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Fruit is good. It’s beautiful to look at, tastes good, and has great nutritional value.
2. The same is true of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is pleasant and a blessing to everyone.
3. God wants and expects good fruit from His people.

John 15:16, You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.

4. Tonight, as we continue our study of Matthew’s Gospel, we are going to discover what it means to have fruitful lives, the kind of lives that glorify God because they produce Fruit that Remains.

Matthew 21:18-46

Context
1. Last week, we studied the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, one of the most significant events in human history.
2. Remember the progression of what transpired after Jesus entered Jerusalem.
a. He immediately entered the Temple and saw the corruption in His House, so He cleansed it.
c. After cleansing the Temple, He healed the blind and the lame that came to Him.
d. Then He received rightful worship from the children as they resumed singing Psalm 118, “Hosanna to the Son of David”. (15)
3. Step back for a moment and realize how significant this day was for Israel and for us as well.
a. God had called Israel to be His chosen people and placed His name on them as His people, on Jerusalem as the holy city of peace, and on the Temple, His house.
b. God caused His glory to be among them that it might be a picture for all people that God desires to be “Emmanuel”, God with us.
4. Here was Jesus, the Son of God, Healer of the blind, the deaf, the lame, Cleanser of lepers, Victor over demons, and the One who raised Lazarus form the dead; this should have been a day of triumph and great rejoicing, but it was day of confrontation instead.
5. The chief priests and Pharisees confronted Jesus when they should have joined the crowds as they rejoiced at the arrival of their King.
6. Their response to Jesus revealed the condition of their hearts and, as we will see, Jesus unveiled the problem with their hearts through His actions and words.
7. God always does things for a reason, with a purpose, and there is divine purpose behind the many life lessons in this passage that we must pay careful attention to so that we may have lives that produce Fruit that Remains.

I. God Expects More Than Just Fig Leaves (18-22)

• The day after the Triumphal Entry, Jesus and the disciples returned to Jerusalem.
• Jesus was hungry and saw a lone fig tree by the side of the road.
• When He did not find any figs, Jesus cursed the tree and it immediately withered.
• The disciples were shocked. They had witnessed many miracles by Jesus, always healing and restoring, even calming storms.
• But here they witnessed judgment against a fig tree. Was Jesus grumpy because His blood sugar was too low? Not at all.
• Again, God has a purpose for all that He does and through this event Jesus sent a message that is instructive for all.

A. God expects good fruit
1. There are several interesting facts about fig trees.
a. Fig trees grow to be 20’ tall.
b. They produce large leaves which are good for shade, though they are less effective when used as clothing, just ask Adam and Eve.
c. Fig trees produce two crops per year. The first crop was eaten fresh. The second crop was dried and eaten during the winter months.
d. But the next fact has important relevance for Matthew 21. Fig trees produce fruit before they grow leaves. So, if a fig tree has leaves, it should have fruit!

2. Spiritually speaking, the fig tree has great significance because throughout the Scriptures God compares Israel to a fig tree.
a. When Israel obeyed God because they were walking by faith, the fig tree was used as a picture of prosperity because God’s blessing was upon them.

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