Mark 11:12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 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. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it…

… 19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Big Idea: With faith, all things are possible, big and small.

This passage surrounds Christ’s visit to the temple in which he casts out the merchants. It is immediately followed by the chief priests questioning Christ’s authority. All of this context makes the meaning of this passage clear: Jesus knows what he is talking about. There are several different reasons that Jesus performed miracles. Sometimes it was primarily motivated by his compassion for the person being healed. Often, however, it was to prove that he was who he said he was. This was one of those cases. Christ had the power to wither a full grown tree with just a casual phrase.

When the disciples asked Christ about this, he tells them that they can do it too! Jesus, the king, and their master is giving them power. Jesus offered his friends and disciples a tool that could literally throw mountains into the sea. All they had to do was use it.

Application: If you were granted 3 wishes today, what would you do with them? Being a Christ follower means being granted the ability and power to do anything, and to use that power to glorify God. What will you offer God today?