Sunday, October 23, 2016

Sun.’s Devo - Fruitless Israel

Read: John 12:37-50; Mark 11:12-33; Matthew 21:12-27; Luke 19:45-20:8
John explained that the reason the people couldn’t believe Jesus even though they couldn’t deny his miracles was because they didn’t want to be thrown out of the synagogue for they loved the praises of man more than the praises of God. How sad.
Jesus was days from the cross so he was becoming more bold in his preaching. He told them that if they had seen him, they had seen God. He had come to turn the light on in the dark world, but his light was blinding many of them.
On his way back to Jerusalem the next day he saw a fig tree full of leaves but no figs. It was too early for figs yet Jesus cursed it never to bear fruit again. The fig tree stands for Israel. Israel had the laws and had been chosen to be God’s standard on the earth. Israel should have been fruitful because of all God had blessed her with, but she wasn’t. She had dissimulated into the world so much that she had lost her future and her purpose. Jesus cursed her for not being ready for Him.
When they returned the next day and saw the fig tree withered and dead from the roots, Jesus taught them a principle about prayer. Before you declare a thing in faith, you must forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your father in heaven will forgive you.
Next, Jesus cleansed the temple. They had made a great fortune extorting the people with high prices for their sacrifices to God. They had turned the holy house of God into a den of thieves.
When they asked Jesus where he was getting his authority to say and do the things he did, he asked them whose authority John came in. Did he have the blessing of heaven or was he just doing it on his own? They knew better than answer that in the ear of the people so he refused to answer their question. What Jesus was saying was that if you can’t accept the messenger, then you won’t accept the message.
Lord, help us to stay spiritually awake and alive. Let the joy of the Lord be our strength.

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