I never did give this parable much thought as to its importance to the turning point whereby the Lord would begin the transition process from the Kingdom Gospel over into the Gospel of Grace.
Luke 13:6-9
6 He spake also this parable; A certain [man] had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung [it]:
9 And if it bear fruit, [well]: and if not, [then] after that thou shalt cut it down.
What struck me further about this parable was in fitting it to events, like a glove, that followed a year or so later from when it was spoken by Jesus.
Some have poo-pooed this analysis, and yet they, to this day, have still not offered a better explanation. Disagreement upon absolutely no basis whatsoever is nothing more than the individual being irrationally obstinate for no good reason and no upon solid foundation.
So, one year after Christ's ascension, Stephen was stoned after saying:
Acts 7:51-58
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers [did], so [do] ye.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept [it].
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with [their] teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast [him] out of the city, and stoned [him]: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
That one year fits in with what the dresser of the orchard spoke to the owner. Christ cried out to Israel for three years, and they would not produce the fruit of acceptance and belief. The Father said to the Son to give them one more year. After that year, Israel was still in rebellion and rejection, and were "cut off."
I know of no other set of events that fit that parable like a glove. That parable also gave no hint to the princes and to Satan that the body of Christ was soon thereafter to become a reality, whereby Gentiles were to be brought into by way of grace...unmerited favor.
Unfortunately, many religions and denominations falsely claim that we still have to do works in order to complete our salvation, all in violation of this:
Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then [is it] no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if [it be] of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
That casts down all works, including that of water baptism, which is a work on our part. It's absolutely fine for people to choose baptism for a public show of an inner decision, but to teach that it's required for salvation, those people have destroyed and fallen from grace, because it cannot be both. This is an either - or proposition, never both. One will search in vain to find that Paul had been guilty of the sin of omission in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Faith in the crucifixion, the burial and resurrection is ALL that is required to be sealed by Holy Spirit and to become a new creation.
Fleshly pride is what says, "Well, I have added to the sufficiency of the Blood of Christ with my works of obedience," but that 'obedience' comes at the expense of adhering to a Gospel that is not longer capable of saving anyone at this time. The idea that they can merit grace on the basis of what is unmerited...that's just absolutely irrational and contrary to scripture.
Those who think that they can be saved by Jame's Gospel he preached to the twelve tribes scattered abroad (James 1:1), which was written years before Paul had received and began preaching the Gospel of Grace to bring it into existence in the place of the Kingdom Gospel (but only for a time), then they can try their best efforts to save themselves by works, but it will never suffice. To claim that water baptism and repentance and perseverance are required for grace to be fully realized, that's a doctrine of demons in addition to it being utterly counter-intuitive.
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