1. Jesus’ Hatred Of False Religion

2. Mark 11: On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it.

3. And they came to Jerusalem
And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And he was teaching them and saying to them,

4. "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers.” And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city.

5. On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry
On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it.

7. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it.

8. Isaiah 34: All the host of heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree.
Jeremiah 29: Thus says the LORD of hosts, behold, I am sending on them sword, famine, and pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs that are so rotten they cannot be eaten.

9. And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple…

11. And they came to Jerusalem
And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple.

12. to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.
Psalm 27: One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.
Psalm 65: Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!

13. Many things called for social reform and political action
Many things called for social reform and political action. They needed reformers to take care of those things. They needed soldiers to protect people from criminal conduct. But He never addressed any of that, none of it. He didn’t talk about societal reformation, didn’t talk about political changes. He didn’t talk about changing the situation for poor people and for ill people, sick people. Was He disturbed by it?

14. Of course- everything that wasn’t righteous disturbed Him
Of course- everything that wasn’t righteous disturbed Him. But He never deviated from a true and dominating issue that occupied His entire life and that was worship. A man’s relationship to God was the issue with Him and nothing else ultimately could ever be corrected until that was corrected. Worship was always the issue.
- John MacArthur

15. "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers.”
Jeremiah 7: Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD.

16. Isaiah 57: And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants…these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

17. Israel: The Strategic Land Bridge

18. but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me,
Mark 7: And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,

19. Israel was a barren fig tree, and the leaves only covered its nakedness. The magnificence of the Temple and its ceremonies hid the fact that Israel had not brought forth the fruit of righteousness demanded by God.
– R. Kent Hughes

20. And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. And when evening came they went out of the city.