Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G121 The Lord Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
and Cleanses the Temple the Second Time
Matthew 21:12–22; Mark 11:11–26;
Luke 19:45–48

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All Scriptures quoted in this article are from the New King James Version (NKJV), unless otherwise noted (https://www.biblestudytools.com/nkjv/).

Matthew 21:12-22

12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ “

14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant

16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?”

17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.

19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.

22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Mark 11:11-26

11 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.

13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

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

15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.

17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ “

18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.

19 When evening had come, He went out of the city.

20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.

23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Luke 19:45-48

45 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it,

46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ “

47 And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him,

48 and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

In this lesson, we will learn about the Lord Jesus cursing the fig tree and cleansing the Temple for the second time. These two events took place the day after the day when the Lord Jesus rode a donkey into the city of Jerusalem. This event occurred on the 11th day of Nisan in the year 3787 according to the Hebrew Calendar, which corresponds to Sunday, April 4, 27, in the Gregorian Calendar.

While Mark records in detail the timing of each event, Matthew does not specify the time. Luke, on the other hand, records only two verses about the Lord Jesus cleansing the Temple.

The Lord Jesus cursing the fig tree and cleansing the Temple occurred on the same day. Mark records them in chronological order, whereas Matthew disregards the chronological order and records them according to the order of importance of each event. According to Matthew, the Lord Jesus cleansing the Temple is more important than His cursing the fig tree. Therefore, he placed the account of the Lord Jesus cursing the fig tree after the account of His cleansing the Temple.

If Matthew 21:18 had begun with the adverb “before that,” it would have helped the reader understand that the event of the Lord Jesus cursing the fig tree had taken place before He cleansed the Temple.

Mark 11:11

11 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

In the context of Mark chapter 11, after the Lord Jesus rode a donkey into the city of Jerusalem in glory, with the welcome and praise of the great crowds, He went into the Temple.

Because the Lord Jesus rode the donkey from the village of Bethphage on the east side of the city of Jerusalem, He likely entered Jerusalem through the eastern city gate, called the Eastern Gate. This gate is also known as the Golden Gate, or the Gate of Mercy. From this gate to the eastern door of the Temple courtyard, called the Beautiful Gate, is a very short distance—only about 200 meters.

The distance from the place where the Lord Jesus began riding the donkey at Bethphage to the Eastern Gate of the city of Jerusalem is more than 2 km. The donkey’s speed was likely slower than walking speed because so many people were crowding around to welcome the Lord Jesus. When He entered the Temple courtyard, it was already late in the afternoon. It was likely after the hour of prayer and the evening burnt offering, usually at 3:00 p.m. Therefore, there were not many people present in the Temple courtyard.

Mark records, “He looked around at all things.” While observing the Temple courtyard, the Lord Jesus likely saw the tables of the money changers and the stalls or pens used to confine oxen and sheep, which merchants had brought in to sell to those attending the feast who needed to purchase sacrifices.

After that, He and the disciples returned to the village of Bethany. They likely spent the night at the house of Lazarus.

Matthew 21:18-20

18 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.

19 And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

Mark 11:12-14

12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry.

13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

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

Early the next morning, Sunday, the 11th day of Nisan in the year 3787 according to the Hebrew Calendar, the Lord Jesus and His disciples went up from the village of Bethany to the Temple. Perhaps He and His disciples left early without eating breakfast, and He felt hungry.

According to Matthew, the fig tree was growing by the roadside. According to Mark, from a distance the Lord Jesus saw the fig tree with its green foliage. At that time, the season had already entered spring. Even though it was not yet the season for ripe figs, any fig tree that had leaves must have early figs. Because a fig tree produces its early figs before it produces leaves, when people in the Middle East saw a fig tree with leaves, they knew it already had fruit, even if the fruit was not yet ripe. Green figs can be eaten but are not tasty because they have a bitter, only slightly sweet taste.

The fig tree in Canaan bears fruit as follows:

• March–April (early spring): The fig tree begins to produce new leaves and early fruit. The fruit is edible but not tasty, as it is still green and not sweet.

• June–July (summer): Mid-season fruit begins to develop sweetness, but the quality is not high.

• August–October (late summer–early autumn): The main season, when the figs are fully ripe and sweet, which is the harvest time.

The time when the Lord Jesus saw the fig tree was early spring. If the fig tree already had leaves, it would also have had green fruit. But when He approached, He saw that the fig tree had no fruit. This means that the tree had not developed normally. Therefore, the Lord Jesus spoke a curse upon it.

The original words of the Lord Jesus may have been as follows: “From now on, no fruit shall grow on you. From now on, no one shall eat your fruit.” Matthew records the first part of the statement, while Mark records the latter part.

Some Bible scholars suggest that this fig tree represents the people of Israel. But if that were the case, would the Lord Jesus have cursed the people of Israel? Would that mean the people of Israel would never bear good fruit for God and would no longer be a source of blessing for all nations?

Although Scripture often uses the image of a fig tree to represent the people of Israel, in this case, we do not think that the fig tree cursed by the Lord represents Israel. It could represent anyone who professes faith in the Gospel of Salvation but does not live a life that produces the results it ought to. The Lord Jesus’ cursing of the fig tree, which had leaves but no fruit, is also His pronouncement toward those who believe in the Gospel yet bear no fruit.

“From now on, no fruit shall grow on you” implies that anyone who believes in the Lord but does not live a life producing good works for the Heavenly Kingdom will never produce anything for the glory of God.

“From now on, no one shall eat your fruit” implies that anyone who believes in the Lord but does not live a life producing good works for the Heavenly Kingdom will never do anything beneficial for others.

All actions of a believer that do not bear good fruit for the Lord are considered evil, even if they are done in the name of the Lord. The Lord’s words, recorded in Matthew 7:22–23, are very clear:

“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'”

Matthew tells us that after the Lord’s curse, the fig tree immediately withered. The disciples of the Lord Jesus, hearing His pronouncement and seeing the fig tree wither instantly, were astonished.

We can understand that after the Lord Jesus spoke, the green leaves of the fig tree withered immediately. However, by the following day, its leaves had completely dried up and changed color because they no longer received nourishment from the roots. Mark described this as “withered from the roots.”

Matthew 21:21-22

21 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done.

22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

The words that the Lord Jesus spoke to His disciples, recorded in Matthew 21:21–22, are very similar to what He taught them in Mark 11:22–23. But Matthew records that the Lord spoke these words immediately after He cursed the fig tree, whereas Mark records that He spoke them the following day, when He and the disciples passed by the fig tree again.

We understand that the Lord Jesus taught His disciples twice with a similar message. Matthew recorded the Lord’s words to the disciples immediately after He spoke to the fig tree, which then withered instantly.

The Lord’s words affirm that if the disciples had faith and did not doubt, not only could they cause the fig tree to wither, but they could also command the mountain they were looking at to be removed and thrown into the sea. The mountain that the Lord Jesus referred to is the Mount of Olives.

Previously, the Lord Jesus had also taught His disciples that having faith as small as a mustard seed could move a mountain:

“So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)

Thus, the foundation of all miracles is faith. Faith is believing that God grants supernatural power to those who trust in Him to accomplish supernatural works, believing that what one asks for is pleasing to God, and believing that God will fulfill what one requests.

The Lord’s words also affirm that whatever the disciples pray for in faith, they will receive.

The phrase “all things whatsoever” does not mean just anything. It implies all things that are necessary for the disciples or for those for whom they intercede, and that their requests are not contrary to the will of God.

The key is to have faith. The Lord Jesus likened it to having faith as small as a mustard seed, which, when needed, is sufficient to move a mountain from one place to another.

“Faith as a mustard seed” implies that genuine and sufficient faith contains the power to accomplish great and difficult works, even supernatural ones.

Matthew 21:12-13

12 Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

13 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ “

Mark 11:15-17

15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.

16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.

17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ “

Luke 19:45-46

45 Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it,

46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ “

The first time the Lord Jesus cleansed the buying and selling in the Temple courtyard is recorded by the Apostle John in John 2:13–22. At that time, the Lord Jesus had just begun His ministry and had performed the miracle of turning water into fine wine at a wedding in Cana.

The second and final time the Lord Jesus cleansed the buying and selling in the Temple courtyard is recorded by Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

The phrases “the Lord Jesus went into the Temple” or “He went into the Temple” imply that the Lord Jesus entered the Temple courtyard. He went into the outer court, which was designated for the Gentiles. It was there that the merchants and money changers conducted their business. They were usually relatives or assistants of the priests.

The merchants sold oxen, sheep, and doves in the Temple courtyard for the people to purchase as offerings. These animals were supposedly inspected by the priests to ensure they were without blemish and suitable for sacrifice. People coming from distant places to attend the festivals at the Temple could not bring their own animals for sacrifice due to inconvenience. They also did not buy from shepherds outside Jerusalem because such animals might be rejected by the priests.

The money changers exchanged various currencies for the Temple shekel, which was the only coin accepted by the priests for the Temple tax because of its high and stable silver content. Every Israelite male aged twenty and above was required to pay the Temple tax using the Temple shekel, as prescribed in Exodus 30:13–14. The Temple shekel was also used to purchase sacrificial animals within the Temple courtyard.

The prices of oxen, sheep, and doves inside the Temple courtyard were very high, far exceeding those outside. The exchange rates were also inflated. As a result, the families of the priests—especially the households of the chief priests Annas and Caiaphas—grew wealthy from selling sacrificial animals and exchanging money within the Temple.

After driving out all those buying and selling in the Temple courtyard, the Lord Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. He spoke words quoting Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11 to those present.

The inflated prices of sacrificial animals and the unfair exchange rates constituted unjust gain from the Israelites who had come from everywhere to Jerusalem for the festivals. Therefore, the merchants and money changers had effectively turned the Temple courtyard into a den of thieves.

The term “merchandise” in Mark 11:16 refers to anything being bought and sold. The Lord Jesus forbidding merchandise in the Temple courtyard means that He prohibited all buying and selling within the Temple.

Matthew 21:14-15

14 Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

15 But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant

Also in the outer court, designated for the Gentiles, blind and lame people came to the Lord Jesus to be healed by Him. There were likely others with various illnesses whom He also healed. However, Matthew may have focused on highlighting that the majority of those healed were the blind and the lame.

The Lord Jesus healing the blind and the lame fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.” (Isaiah 35:5-6)

According to Matthew’s account in verse 15, both chief priests were present at that time, as Matthew uses the plural form for the term “chief priest.” One was the former chief priest, Annas, and the other the current chief priest, Caiaphas. Annas was Caiaphas’ father-in-law. They, along with the scribes, witnessed the miracles performed by the Lord Jesus and heard the children shouting praises to Him, and they became angry.

They were angry because the works of the Lord Jesus demonstrated that He was the Christ. He had fulfilled the prophecies concerning the Christ. The children were shouting to Him, calling Him the “Son of David,” one of the titles of the Christ.

They were also angry because He had disrupted their unjust enrichment by driving out the merchants and cleansing the Temple. They were angry because He performed many miracles, healing those with infirmities who came to Him, drawing large crowds of people to follow Him. As a result, they no longer had influence over the people.

Matthew 21:16-17

16 and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise’?”

17 Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

Mark 11:18-19

18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.

19 When evening had come, He went out of the city.

The question posed by the chief priests and the scribes implied, “Do You hear these children shouting that You are the Christ?” The Lord Jesus calmly answered them that He did hear. Then He quoted from Psalm 8:2.

In the original Hebrew of Psalm 8:2, the phrase used is “ordained strength”:

“Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.”

The Lord Jesus’ statement, quoted from the Septuagint, uses the phrase “perfected praise” instead of “ ordained strength.”

“Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings you have perfected praise, because of your enemies, that you might destroy the enemy and the avenger.”

The translators of the Septuagint rendered a dynamic, interpretive translation rather than a literal translation of the original Hebrew.

The word “strength” in Psalm 8:2 does not refer to physical strength or material means of combat but to spiritual strength. Spiritual strength is the praise of God, for the praise of God brings the presence of God.

“But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel.” (Psalms 22:3)

The presence of Almighty God is absolute power.

The chief priests and the scribes heard the Lord Jesus quoting Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11 to rebuke them, because they had turned the house of God into a den of thieves by selling sacrificial animals and exchanging money unjustly. They feared Him, for He exposed their hypocrisy and greed, and because the crowds favored the teaching of the Lord Jesus. Therefore, they continued plotting to kill Him.

When evening came, the Lord Jesus left Jerusalem, returned to the village of Bethany, and spent the night there.

Mark 11:20-21

20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

“Morning” refers to the morning of Monday, the 12th of Nisan, when the Lord Jesus and His disciples returned from the village of Bethany to Jerusalem.

Along the way, they passed by the fig tree that the Lord Jesus had cursed and saw that it had completely withered. Its green leaves had likely fully dried up and changed color. Therefore, Mark describes it as “withered from the roots.”

“Peter remembered” refers to his recollection that the previous morning the Lord Jesus had cursed the fig tree. Although the tree had withered immediately after the Lord’s curse, at that time its leaves may have only drooped and had not yet changed color.

Mark 11:22-23

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.

23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

The Lord Jesus responded to Peter by repeating and emphasizing what He had previously spoken to the disciples. He encouraged them to have faith in God. With faith in God, a person can perform miracles.

Many people interpret the Lord Jesus’ statement that one could move a mountain if they have faith as merely a figure of speech, not to be taken literally. They suggest that the mountain symbolizes the difficulties in life that human strength cannot overcome. However, in Matthew 21:21, the Lord Jesus links causing the fig tree to wither with moving a mountain. Therefore, His statement should be understood literally: if a person has faith in God and believes that their words will be fulfilled, they can perform miracles in the physical world.

Of course, it can also be understood figuratively, with the mountain symbolizing major obstacles in life. The important point is that whether the mountain is understood literally or figuratively, moving it requires a person to have faith in God without doubt.

A person who has faith in God is someone who believes that:

• God exists and is the Creator of all things.

• God loves all created beings and provides for them.

• God is Almighty. He can do all things and enables those who trust Him to accomplish great and difficult works in a supernatural way.

• God is faithful. He always fulfills every promise He makes.

• God rewards and punishes justly, even for the smallest deeds.

• God grants humanity salvation through the Lord Jesus, who died as a sacrificial offering for the atonement of mankind.

• God reveals Himself and His will to humanity through the Scriptures.

A person who has faith in God can accomplish great and difficult works, both physical and spiritual, as long as these works are in accordance with God’s Word and His will.

Mark 11:24-26

24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

The Lord Jesus emphasized the element of faith in prayer. This is also what the Holy Spirit, through James, teaches (James 1:6).

“All things whatsoever” that God’s people pray for must be prayed for in faith in God, believing that what they ask has already been granted to them.

However, in reality, there are many things that God’s people pray for without seeing their requests granted. For example, someone may earnestly pray for healing from cancer, yet God does not heal them, and they ultimately die from the disease.

We need to understand that there are things God has determined for us that are better than what we ask. A prayer for healing may be righteous, but being healed is not necessarily what is best for the one praying. What is best may be to continue enduring the illness until death while maintaining unwavering faith in God. The perseverance and steadfast faith of that person until death will bring them a great reward in the Heavenly Kingdom.

Another element of prayer is forgiveness toward those who have wronged us. This means learning to show mercy to others, forgiving them for how they have offended us or caused us to lose. If there is any unforgiveness in us toward anyone, God will also not forgive the sins we commit against Him.

Luke 19:47-48

47 And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him,

48 and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

“Daily” refers to the period from the 11th to the 13th of Nisan, the final three days before the Lord Jesus was arrested and crucified on the 14th of Nisan. During these three days, by day, the Lord Jesus went into the Temple to teach; by night, He returned to Bethany to spend the night—except for the final night, when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The “chief priests,” Annas and Caiaphas, together with the “scribes,” were the leaders of the Jewish people. The “leaders of the people” were the elders of Israel, heads of families. They conspired together, seeking a way to kill the Lord Jesus.

However, during the three days before the Passover, the Lord Jesus taught in the Temple, and the people listened attentively, making it impossible for them to arrest Him.

We can understand that daily, when the Lord Jesus traveled from Jerusalem to Bethany or from Bethany to Jerusalem, crowds followed Him because they desired to hear His teaching and witness the miracles He performed. This is why those who opposed Him were unable to arrest Him while He was on the move.

We conclude this lesson here.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
09/06/2025

Note:

About Using “*God”, “the God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible use a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.