birth pains. When you see all these things happening, this is just the beginning. You know, when you're ready to have a baby, you have birth pains. They're very infrequent at the beginning. He says all these things, the defection, the disloyalty, the disasters, the dissension within families, the death that will come to people. All those things are just the beginning of the birth pangs. And then in verse number 15, he talks about the abomination of desolation, as is recorded by Daniel the prophet in Daniel chapter 9, verse 10.

number 27. He talks about that abomination. And then he says this, at that time, verse number 16, let those who in Judea flee to the mountains. Why? Because it's at this time that things begin to escalate. And the birth pangs become intense. And they become rapid in their succession, one after another. Things grow with great intensity from this point onward. He says, verse number 21 for then there will be a great tribulation the bible helps us understand that the second half of the tribulational period the last three and a half years is called the great tribulation the tribulation is seven years in its entirety we know that from from daniel chapter nine when we understand the the the 70 weeks in daniel's prophecy each of those weeks is a seven years and of length, and that 70th week also will be seven years in length.

But to understand that, you must realize that the second half of that tribulational period will be greater in difficulty than the first half.

If you read the book of Revelation, you understand that in Revelation chapter 6, when the seals are broken, the man of peace comes on the scene. So the first half of the tribulation begins with peace.

There's going to be peace on the earth. Someone's going to instigate peace in the world. And people are going to look to this man, and he's going to become a, a worldwide ruler and they will look to this man to be their leader. But through all that, there will be wars, there will be rumors of wars, there will be disloyalty and defections and death and disaster and disease and pestilence and all kinds of things happening. And then in the middle of tribulation, there is a great, great desolation in the temple of God and where the Antichrist sets himself up as God and demands to be worshiped as God, so everything then begins to escalate with great intensity toward the latter half.

And Christ says, there's a sermon. You listen to. Here it is. He gives a sermon about the signs of his return. And then he says, there's a savior, though, you need to look for. A savior. He says, verse number 29, but immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the sun of man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth And they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

And he will send forth his angels and a great trumpet. And they will gather together as elect for the four winds from one into the sky to the other. In spite of all it's happening, in spite of all the devastation upon the earth, there is a savior to look for. The return of Jesus Christ, our Lord. And everybody will see him. Everybody will see him. When he came the first time, only a few saw him.

But when he comes the second time, everybody will see him. him everybody will and there will be such enormous events that affect the heavens that you won't be able to miss him and then he says this but there's a story you need to learn from and that's our parable the parable the barren fig tree he says now learn the parable you know you need to circle that word learn montano it's a very important word it's it's a word that that signifies something that becomes the habit part of your life, something that becomes ingrained in your life.

Christ says, I don't want you just hear the parable. I don't want you to just listen from a distance and have it pass by. I want you to grasp it. I want you to get a hold of it. I want you to learn it. I want you to make it a part of your life so much so that it affects everything you do. do. You see, that's the way the return of Christ should affect us. Unfortunately, it doesn't. And the reason it doesn't is because we really are into the here and now, rather than the then and there. We love the here and now.

We love the present. And Christ says, listen, how you perceive my return will affect how you live in the present.

And that's true, is it not? You show me a person who believes in the coming of Christ. You show me a person who believes in the imminent return of Christ, and I'll show you a man whose life is different. Let's give you an exemple. I'll show you a men whose life is a patient life. Really? Yeah, James 5, verse number 8. Be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand? You show me a man who understands the return of Christ, and I'll show ye a patient man. You show me a woman who believes in the coming of Christ, and I'll show you a pleasant woman.

How do you know that? James 5.9. Do not grumble against one another. Brethren, lest you be condemned, behold, the judge is standing at the door. They believe it's coming. They don't have no time to grumble. They don't have no time to complain because Jesus is coming back. I mean, who's got time to complain if you believe that Jesus is coming back, and he's got a home made for you in glory, and things are so perfect up there. Who's got time to grumble about things down here, right? A patient life, a pleasant life.

How about a prayerful life? The Bible says in 1st Peter 4.7, The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and watchful in your prayers. If you believe the end of all things is at hand, if you believe the end of all things is near, guess what? You're going to watch and pray. Not only a patient life, not only a prayerful life, not only a pleasant life, but a productive life. Hebrews 10, 24, says, let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of sun, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching.

You see the day approaching. You believe the day is coming. You believe that Jesus is coming. coming. So what are you going to do? You're not going to forsake the assuming of yourselves together. No, what are you going to do? You're going to learn to come together, to exhort one another, to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. That's somebody who believes in the coming of Christ. Not only that, there is the pure life. The pure life. First John three, two and three, when he is refilled, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure. You show me a person who believes that Jesus could come at any moment. I'm going to show you a person who's committed to live in a pure and holy life. Not only that, how about this? You show me a man who believes in the coming to Christ and I'll show you a man who's able to persevere to the end, the persevering kind of life. Paul would say, what? I've been faithful to the faith. I've been faithful to the fight. I've been faithful to the finish.

Second chapter 4, verse 6 to 8. He says, now there is. what, waiting for me. The crown of righteousness. And not only for me, but for all those who love is appearing. He says, I have been faithful to the end, and what has kept me persevering is knowing that there is a crown of righteousness that awaits me. And not only for me, but for everybody who loves the appearing of Jesus Christ, our Lord. It's no wonder, Jesus said, learn the parable. Learn the story. Make sure you get what I'm about to say.

Make sure you grasp it. Make sure it's a part of your life, Because it will affect everything you do. It will affect everything you say. It will affect how you live. It'll affect how you interact with other people. It'll affect how you develop relationships with other people. It'll affect how you go to church and what you do at church. It'll affect everything about your life. That's why we need to know about the return of Jesus Christ. So by way of introduction, a sermon to listen to, savor to look for, a story to learn from.

That was all last time. Now, this time. Point number two, the instruction. Four very simple points. Okay? Four very simple points about this parable. The instruction about the parable. One is a picture. Two is a principle. Three, a parallel, and four, the promise. Okay? Here it is. Now learn the parable from the fig tree. When its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. Even so you too. When you see all these things recognize that he is near right at the door.

Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away. But my words shall not pass away. First of all, the picture.

He gives a picture of a fig tree. He refers to it when he says that when the branch is already become tender. Look at the fig tree.

And when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know something. You know that summer is near. When the sap in the tree begins to flow. through the branches. It's springtime. It causes them to become tender. It causes them to become swollen. New life is pulsating through the branches and it produces buds that will eventually become fruit. And because the branches are tender, the tree needs to be cared for. So Jesus says, when you see the barren fig tree and you see it begin to bud, when you see the branches become tender.

Note something. Summer is near and summer is the harvest time. That's important. Why? Because we move from the picture to look at the principle.

There's a principle here you need to understand. When the tree begins to produce its fruit that is in the summertime, then that is the time of the harvest. You need to understand that because the time of the harvest, listen carefully. The time of the harvest in the New Testament is representative of the time of God's judgment. How do we know that? Go back with me to Matthew chapter 3. Matthew chapter 3. Listen to the words of John the Baptist. He says this. He says, verse 11, ask for me, I baptize you with water for repentance.

But he who is coming after me is mightier than I. And I am not fit to remove his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy, Spirit and fire. The Holy Spirit was the baptism that would come as a result of his first coming and the fire was the result of his coming the second time that is referring to the harvest time.

That is the judgment time. How do we know that? First number 12. And his winnowing fork is in his hand and he will thoroughly clear his thrushing floor and he will gather his weed into the barn but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. The fire refers to the judgment of God when Christ will sift the good from the bad just as we dissifed for the chaff and the bad, that is the chaff, will be burned up in unquenchable fire. The harvest time is when Christ separates the good from the bad.

That is the summertime. That is the time of fire. Matthew 9. Turn over to Matthew 9. Verse 35. And Jesus was going about all the cities in the villages, teaching their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. And seeing the multitudes, he felt compassion for them because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore, beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out.

workers into his harvest. Jesus says the world is as a harvest, knowing that one day God would bring judgment upon men, and he desired that some people would be sent into the world to warn men of his impending judgment.

Now turn over to Matthew 13. In Matthew 13, if you recall our parable on the wheat and the tears, it speaks of the tears being false believers and the wheat being the true believers and they will grow together until the harvest time or until the time of judgment. And it says in verse number 30, he will allow both to go together into the harvest. And in the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers, first gather up the tears and bind them in bundles to burn them up, but gather the wheat into my barn.

Verse number 40. He says this. He says, therefore, just as the tears are gathered up and burn with four, fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. The son of man will send forth his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all stumbling blocks and those who commit lawlessness and will cast them into the furnace of fire in that place. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Christ says, listen, in the analogy of the fig tree, when Jesus said that the harvest was near, the disciples would understand exactly what he was talking about.

They would have already heard his servants. They would have known about the harvest time. They would have known that summer is harvest time. And when the tree is budding, when the fruit is growing, know that summer is near. And summertime is harvest time in the plan of God is the time where he separates the good from the bad. That is, that's the judgment time for God. That's the principle. With Jesus number three to the parallel, verse number 33 of Matthew 24.

You with me so far? Hang loose, hang loose. It's going to get more difficult for you here in a minute. Anyway, verse number 33, even as you too, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near right at the door. Now here's the parallel. When you see these things happening, what things? The things you just talked about. All these signs. When you see these things happening, when you see the birth pains, when you see the abomination of desolation, when you see the great tribulation, when you see the stellar events in the skies, When you see all those things happening, know this.

The time is near. He's even right at the door, as if he's about to knock on the door, literally bang on the door, literally knock down the door. He's there. He's near. Understand that. Just as the tree with new shoots signifies that the summer is coming, all these signs signal that Jesus is coming. Isn't that good? He is so good, you know, he lets us know when he's going to come. He lets us know. These are the signs of his coming. That's what they asked him. Could you tell us the signs of your presence?

The end of the age? The end of the age is harvest time. The end of the age is when he eschers in his kingdom. That's important. Why? Luke 21, 31, says this. Same parable. He says this, even so you two, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. The kingdom of God is coming. The kingdom of God is near. When you see these things happening, the kingdom of God is near. It's right there. It's right at the door. It's the next thing that's going to happen. They needed to understand that.

Why? Because when man's age comes to an end, the kingdom of Jesus Christ will be established on earth. You can read about it in Revelation 20, verses 4 and 5. The millennial reign of Christ, the one thousand literal, one thousand year literal reign of Christ upon the earth. Revelation 20, verses four and five, will become a reality. Christ will redeem his saints, and for a thousand years he will rule and reign upon the earth. Satan will be bound during that time. Israel will be preserved from her enemies and become the servants of the most high God.

In fact, the book of Zechariah tells us that there will be ten Gentiles on the skirt of every Jew, saying, take us to your Messiah. Take us to your God. and Gentiles will seek the true God. And Jesus says, that is a sign of my coming.

And then he gets a promise. He gets a promise. Here's come to the promise, verse number 34. Ready? Here he comes. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. This promise has become a great problem in evangelicalism today. The question is, who is this generation? I'm glad you asked. And we'll talk about that in great detail in our next session together. Let's pray. Thank you.