Bible Lesson: Parable-The Barren Fig Tree

Bible Lessons: Parables Of Jesus

Parable: The Barren Fig Tree

Luke 13:1-9 KJV
[1] There were present at that season some that told Him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
[2] And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
[3] I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
[4] Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
[5] I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
[6] He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
[7] Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
[8] And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
[9] And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Luke 13:1-9 NLT
1 About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple.
2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered?
3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God.
4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem?
5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.”
6 Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed.
7 Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’
8 “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer.
9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.”


Pontius Pilate, was the sixth Roman Procurator of Judea.
He had been appointed in A.D. 25-26. He lasted longer than most procurators, no doubt do to his ruthlessness with those who made any disorder.

The fall of the Tower of Siloam, eighteen people had been killed.

Jesus was asked if these people, who fell to these two woes, were more sinners than any others.
His reply was, “...Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Isaiah 55:6,7 KJV
[6] Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near:
[7] Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

Hebrews 3:15 NLT
"...Today when you hear His voice, don’t harden your hearts
as Israel did when they rebelled.”

Jesus then went on to tell the parable of the....
Barren Fig Tree:

Three years of cultivating, and pruning.
And yet the only yield was three years of no fruit.

This certainly represented the history of Israel:

Isaiah 5:1-7 KJV
Song of the vineyard

1 Now I will sing for the one I love
a song about His vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a rich and fertile hill.
2 He plowed the land, cleared its stones,
and planted it with the best vines.
In the middle He built a watchtower
and carved a winepress in the nearby rocks.
Then He waited for a harvest of sweet grapes,
but the grapes that grew were bitter.

3 Now, you people of Jerusalem and Judah,
you judge between Me and My vineyard.
4 What more could I have done for My vineyard
that I have not already done?
When I expected sweet grapes,
why did My vineyard give Me bitter grapes?

5 Now let me tell you
what I will do to My vineyard:
I will tear down its hedges
and let it be destroyed.
I will break down its walls
and let the animals trample it.
6 I will make it a wild place
where the vines are not pruned and the ground is not hoed,
a place overgrown with briers and thorns.
I will command the clouds
to drop no rain on it.

7 The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
The people of Judah are His pleasant garden.
He expected a crop of justice,
but instead He found oppression.
He expected to find righteousness,
but instead He heard cries of violence.

Under.....
I)The Law, no fruit was found.
II)The Prophets, no fruit was found.
III)Grace, no fruit was found.

The Master gave the order for the fig tree to be cut down.
But, from the garden, came the voice of “grace,” the dresser, the Gardner.
8 “The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance (A fourth year). Leave it another year, and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer.
9 If we get figs next year, fine. If not, then you can cut it down.”

John 16:5-11 NLT
5 “But now I am going away to the One who sent Me, and not one of you is asking where I am going.
6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you.
7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate (The Holy Spirit) won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you.
8 And when He comes, He will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in Me.
10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see Me no more.
11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

And still, there was no fruit.

Godly Stephen, was not reluctant to point out Israel's sin!

Acts 7:51-53 NLT
51 “You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you!
52 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered.
53 You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.”

Luke 11:37-54 NLT
37 As Jesus was speaking, one of the Pharisees invited Him home for a meal. So He went in and took His place at the table.
38 His host was amazed to see that He sat down to eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony required by Jewish custom.
39 Then the Lord said to him, “You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness!
40 Fools! Didn’t God make the inside as well as the outside?
41 So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over.
42 “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
43 “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you love to sit in the seats of honor in the synagogues and receive respectful greetings as you walk in the marketplaces.
44 Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on.”
45 “Teacher,” said an expert in religious law, “you have insulted us, too, in what you just said.”
46 “Yes,” said Jesus, “what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden.
47 What sorrow awaits you! For you build monuments for the prophets your own ancestors killed long ago.
48 But in fact, you stand as witnesses who agree with what your ancestors did. They killed the prophets, and you join in their crime by building the monuments!
49 This is what God in His wisdom said about you: ‘I will send prophets and apostles to them, but they will kill some and persecute the others.’
50 “As a result, this generation will be held responsible for the murder of all God’s prophets from the creation of the world—
51 from the murder of Abel to the murder of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, it will certainly be charged against this generation.
52 “What sorrow awaits you experts in religious law! For you remove the key to knowledge from the people. You don’t enter the Kingdom yourselves, and you prevent others from entering.”
53 As Jesus was leaving, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees became hostile and tried to provoke Him with many questions.
54 They wanted to trap Him into saying something they could use against Him.

Romans 2:17-24 NLT
17 You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him.
18 You know what He wants; you know what is right because you have been taught His law.
19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness.
20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth.
21 Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal?
22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples?
23 You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it.
24 No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.”

Judgment came upon the city in 70 A.D. Under Titus, Roman general and emperor.

And what of the Gentile Church?

Luke 12:48 KJV
"...For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."

I Peter 4:17 KJV
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Matthew 7:15-20 KJV
[15] Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
[16] Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
[17] Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
[18] A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
[19] Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
[20] Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

John 15:8,16 KJV
[8] Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples.
[16] Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you.

Romans 7:4 KJV
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Galatians 5:22,23 KJV
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
[23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Ephesians 5:9 KJV
For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;

An important admonition:

Colossians 1:10 KJV
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;