Spiritual Fruit from God - Matthew 21:18-46

These events come on the heels of Jesus cleansing the temple. The “chief priests and elders,” who were supposed to be the spiritual leaders of Israel, were not upholding the Word of God or protecting the worship of God. And they did not recognize or embrace the Son of God. They boasted to be the ones who knew God and could explain his will to others.

But Jesus saw through it and he wanted his disciples to see the consequence of such behavior.

So he gives them an illustration they won’t forget. Starting with verse 18, Jesus is hungry, and he sees a fig tree with green leaves on it. But when he goes over to the tree, he finds that it’s barren. It looks like it should be fruitful, but a closer look reveals no fruit. And so he curses the tree and it dies.

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Critics sometimes accuse Jesus of being vindictive or mean for this. Why would Jesus do this? Well, his disciples are more interested in how he did it. And when they ask, his response is similar to what he has said before in Matthew. If you have a request of God that aligns with his will, and you faith in him, then when you pray, God will do it. “Moving mountains” was a metaphor often used for overcoming great difficulties. Jesus told them this previously when they couldn’t heal someone. The apostles never moved mountains, but they did other impossible things by the power of God. How Jesus killed the tree was by the power of God.

But why did he do it? To show that those who advertise spiritual fruit from God but do not produce it will be cut down.

These verses reminded me of a song. Johnny Cash recorded a version of it near the end of his life. It’s called “God’s Gonna Cut You Down.” “Go tell that long tongue liar, Go and tell that midnight rider, Tell the rambler, The gambler, The back biter, Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down.”

Some weeks ago we looked at Matthew 7 where Jesus speaks about false teachers.

He says, [15] “Beware of false prophets...[16] You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? [17] So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. [18] A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. [19] Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

This dead tree will be cut down and burned. In the same way, God is going to cut down these unfaithful religious leaders. If anyone should be bearing spiritual fruit from God, shouldn’t it be the spiritual leaders? Maybe you’re wondering, “What is this spiritual fruit?” Well, the book of Genesis shows that from the beginning, humans have depended on fruit from God to live. In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve ate from trees provided by God. And repeatedly in the Scriptures, this parallel is drawn between people and fruit-producing plants. Each of us is like a tree.

In Jeremiah 17, in the OT, the prophet Jeremiah wrote: [5] Thus says Yahweh: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man...whose heart turns away from Yahweh. [6] He is like a shrub in the desert...He will dwell in the parched places of the wilderness…[7] “Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh… [8] He is like a tree planted by water...and does not fear when heat comes...and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” People are like trees that bear fruit. Some bear good fruit, some bad fruit.

But what is the fruit? Well, it’s true that the things you say and do are the fruit you produce. But the apostle Paul helps us look deeper. In Galatians 5, Paul describes the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He says that if a person is led by the Spirit of God - basically if they submit to the control by God’s Spirit over them, these things will be produced in and through them: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, (and) self-control.”

The person who trusts in God is like a tree bearing this good fruit. The religious leaders advertised good fruit, but they didn’t bear any. Notice verse 23. Jesus is teaching in the temple, and they ask from where does his authority come? What makes Jesus think he can come into the temple flipping over the tables where worship was being turned into a money-making scheme? Who gave him the authority to heal people or stand in the temple and teach from God’s Word? Jesus was not trained in their schools. He didn’t have their credentials. He was a carpenter.

In reply, Jesus brings up the late John the Baptist. John was commonly seen as a prophet from God who preached and baptized by the authority of God before he was put to death by the evil king Herod for speaking against against Herod’s immorality. All John did was speak things already clearly stated in the law of God, things that king Herod should’ve already known. Why should he have known them. Deuteronomy 17 says that when a king, “sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. [19] And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them.”

John preached the truth to king Herod, and the chief priests and elders should’ve had his back.

But instead, they remained quiet and left John hanging out to dry by himself. Look at verse [25], Jesus asks them, The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ [26] But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” [27] So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.”

They plead the 5th. But in that moment, they had an opportunity. They had an opportunity to bear good fruit. Have you ever had a moment when you could’ve done or said what you knew was right, but you didn’t? You could’ve shown humility or love. You could’ve born good fruit.

“You can run on for a long time, Run on for a long time, Sooner or later God'll cut you down.”

Well, Jesus won’t answer their question, but he’ll tell them a story. A vineyard owner had two sons. And to both the man said, “Go and work in the vineyard today.” Two different responses. One refuses to go, but later changes his mind and obeys. The other makes like he’s going to obey, but really he doesn’t. He advertises obedience, but he doesn’t deliver. He gives the appearance of good fruit, but close inspection shows none. Notice at verse 31. Jesus asks the religious leaders, [31] Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. [32] For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him.

Why didn’t they believe him? He said what was true. But in pride they hardened their hearts. Verse 32 says, And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him. You had time to think about it and reconsider, but you would not “change your mind.”

The Bible has another way of saying “change your mind.” Do you know what it is: Repent.

We enter the kingdom of God through repentance and faith, which leads to spiritual fruit from God in our lives, but which also is spiritual fruit from God. Repentance and faith are spiritual fruit from God. How so? Well, in 2 Timothy 2, Paul tells the young pastor Timothy, that he should be patient, gentle, and kind toward his opponents because “God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, [26] and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

You could also translate Paul as saying “God may perhaps give them repentance.” Give them the ability to change their minds, because all people are naturally dead in sins. Unable to change our minds. Repentance is a gift. And faith in Jesus Christ is a gift. In Ephesians 2, Paul tells the church, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Those who first bear another kind of fruit from God (repentance and faith) will then produce spiritual fruit. No one can pat themselves on the back and say that they chose God. This is what Jesus meant in John 15 when he said, [16] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.

Now, I think Jesus has made his point. But he has one more story about what those who would not repent. Another vineyard owner who leased his land to tenants. Verse [34] When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. [35] And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. These servants are obviously the prophets of God. Most of the leaders and people of Israel continually rejected the Word of God through the generations.

John the Baptist was just one in a long line of rejected messengers from God. Verse 36, “Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. And notice what the vineyard owner does next. Apparently he reasons that maybe the tenants just don’t recognize the authority of his servants or trust them. But look at [37] Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ And the tenants recognize the son, but they kill him. They kill the son! When Jesus asks the chief priests and elders what the vineyard owner would do, verse [41] They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” So Jesus quotes Psalm 118 to them. Verse [42] Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.”

Killing the vineyard owner’s son would be the death of those tenants. Killing God’s Son would be the death of these religious leaders. Jesus then says to his opponents, and to everyone present, verse [43] Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. [44] And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” If you set yourself against the Son of God, God will cut you down.

It’s good to think about these things during this time of year. We sing and hear about how Jesus came into the world to bring peace. Joy to the world! But while Jesus brings peace to some, for others, the coming of Jesus does not mean “peace.” We saw this back in Matthew 10. Jesus said, [34] “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. Jesus says that following him will divide families, sever relationships, and certainly following Jesus will sever you from your former life. He says [38] whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. [39] Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

What’s better, cutting ties with your former ways and addictions and selfish dreams and ambitions, for being cut down by the one true God? This time of year we celebrate the Son, and glory to God that he has come. But one day the Son will come again, and on that day, he will be cutting down trees. He will be doing a fruit inspection; and even now, he’s inspecting. Jesus’ opponents realized that his parables were about them.

But folks, apart from the saving grace of God in Christ, these parables are about all of us.

Those who advertise spiritual fruit from God but do not produce it will be cut down but those who display true repentance and faith will bear the spiritual fruit that God is looking for. Do you bear the spiritual fruit from God in your life?

Do you think you’re spiritual? Jesus has another story for you. [10] “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed...‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, thieves, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector...13] But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ [14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

If you do not have Christ as Lord and Savior, or if you know him but you’ve lost sight of his glory, humble yourself. Come to him and repent. Come to him and believe.

Let’s bow together in prayer.