Jesus has inspected the temple and the fig tree to find fruits, but in vain. The image of the Lord looking for fruit among his people is often found in the prophesies, for example, Hosea 9:9–10 and Micah 7:1, see also Jeremiah 8:13 (after the den of robbers in Jeremiah 7:1–34). The tree cannot be saved, it is barren, although it looks beautiful with all the leaves. The temple service is also barren. Sacrifices and the religiosity of the wicked high priests cannot save the people. The temple will be destroyed (see Jesus’ prophesy of the judgment over Jerusalem in Mark 13:1–37). The destruction came in the year 70 AD, when the temple was destroyed by the Roman army.

The crowd yelled Hosanna, but in a week the crowd will shout: Crucify him! Where is the fruit? In the temple is a lot of commercial and religious activity in the name of the Lord, but it has become a den of conspiracy against his Son (Mark 12:6).

The scribes are like a barren fig tree with many leaves: maybe beautiful to see, but without fruit. Jesus warned for the attitude of the scribes: And in his teaching he said, Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation’ (Mark 12:38–40).