Mark 13:28  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:
29  So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.
30  Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.
31  Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

There are no wasted words in the Bible. There is no wasted act of God in the Bible. In Mark 11 Jesus saw a fig tree with leaves but no fruit. Jesus cursed that fig tree and the disciples were astonished as to how quickly that tree died after that. Jesus was not “playing around” with His power in that or any other matter. He was teaching a very important lesson, that the disciples would grasp later on.
In our text, Jesus referred to the fig tree again. Seventeen times God used the fig tree in His teaching in the Old Testament. Sixteen times God referred to the fig tree in the New Testament. It was an important tree for illustration purposes.
In our text Jesus stated that the fig tree can be observed to indicate the time of summer being near. The Bible teaches there are four seasons, winter, spring, summer and fall. Different parts of the world experience different weather conditions in the four seasons. Different people have their favourite season of the year. Jesus focussed on the summer season here. Summer is the season of growth leading to maturity and then harvest. It is the season of warmer temperatures and of flowers and much activity from various birds.
Jesus stated that the putting forth of the leaves on the fig tree is a picture of other events that will come to pass. When the fig tree gets its leaves, the blossoms will appear. Pollination will take place and fruit will appear. There is the anticipation of a harvest coming. The appearance of the leaves tells us that what Jesus has talked about earlier in this chapter are close at hand. In fact they are so close at hand that they are right at the door.
God used the fig tree as a reference or an illustration of the nation of Israel. Ezekiel used the illustration of bones in reference to Israel. In 1948 Israel was recognized as a nation and the world gave Israel “permission” to go back to their homeland. The world did not recognize that God had moved to bring Israel back to the land He promised to Abram/Abraham. Much of the world stood back as the Muslims tried to end Israel’s existence on several occasions after 1948. The world did not believe God’s Word then and still does not believe It now.
The only One that could destroy Israel is God, and He promised never to do that. Israel has gone through some very difficult times. Many of those difficulties were self-inflicted. Yes, Abraham was told that his people would spend some four hundred years in foreign territory prior to entering the promised land. While they were in Egypt, they were tested. They did not come through that testing very well. However, God miraculously brought them out of Egypt and toward the land of Canaan. Israel was tested there again, and did not come through that testing very well. After entering the promised land, Israel was tested again and as usual, did not do well with that testing. God continued to work with this nation that He had founded and developed.
Israel is a real nation and she is also a nation that God wants us, the Gentile world, to learn from. He also wants all people to learn that we can trust God for salvation and that His promise of salvation is an unbreakable promise.
Jesus used the fig tree as an illustration of His promise to Israel. As mentioned, Israel is in the stage leading to summer right now. The leaves are on the tree. The fruit should be developing, but it is not. We noted that in chapter 11. However, God cannot be outdone. The fruit will develop one day. Prior to that, there will be intense trouble ahead yet for Israel. They are not grasping that fact of this at present. They are facing quite severe challenges, but those challenges are not turning them to God yet. There are worse times ahead yet, for Israel. Jesus has declared that. Old Testament prophets were directed to declare that as well. The book of the Revelation also details that.
In verse 30 Jesus guaranteed that the events He spoke of earlier would indeed come to pass. There is much debate about the length of a generation. We have already referenced the return of Israel to their land. Jesus referenced a number of things that will take place during the Tribulation time. Some have limited the illustration of the coming of summer to the seven year Tribulation time. We have noted that the fulfilment of the warnings Jesus gave earlier in this chapter will take place during the Tribulation time.
The season of fruit will be the time of blessing that is promised in the Millennium. That will be the time of fruit bearing and harvest. That will be the time of celebration for the harvest.
Certainly we can know that the generation of Jews that lives during the seven year Tribulation time will see the time of fruit bearing. As we have noted before, many Jews will be killed during the Tribulation time. The antichrist will do all he can to destroy every Jew. He will not succeed. There will be Jews that will survive that time and will trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. They will be rewarded with entering the Millennium.
In verse 31 Jesus assured the disciples that what He had told them was going to happen. We are limited in filling in the blanks completely. God does not give us exact details because we do not need to know that. We need to deal with the facts we have. Most people are ignoring the facts we have.
There is a woman we know that just died yesterday. We have witnessed to this woman. She has attended our services. We have spoken with her family. Unless she acted on the truth during her last couple of days, while she was unconscious, she died without getting saved. She had the facts, but she gave no indication of accepting the facts in the right manner. Her family is still not responding to the facts as God would want them to.
We are all born as lost sinners. We all need to turn to God in repentance and be saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Those are the facts. Most people reject those facts. It is not that people do not know the facts. It is that people do not want to submit to the truth. Death is certain. Without personally trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, there is no hope. No one will change what God has declared.
In our text, Jesus used the illustration of the fig tree. He used that tree as a picture of Israel. He assured them that what He had stated would be fulfilled. We can rest assured that what has been declared in the Scriptures will come to pass exactly as God has declared it. We need to take God’s Word seriously and realize that the blessing is in knowing the true God. God is not interested in robbing us of blessings. He created the Garden of Eden as a beautiful place with everything that man needed. Adam chose the one thing that he did not need and he chose to eat of that forbidden fruit. He lost out due to his disobedience.
Since the fall of man, God has provided the One thing we all need, which is salvation. That gift is provided through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet most people reject that gift and waste their time imagining their own type of “salvation”. I trust that each one reading this devotional will humbly submit to God’s truth, which is the only Truth and know His peace in your heart.

Proverbs 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Be sure you do not miss out on God’s blessings due to your unwillingness to believe in Him.
Pastor Bartel