Bible Study

Bible Study April 14, 2025

“That Was the Week That Was.”

This is the title of a British television program that made it to America I believe in 60’s. I thought of the title for this week’s study to look at the last week of Jesus life on earth.

We all celebrated Palm Sunday yesterday as He made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  But what did He do the remainder of the week prior to His death?

Today we will look back at Mondy of tha week.  

In the morning, Jesus cursed the out-of-season fig tree for having no figs. That seems fair or maybe you might consider it unfair since it was “out of season”. However, it was really symbolic. In the Old Testament figs represented the nation of Israel. Jesus was declaring that the nation of Israel had become spiritually bankrupt. Israel was dead or “out of season.” I am reminded as I look at this of the letters John sent to the seven churches in Revelation.

What is the background to His action? On Monday Jesua and His followers were leaving Bethany,  and He was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.  He had walked roughly two miles from Bethany to Jerusalem He sees the fig tree hoping to find something to eat. Fig trees produce immature green figs before coming to leaf and when foliage appears you should expect to see branches loaded with figs although not mature figs they are edible. We can assume the statement “It ws not the season for figs” as the season for ripe figs.

He then speaks to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

Then, later in the day, Jesus enters Jerusalem and cleans the Temple. The temple courts had become a marketplace for the buying and selling of animals to be sacrificed on the Temple altar. There, moneychangers plied their cheating trade. What was once a sacred place had become a pigsty. Some animals were unfit for sacrifice.

At that Jesus became incensed and said, “This is my father’s house and you have made it a den of thieves”

Tomorrow we look at what happened Tuesday.

Have a blessed holy week.