Seeking the Fruit of Repentance | Ep. 159

Jesus's final parables before His crucifixion reveal a Kingdom urgently seeking fruit—not just any fruit, but the fruit of genuine repentance. This message explores how Christ systematically dismantled religious hypocrisy through powerful stories that remain startlingly relevant today.

When Jesus cursed the fruitless fig tree, He was setting the stage for confronting religious leaders who questioned His authority. Their rejection of John the Baptist's baptism revealed a pattern of rejecting God's counsel while maintaining a pretense of obedience. Through the parable of two sons, Jesus exposed how tax collectors and prostitutes who initially said "no" to God but later repented were more righteous than those who promised obedience but never delivered.

The vineyard parable takes us deeper, revealing God as a landowner repeatedly sending prophets to collect fruit only to have them beaten and killed. When the landowner's son is murdered by the tenants, Jesus prophesied both His crucifixion and the transfer of kingdom stewardship to those who would produce fruit. This wasn't merely about ancient Israel but speaks directly to modern church leadership as well.

Most provocative is the wedding feast parable, where a guest attempts to attend without proper garments. This striking image reveals the impossibility of approaching God in our own righteousness. We must be clothed in Christ's garments—His imputed righteousness—to participate in the Kingdom.

True biblical faith is inseparable from repentance. It's not just mental agreement but transformed behavior. When Jesus found no fruit, He cursed the tree. When God finds no fruit in our lives, what might His response be? The key to your deliverance—spiritually, financially, and relationally—lies in genuine repentance that produces visible fruit worthy of the Kingdom.

Chapters

• 0:27 Jesus Enters Jerusalem
• 3:33 The Cursed Fig Tree
• 4:47 Authority Questioned
• 11:56 Parable of Two Sons
• 14:42 Parable of the Vineyard
• 22:39 The Wedding Feast Parable
• 30:55 Repentance: The Key to Deliverance

Transcript

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 0:03

The vision received was that of blood cells traveling throughout the body, supplying the much-needed oxygen and other nutrients to the differing members of the body to fulfill their purpose. Once the blood cells are spent, they must return back to the heart to be refilled before being sent out again and fulfill their purpose and fulfill their purpose.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 0:27

In Matthew 21, Jesus it's the last seven days and Jesus comes in to Jerusalem. He comes in riding on an ass, on the foal of an ass, on a donkey, coming before the people, and they begin to throw branches and throw their clothes and began to sing Hosanna to the son of david blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest. And they are just welcoming this man that they believe to be a great prophet of God. But it says also in Matthew 21, verse 5, that this was fulfilling the scripture spoken of by the prophet. And the prophet said tell ye the daughter of Sinai behold thy king cometh unto thee, meek and sitting upon an ass, in the colt, in the fold of an ass. So all these garments and all these branches of the trees are sprawled before him and he comes on the praises of his people and he is proclaimed as a king. Yet it says in verse 11, the multitude see Jesus as a prophet. They don't realize who he really is. They see him as Jesus. He's the prophet of Nazareth, of Galilee, and that's what it basically says. And so when he comes into Jerusalem, he comes in with all this fanfare of the people and obviously the Pharisees and the Christians are not happy. But he comes to the temple and in the temple he gets angry, with a righteous indignation. He begins to cleanse the whole temple. He begins, he takes all the money changers and he throws it all over the place and he said it is written my house shall be called the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves. It says in verse 13. And then, after he does that, he goes and heals a blind man and a lame man that came into the temple and when the chief priest and the scribe saw all of the wonderful things that he did regarding these miracles, how the children were crying in the temple saying Hosanna to the son of David, they were not happy. Jesus said to them have you ever read out of the mouths of babes and sucklings about his perfected praise? And they were really unhappy with him because he began to use the scriptures against their selfish ideas, against their wrong thinking. And he left. It says he went out of the city into Bethany and that's where he stayed verse 17. And this is where we're going to do, maybe, some reading.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 3:16

But the next morning he returns back to the city and he's hungry and he comes along a fig tree and this whole beginning scenario of what takes place afterward is almost very prophetic of what he's about to deal with. When he gets back into the city and deals with the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the leaders of his people, He sees a fig tree and He's hungry and He wants to eat something. But there's nothing there. There's only leaves and that's not quite useful for what His needs are right now. And He sees that they have no fruit. That's what He was looking for. He doesn't eat leaves. He eats fruit. He was looking for fruit. He was fruit picking and there were no fruits on this fig tree. So He says let no fruit grow on me henceforth, now and forevermore. Curses him Because it's not producing fruit. He's like a farmer that is seeking out fruit. He's planted all over the world and he comes wanting fruit and then he begins to talk to the disciples about, you know, if he has faith and doubt not. That. That's not what I'm trying to focus on. So I'm going to skip that section. Not that it's not important. I mean we can do a whole lesson on just those two verses in Red and 21 and 22. But I want to get to what happens. When he gets there.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 4:47

He comes into the temple in verse 23. The chief priests and the elders of the people, they come into him as he was teaching and they said what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority to come in here and teach, to come in here and heal the lame man and the blind man? Who gave you the authority to ransack the whole temple of the money changers and be all indignant about what they're doing? Who gave you the authority that all of everyone is singing Hosanna to you, the son of David, and treating you like a king? Who are you? Who gave you this authority? So Jesus answers that and he says let me ask you one thing, and if you tell me the answer to my question, I will tell you by what authority I do these things. I'm paraphrasing now, because it's in there, okay, you can read it yourself the baptism of John. Where did it come from? Did it come from heaven or did it come from? Man.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 5:54

That's an interesting question. Why in the world is he doing all of these things? The Pharisees challenge him and he comes back and says John baptism. Why did he do that? But let me go back in reverse, because there was time before. Remember, this is the last seven days of his life and there was a time before that. I'm going to have you go to.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 6:18

Luke 7. Luke 7, obviously you know there are four Gospels and they all tell about the life of Jesus in different times and most of them are pretty sequential, but Luke 7 is before this event in Matthew 21. I want to highlight this to you because it's going to give you an understanding of why Jesus brought about John the Baptist. When asked this question, For some reason he goes to John and he's dealing with something about the Pharisees and the lawyers and the Sadducees and the leaders of this people. So it says in Luke 7, 28, 28,.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 6:57

It says For I say unto you, Jesus, that among those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist, but he that is reached in the kingdom of God is greater than he and all the people that heard him and the publicans, that mean the common people. They justified God. How so? How did they justify God? Well, it says being baptized with the baptism of John. They heard John's message. His message was the message of baptism and repentance so that your sins would be forgiven. And he says that they justified God because they heard his word and obeyed it. So they gave God glory by doing so.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 7:51

But it says in the very next verse that the Pharisees and the lawyers the leaders of

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 7:55

God's people. They rejected the counsel of God. How so? Because they were not baptized in John. There's a couple things that are said here. In other words, john the Baptist's message of repentance and being baptized for the forgiveness of your sins was not man's message, it was God's message. For the scriptures declare that they did not reject John the Baptist's message. It's that they rejected the counsel of God. And does he not say that if they reject you, they've not rejected you, they've rejected me. Because these people are sent of God giving God's message. They are ambassadors of Christ, giving Christ's message to the people, not their own message. So it says very clearly and explicitly they rejected the counsel of God. How do you know that? Because they never got baptized with John.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 8:50

So now fast forward back to where we were. At Last, seven days, the Pharisees are contesting him and all of a sudden, out of nowhere because John the Baptist was not being spoken of, he brings up John the Baptist and so they start reasoning in themselves and they start saying well, if we say it was from heaven, he's going to tell us why didn't you believe? Now see, what is belief tied to? If you go back to that Luke 7, if you go back to that and see both of them at the same time. Believing is connected to you didn't obey. It's not just a mental. I agree with what you're saying, it's I do what. I agree with what you're saying. Okay. So when you put those two together, even though one says believe and the other says you rejected the counsel of God because you did not get baptized, there was an action that needed to coincide with that belief. And they know that. The Pharisees know that, because they're saying within themselves if you say it's from heaven, they're going to say why didn't you believe John? Then, if it was the counsel from God? But then they think about well, gosh, if we say it was from men, well, all the people. There's the fear of the people, all the people hold him as a prophet at the most high, and I don't know what to say. And they answer Jesus said well, we don't know, not sure, not really sure, Jesus, I really can't answer now. Jesus said well, then I'm not going to answer your question Because you're lying to me and you're lying to yourself. And if you're going to live a lie, then why should I give you revelation? Why should I tell you about what authority I do these things.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 10:40

And then he brings up a parable Immediately thereafter. Jesus says let me tell you a story about a man who had two sons. He came to the first one. He said son, go work at my vineyard today. So already we're being told about a man who has two sons, that he owns a vineyard. Think about that. What's a vineyard? Maybe it's strawberry trees, maybe it's orange trees, maybe it's grape vines and all there's a vineyard, okay. And in a vineyard you have things that are growing that produce what Fruit? Think about that, because we talked about Jesus looking for fruit and not finding it and cursing the tree and not producing fruit.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 11:26

So he starts with a story. He says a man came to his son and says go work in my vineyard. And that son says no, I won't. But then afterward he changes his mind and he goes into work in the vineyard. But initially he said to his father no, no, no, no. And then he came to the second son and he said the same thing Go workson's Vineyard. But initially he said to his father no, no, no, no. And then he came to the second son and he said the same thing gold, work in my vineyard. And the answer said okay, I'll go. I'll go, sir. But then he didn't go, and so he asked them a question.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 11:59

He says which of those two did the will of the Father? Think about it. What's Jesus' emphasis right now? What is he so preoccupied about? Who did the will of the Father? And they say to him Well, the first Jesus, the first son, who said no, but he went. It's him, he's the one that did the will of the Father. And there is a fact about it. And so Jesus says Verily, I say unto you, the publican and the heartless, go into the kingdom of God before you, whoa. Why did he say that? Why did he say that? He said for John came unto you in the way of righteousness and ye believed him not, but the publicans and the harlots believed him. How do we know that? We go back to Luke 7. They justified God in that they did what John the Baptist said, that they got baptized. But these, you, you leaders, you didn't. And so I gave you a story and I asked you to judge who did the will of God. And you said, rightly so the first son.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 13:18

Even though he rejected the counsel at first.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 13:20

he then did it. You said he did the will of God. Well, now you will be judged by that same measure of judgment, because you reject the counsel of God. John came with the way of righteousness and you did not believe him. And ye, when ye had seen it, you didn't repent afterward that ye might believe him. In other words, you heard the word, you said yes, but then you didn't do it. You didn't do the will of the Father. So, who was like the first son? The publican and the harlots, because they lived a life of sin, everybody felt that they lived a oh God, we're rejected, but they repented and they did the will of the Father. Whereas you have those that think they're all that and then some and that much more the lawyers and the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Well, they heard it. Yes, yes, but no, I'm not going. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to get into water. I'm not going to get baptized for the remission of sin.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 14:27

Otherwise I'm going to think I'm now lowly like the publicans in the harlots. No, I'm not going to do that. And so their judgment condemned themselves.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 14:41

So he goes and says listen, I'm going to tell you another story. He says here are another parable there was a certain householder which planted a vineyard Think about that, a vineyard, again, something about fruits, okay. So and he hedged it round about and he did the wine press so he gave it some protection, he did the wine press in there so that it would have some drink. And then he built a tower, a tower of refuge, a tower of protection. And then he said, and he led it out to the husband, men, and went into a far country. He led it he's taking care of it by some people while he went out and did something. So this is the new story and it says, when the time of the fruit drew near going back to now fruit issue, he's looking for fruit he sent his servants to the husband then that they might receive the fruit of it.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 15:41

He's telling you the purpose. He sent his servants because they want to get the fruit, get the fruit. Where's the fruit? Telling you the purpose he sent his servants because they want to get the fruit. Get the fruit. Where is the fruit? And the husband took his servants, the people that were left behind, to take care of. They took his servants who were coming to get the fruit and they beat them, they killed them and they stole them. And again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did unto them likewise. But last of all.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 16:10

He sent him, his son, saying they will reverence my son. But when the husbandme n saw the son, they said among themselves this is the heir, come, let us kill, kill him and let us see on his inheritance. Let's stop there, because if you know anything about the Bible, you know that God sent people to his people, prophets. Again and again and again. We've talked about Elijah, we've read from Isaiah and Jeremiah and Hosea and David, and he sent prophets and prophets and prophets. To get what? To get what? Repent, repent, change, repent the same message that John the Baptist came with. John the Baptist was one of the servants that are spoken of in this story, this parable, but listen to the thought when they saw the son, he's the heir, let us kill him, let us feed on his inheritance. And you might naturally think those are the Pharisees, those are the thoughts of the Sadducees and the leaders. And I say consider, these are the thoughts of the demons and the devils when they saw him. Because what had the enemy, all of those years in the old covenant, been trying to do? Cut the line of the promised land, kill all the children, cut the line of the kings that we've spoken, the kings of Judah. That line was unbroken and they tried desperately to cut off the line to where there was for six years. There was a queen in Judah. She tried to kill all of the children but saved one. She couldn't get that one. So the line remained unbroken. They have been trying years and years and years to cut off that line. And here they are. They see the sign and they say let's kill them, because if we can kill them we can get the inheritance, we can get heaven itself by taking out the sun. So they caught the sun, they passed him out of the vineyard and they slew him. And when the lord thereof of the vineyard come at, what will he do? Oh, oh, he's asking him a question again. I'm giving you a story. Judge ye yourselves, what do you think the Lord is going to do when he comes back to his vineyard? So he asked them the question and they say unto him Well, he's going to come back, he's going to destroy the wicked man. And he's going to let out the vineyard to other people and that shall render him the fruits of their season. They just condemned themselves again. If that is your judgment, then so be it. When the son has been killed by you, when he comes again, he's going to give this vineyard to other people.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 19:28

If you know enough of the scriptures, you realize he's talking about the Gentiles. He's promising that we're going to open this thing up. It's not just for you. You have rejected the counsel of God. I'm opening up the kingdom of God to everyone in the world. So, by their own words, by their own judgment, they condemned themselves, like they did in verse 31.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 19:55

So Jesus says unto them Didn't you ever read the scriptures? The stone which the builders rejected, the son which was rejected by the husband men, the same has become the head of the corner. This is the Lord's doing and it's marvelous in our eyes. The kingdom of God shall be taken from you. Explicitly the kingdom of.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 20:16

And who is he talking to? He's not talking to all the Jews, he's talking to the leaders, the prophets Excuse me, not the prophets, the shepherds, the Pharisees, the Saddu, the leaders, the prophets. Excuse me, not the prophets, the shepherds, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the lawyers. I'm going to take the kingdom of God from you. I have given it to you all these years to take care of my vineyard and I've sent prophets, prophets, prophets, to get the fruit. And you killed them and killed them. And now you take the son. I'm taking it from you and giving it to others.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 20:47

And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard this parable, they perceived that he's fake of them. They got it, they understood what he was saying and they sought to lay hands on him. They feared the multitude because they took him for a prophet. So I think he's one more parable. There was that householder hopefully you see it now is the father leaving behind his vineyard to the leaders and wanting to send prophet after prophet, servant after servant, to come get fruit.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 21:32

And that fruit is the fruit of, not the spirit. It's the fruit of repentance. That is the fruit that he desires. It says when he comes back will he find faith in the earth.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 21:48

Biblical faith is tied intimately to repentance. As a matter of fact, in Hebrews it starts talking about the principles of the doctrine of Christ and before it says faith toward God, it said repentance from dead works. It's repentance that is the key to the deliverance of people. You must change. He says in the Old Testament, in the beginning of the chapter circumcise yourself, circumcise yourselves, circumcise the foreskin of your heart. And then at the end of the chapter he says I will circumcise, but he called you to circumcise yourself first. He's looking for the fruit of repentance so that he can begin a good work in you and bring it to completion in the day of Christ Jesus.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 22:37

So we come to Matthew 22,. And it gives another parable. Jesus answered them. O spake unto them. The kingdom of heaven gave life unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding and would not come. And again he sent forth other servants saying tell them which were bidden. Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen, my fat things are killed and all things are ready. Come unto the marriage. But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 23:22

These parables are speaking of the same people giving the same message, one after another the father with two sons, the householder with a vineyard, and now a king who's preparing a marriage feast for his sons. They made light of it. They went their own ways and they were busy with their own merchandise. And the remnant took his servants. The people took his servants and entreated them spitefully and sued them. It's the same parable, it's the same message.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 24:00

And when the king heard it, he was angry and he was wroth and he sent forth armies and he destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. And if you know anything about the history of the Jews, that's exactly what happened in the first century. I'm not talking about the Christians, I'm talking about the Jewish leaders I'm talking about. They sent armies and they burned Jerusalem and the temple down. They destroyed it in 70 AD. He was speaking prophetically of what was going to happen to them. I'm taking this kingdom away from you. I'm giving it to others to take care of. To them. I'm taking this kingdom away from you, I'm giving it to others to take care of. Then saith he to his servants the wedding is ready, that already happened. But they which were bidden, were not worthy.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 24:53

There were people that are going to be invited to this wedding and some of them are not worthy. That's the new covenant. Now he's bidding people come to the wedding, but they're not worthy. Go, therefore, into the highways and, as many as ye shall find, bid them to the marriage. Tell everyone. Preach the gospel to some nations, all nations. Tell everyone of. Preach the gospel to some nations, all nations. Tell everyone of this marriage. Tell everyone to come to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 25:25

And so those servants went out into the highways and they gathered together all as many as they could find, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment. Now you guys know, when you go to marriage you get dressed up. You don't go like rags. It's not your wedding. It might not even be your brother's, it may be a distant friend, but's not your wedding. It might not even be your relative, it may be a distant friend, but you go dressed up.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 26:00

But this man went to the marriage supper of the king and he came in rags. He came in undressed, without the proper garments, and he said to him friends, how can you not have a wedding garment? You need a wedding garment to attend a wedding, not your own, you need a wedding garment. And he was speechless. He didn't know what to say.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 26:27

Then said the king to the servant bond him hand and foot, take him away and cast him into the outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Now we know enough of the scriptures to know who was thrown into the outer darkness, who was thrown into the lake of fire, the wicked. And if you go back to Revelation 20, where you see the great white throne, judgment, and you see all the nations before him, and he separates the sheep from the goats and he says you, I did this in your name, I did that in your name, lord, depart from me. I never knew you. Same parable, it's the same message that you can't come to the wedding garment with your own garments. You have to have the proper garments. Now you go to Revelation, you realize that they were all dressed in white and that was not their garments, it was His garments, given to them.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 27:26

Garments of righteousness, garments of holiness, and they are not righteous. They know that. So they take on the righteousness of their Father. They take that. So they take on the righteousness of their father, they take on his holiness, they become partakers of the divine nature, it says in the scriptures. So they clothe themselves with his garments and so they are allowed to the wedding. Because, it says in verse 8, they which were bidden were not worthy. Them not worthy. But if they clothe themselves in my righteousness, they allow it to the near supper of life. For many are called, but for you are chosen. He ends this parable with in Revelation 3.18, his word is found, so that you have something to look at and confirm this.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 28:23

Be Bereans. Look at the things that are said. See if the scriptures do plainly declare what has been shared today. It says in Revelation 3.18, to one of the churches and I'll tell you specifically, it was the lukewarm church of Laodicea he says I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, that the shame of thy nakedness does not appear. The shame of your sin will not appear if you clothe yourself in my garments of righteousness.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 29:02

For I have imputed my righteousness to my people, who walk by faith and not by sight, who put their trust in me, the living God, like I did with Abraham, like I did with all the saints of old. I imputed with them righteousness because they put their trust in me. And the same happens today. You put your trust in me, but what happens today is the same thing that happened in the old covenant. There are leaders in the quote unquote church today that are rejecting the counsel of God. And if he did away with the leaders in his old covenant church, what do you think he's going to do with the leaders of the new covenant church that reject the counsel of God?

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 29:44

that will not get baptized, that will not baptize people in Jesus' name that will not talk about the necessity of receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Father the blessing of Abraham.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 29:56

It was prophetic throughout all the scriptures that he would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh so that your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your old men will see visions and dream dreams Necessary. But it's been changed, and so they have the same judgment awaiting them that the Pharisees and the religious leaders and the lawyers and the Sadducees have for them. The same thing will take place. What were they looking for every time they came? What was Jesus looking for in the fig tree? What was the man looking for in his vineyard? What was the householder looking for in his vineyard? What was this king looking for here?

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 30:40

Repentance, quit doing it your own way. Put on my righteousness, put on my commandment that leads you in the way of holiness, the path that leads to my righteousness and eternal life. But I can't perfect you if you will not repent. I can't even begin to deal with you if you will not repent. He could do nothing with the son who said no no, no.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 31:13

I'm not going to do that. Until he repented. And then he went. Who did the will of his father? The one that repented and did whatsoever the father told him to do. And so I leave you with that consideration today.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 31:30

Repentance is the key to your deliverance. Is it spiritually? Is it financially? Is it spiritually? Is it financially? Is it socially? Is there something going on in your life that has got you in bondage? Your key to unlock that chain is your repentance. You must start walking in the way of righteousness, in the way of holiness. You must abide in the vine, you must abide in his word and he will abide in you. It says it is repentance that gives you the key to your deliverance. And then he does the rest With your cooperation. Message out there grace, grace, grace. But you don't have nothing to do because he did it all.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 32:11

No, that's a lie from the pit of hell. That's Satan wanting to deceive you to think you don't need to do anything at all. You just need to believe. If that was the case, then he would have said to the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who rejected the counsel of God, but you didn't believe why? Because you didn't get baptized. They needed to do something, and it's the same. Today you need to do something, and it's the same. Today you need to do something, not just believe. So let us be like that first son, who may have rejected at first and we all did, because we all fell short of the glory of God. We all were raggedy, filthy acts of quote-unquote righteousness that were filthy in the eyes of God because they were our own to boast in ourselves and how good we are, but we are not worthy. We must be clothed with the righteousness that comes from the only one who is righteous, jesus Christ. Amen Amen.

j - Jesus M. Ruiz: 33:16

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