What Did Jesus Mean When He Said, “You Will Know Them by Their Fruit”?
Share
Jesus taught, “You will know them by their fruit.” And still today Christians use this phrase in all sorts of circumstances. The Bible also uses fruit for all types or symbolism, from people to characteristics. In the ancient world, fruit represented abundance, sweetness, life, prosperity. People made wine from fruit, like grapes, and they still do. As an extension, the Bible also applies extensive meaning to wine.
When Christ said, “You will know them by their fruit,” what did he mean? Let’s first look at the context.
Where Does Jesus Teach “You Will Know Them by Their Fruit”?
Jesus teaches, “You will know them by their fruit,” in Matthew 7:16. The statement comes as part of the larger and central Sermon on the Mount. This sermon essentially shares the culture of the Kingdom of God, how to live out principles of the heavenly Kingdom on earth, and how to live differently from the ways of the world. The Sermon on the Mount reveals the importance of the heart and inward purity, since it results in outward righteousness.
Within this broader message, Jesus appropriately discusses the danger of false prophets. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” Jesus warns how a false prophet will try to appear as one of God’s sheep, looking harmless and loving on the outside. However, inwardly, selfishness and pride drive them. They have destructive and divisive intentions, usually to gather their own kingdom instead of participating in the Kingdom of God to give the Lord glory. If these false prophets have inward motives, Jesus tells his disciples to pay attention to their actions, or their “fruit.”
Fruit determines the nature of the tree. We know an apple tree because it produces apples, an orange tree because the branches grow oranges. Jesus explains how a healthy tree produces good fruit. Bad fruit comes from a diseased tree. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” The character and deeds of a person reveal their true nature. Like a tree, we recognize people by their actions. A tree will produce according to its nature. It can’t help it. Neither can we. Jesus reveals how in order to change the fruit, the action, we must change the root, the nature of who we are.
And he points this out specifically regarding false teachers. Jesus’ teaching about bad leaders connects with warnings in the Old Testament regarding Israel’s corrupt leadership. In Ezekiel 34, God judges Israel’s shepherds for feeding themselves instead of their flock, dismissing or outright oppressing the weak and poor. The bad shepherds of Israel scattered the sheep (division) when they should have been unifying under the worship of God. Jeremiah 23 contains much the same message.
In John 10, Jesus identifies himself as the Good Shepherd. Here in the Sermon on the Mount, Christ is the one tree completely healthy from its source. Because of his divine nature, he can’t help but obey his Father, making him the perfect example of how to live the principles of heaven on earth.
What Other Verses Connect Fruit with Action?
The Bible uses “fruit” throughout, using it to symbolize the root and identity of a person's measurable character. In John 15:5, Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” Those connected to Christ, the true vine, naturally bear spiritual fruit like love and service. Without this connection, however, people can’t bear any good fruit. Their actions mean nothing.
Paul also uses this metaphor with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. When someone has the Spirit within, godly character results and blesses others, as fruit does. The list is a collective, one fruit made up of all those aspects. Paul also contrasts this with the works of the flesh, sinful actions from a life not connected or one with God (Galatians 5:19-21).
This fulfills Psalm 1:3, which compares a righteous person planted by streams of water, producing fruit in the proper season. A person by living, active water (the Word of God) will have the nourishment to have right living that gives others hope. James also uses fruit to reveal how God’s wisdom will produce godly character and behavior. “The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruit.” (James 1:3)
Jesus uses this spiritual reality to help us notice false prophets.
What Other Verses Warn Us About False Leaders and Their Actions?
In the Old Testament, Jeremiah 23:16-17 warns against false prophets. “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.” In context, God had decided to hand Jerusalem and Judah over to Babylon, exiling his people as judgment for their idolatry and sin, as he had continually promised. However, most “prophets” of the day spoke another message, that God would never do such a thing. Jeremiah warns the people not to listen to those lies. Similar things happened throughout the Old Testament.
Peter addresses the effects of false teachers in 2 Peter 2:1-3. “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them.” Through greed and selfishness, these leaders teach things that divide the Body of Christ and even deny the work of Christ. Peter then gives us the assurance God will bring justice to such teachers.
Paul also warns the Ephesian church in Acts 20:29-30: “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” First, Paul gives a type of prophecy here, using similar language to Jesus, wolves in sheep’s clothing. Wolves stalk, hunt, and eat the weak. Paul gives the church caution about this.
Second, this points to a broader theme, how the people of God can always trust the Devil to try and sow discord and lies into the church. Therefore, God’s children must be diligent, as John 4:1 tells us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirts to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Christians must develop the discipline of hearing from the Spirit and measuring someone’s message against the Scripture.
How Does the Bible Connect Fruit with True Leadership?
Just like with false teachers, we can know good leaders through their actions, as well.
Jesus continually pointed to his character and actions as affirmation of his calling and message. “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” (John 10:32) The Jews sought to kill him for claiming to be the Son of God, and he referred back to his actions and good works as evidence. As the Son of God, he submitted to his Father, and his life produced fruit in the form of compassion, healing, and obedience. In John 10:11, as the Good Shepherd, Jesus “lays down his life for the sheep,” the opposite of a false teacher looking for selfish gain.
Paul connected his leadership and mission with his good works. In 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, Paul recounts how he and those with him acted in righteousness as evidence of their love and the truth of the Gospel message. “But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves.” Paul and his companions exemplified self-sacrifice and compassion, not even taking money for their ministry from the disciples in Thessalonica (2 Thessalonians 3:8).
In 2 Corinthians 6:4-10, Paul uses characteristics from himself and others to define godly leadership, “as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way; by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities … by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love.” True spiritual leadership comes from a right and humble relationship with God, noticeable in righteous actions like service, self-sacrifice, and always leading people to worship of God alone. Both Jesus and Paul showed this.
What Does “You Will Know Them by Their Fruit” Mean for Christians Today?
Actions reveal the nature of a person—their character, beliefs, and desires. A person’s nature will produce their identity. Our lives consistently produce “fruit” that reflects what we love and believe. When we live rooted in Christ alone, our character and actions will align with his, and we will produce the fruit of the Spirit. However, if we focus on ourselves and our own glory, this will result in behavior that harms ourselves and others.
Looking at leadership in particular, this truth encourages us to prioritize our inward life and motives over everything else, knowing God will produce his will through us. For leaders in the church, Paul lists visible evidence of strong character before any theological teaching ability (1 Timothy 3:1-7). He sets out qualifications like being self-controlled, hospitable, respectable, and leading their family well. This “fruit” shows their self-sacrificial, Christ-like character, which means we can trust them to lead others in the family of God.
Unfortunately, many leaders gain position from charisma, talent, or gifts above looking deeply at their personal lives. Churches often look for a good sermon more than a loving, gentle character. This opens the door for manipulative or self-serving people to take advantage of the church.
In addition, we must make sure leaders have an accountability structure around them. They may begin as loving and pure men and women of God, but the Devil can sow discord and pride into their lives over time. Too many leaders are isolated from the community. Isolation creates loneliness and the ability to hide their actions. And leaders themselves should be humble enough to see their need for this, too.
The Bible calls for a greater standard for teachers and leaders. “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” If Satan can lie through a trusted teacher, it increases the damage done. Church leadership isn’t a career building exercise. God calls teachers to lead in a way reflecting his truth and love, always a better message than a spoken sermon. The former supports the latter.
People do fall, including church leaders. While we hold them accountable, God also calls us to give grace and hope for restoration when people sin. “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.” A leader may not take the opportunity to repent or change, but we should provide the pathway.
“You will know them by their fruit” encourages us to evaluate our own lives and the leaders we follow, realizing a truthful message is both lived and spoken. It calls us to value godly character over simple religious appearance, always seeking truth and love in every circumstance.
Peace.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Feverpitched
