MOVING MOUNTAINS AND MUCH MORE

March 18, 2016

MOVING MOUNTAINS AND MUCH MORE

Matthew 21:18–27

David Silva

Central Truth

Jesus says we can move mountains if we have faith. That means He can save us, and He can help us move the mountains in our lives.

And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen." (Matthew 21:21)

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

After entering Jerusalem in this week before His crucifixion, Jesus doubles down on His message to the people. Jesus sees a fig tree with only leaves on it and no fruit, and then He curses it. This is a visual reminder that Jesus desires to see fruit in our lives—whether it was that generation of Jews or, by extension, our generation today. He then uses this event to explain to the disciples that they can move a mountain if they have faith. Specifically, He said, “[W]hatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." (Matthew 21:22)

For the record, this is not about my wish list (see James 4:3 and 1 John 5:14). Instead, I asked as I read, "Do I really want to move mountains?" (Maybe move a few from Colorado to Texas!) Then I asked, "What are the mountains in my life that need moving?"

As a believer, my salvation is secure, but I may have some lingering hurts from the past. I know I have some personality tendencies (habits) that work to undermine my relationships with my wife, children, and friends, and these tendencies can keep me from growing. Jesus says I can move mountains . . . surely I can hold my tongue when needed, encourage more, and put others ahead of myself! I'm asking God to move those mountains right now.

I like to hum the song "Mighty to Save." It goes like this: "Savior, He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save. . . .” It makes me thank God for doing the heavy lifting for me. 1 Peter 2:24 says that Jesus Himself bore our sins in His body on a tree. Praise Him! As the song says, He’s the author of salvation, who rose and conquered the grave. In the words of Acts 16:31, believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. Then, as we live out our salvation, we need to confess our sins, and He will cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Thank you, Jesus, that You removed that mountain of sin from my life forevermore and that the Holy Spirit gives me the power to overcome my struggles every day!

1. Have you trusted in Jesus to deal with your personal mountain of sin? If Jesus is your Savior, share your mountain story with someone today!

2. What mountains do you need to move in your life today? Ask for God's help now!

3. I mentioned I climbed a mountain with my family in my bio. Who is helping you in climbing and dealing with the mountains in your life?