“Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” A wolf may be able to hide his identity and masquerade as a sheep, but “no tree can hide its identity for long. Sooner or later, it betrays itself, by its fruit. Noxious weeds like thorns and thistles cannot produce edible fruit like grapes and figs.” (Stott) Again the contrast is striking and incontrovertible. The tree symbolizes one’s life. Which tree is your life like?

Continuing from “The Great Contrast,” [posted on 11/6/25], next we see that Jesus contrasts False prophets and true in vs. 15-16. Here is a second great contrast. It is between the lives of false prophets and the lives of true disciples. The false prophet stands near the narrow gate trying to coax people away. The pseudo prophet is named here (Remember: Jesus judges and foresaw no earthly paradise that would exempt folks from false prophets. We’re told to beware and make the same discrimination. Jesus gave his disciples forewarning. They were to be on their guard against those who came in sheep’s clothing. Judgment was necessary. These false prophets would masquerade as fellow sheep in the flock. They would intentionally try to deceive others by their outward appearance. They were subtle and in appearance everything looked correct. They would put on sheep’s wool and try to look like sheep. But in reality, Jesus said these are ravenous, grasping wolves. These predators’ only desire is to devour the sheep. (Acts 20:29 and Mt. 10:16) The sheep was defenseless before this natural enemy.

The false prophet was not a blatant heretic, but very close in appearance to the true prophet. He may have been very pious, sacrificial, and an articulate spokesman. Often heretics are the most attractive personalities in religious communities. But what he did not say or emphasize was his weakness.

Example: Arius was an early heretic, who was very popular with the people. He introduced benches to sanctuaries for the comfort of worshippers, and spread his heresy by clever, simplified choruses. The Nicene creed was written to combat his errors. He did not believe that Jesus was the same substance as God. A review of Arius’ private creed illustrates that sometimes a heretic is not so much condemned by what he affirms as by what he omits. Arius affirmed his belief in the “one God . . . and in the Lord Jesus Christ his Son, who was begotten of him before all ages, the Divine Logos, through whom all things were made, both those in heaven and those in earth; who came down and was made flesh; and suffered; and rose again; and ascended to the heavens; and shall come again to judge the quick and the dead.”

However, did you catch that error? For Arius – the forerunner of the Unitarians and others – Jesus was not as old as God, nor sharing all his characteristics. Arius was broadminded, but so broadminded that he eliminated the deity of Jesus Christ. And saw Jesus as “like” God.

The false prophet in Jeremiah’s day cried “peace, peace;” Today’s preaches only “love, love.” He omits the wrath and judgment of God. He omits proclaiming that there is a narrow gate and a straight way. Beware of such a one. You must listen carefully and critically. You must judge and discern such a Pretender.

JC Ryle said, “the best safe-guard against false teaching … regular study of the Word of God. Nothing supplies false prophets with followers so much as spiritual sloth under a cloak of humility.”

How can we tell the difference? The answer is to recognize, judge, or discern by their fruit and attitudes? Are religious leaders’ attitudes those of Galatians 5, the fruit of the Spirit? Fruit is the natural growth on a plant in keeping with its natural specie. Fruit in the Bible is a metaphor standing for the product of a person’s nature. Biblically, all are viewed as giving off fruit consistent with our hearts. Character reveals itself in fruit. Fruit generally stands for not only a person’s teaching (as with false prophets), but also for the natural by-product of a person’s life or behavior. We cannot disguise our nature by our fruit. As John Calvin said, “Nothing is more difficult to counterfeit than virtue.” So, the pseudo prophet cannot forever disguise his rotten, ferocious desires. These will come out as his fruit just as certainly as a peach tree will yield a peach, not a watermelon.

This is Jesus’point. The false prophet will have a destructive influence on the lives of others. His followers will be proud, worldly, contentious, divisive, indulgent, loose, careless. They walk on the broad and easy path that leads to destruction. The followers of the true prophet will have the opposite characteristics. They will act humble. They will be devout. They will hunger and thirst for righteousness. They will practice holi-ness. [They will love gathering with the church.] They will be pure in heart. They will seek first the kingdom of God. The good tree will produce good fruit. Examine the effects of a ministry on its followers. Is this what you see? Do you see deepening character, stronger families, increased concern for lost souls, increased love for God’s word & God’s people? Are they walking in the narrow way that leads to life?

At the end of v. 16, Jesus asks the question, “Do people pick grapes from thornbushes? Of course, not. Do people pick figs (a sweet fruit) that are both pleasing and useful from thorny weeds. NO! then what fruit is borne, is an indication of the nature of the plant. So with the character of prophets and religious leaders. A true prophet’s life will not be filled with hatred, envy, lust, and bitterness. If that is the fruit then a person is likely a false prophet. A true prophet is filled with the fruit of the Spirit. There is such a thing as an objective standard of truth, from which the falsehood of the false prophet is to be distinguished.”

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