Reading… and Thinking

The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. But he replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away.

– Matthew 16:1-4 (NASB)

At first glance, it looks like Jesus just shut down these people. And in one way we can’t feel that they deserved anything else; they were not really seeking to understand, they were looking for something to use against Jesus.

But still, the principle should still stand, “everyone who asks receives”. Even if these people were not asking seriously, it seems like a fair question. After all, Moses and the prophets did give signs. In fact, the Law stated that people should not listen to a prophet unless there was a sign that he was genuine, in the form of short-term prophecies that were fulfilled. And be honest: wouldn’t YOU like to see a sign, to confirm your faith?

Let’s dig deeper. What does Jesus really say?

He didn’t really shut them down. Instead, he pointed out that there were clearly discernible indicators that they should have understood. They could forecast the weather, but they couldn’t figure out the “signs of the times”. What were those signs? First, there were the Old Testament prophecies about the coming of Messiah. We’re told several times that the people were “in expectation” – they DID discern the signs of the times, and knew that it was the right time for the Messiah to appear. Second, Jesus was doing many, many signs – he was healing people of incurable disabilities! That obviously ought to have been enough.

He then rebuked them, as “an evil and adulterous generation”. Kind of harsh, but they were willfully blinding themselves to the signs that had been provided. Jesus told them nothing more would be provided, except the “sign of Jonah”. From other accounts, we know that he was referring to his resurrection. THAT would be a sign that no one could ignore!

And yet they did ignore it! As Jesus foretold, if they didn’t believe the prophets, then they wouldn’t believe even if someone rose from the dead. (Luke 16:31) How could they possibly fail to believe a sign like that? The same way Israel in the wilderness could murmur against Moses days after the Red Sea crossing.

Do you think your faith would be stronger if you had a sign, an obvious miracle? You’re wrong. Miracles do not give people lasting faith. The perversity of our heart begins to doubt, and then we always want things our own way – so we rationalize or ignore what disagrees with our preconceptions, or our desires.

Lasting faith comes from coming to know the Lord God, and Jesus His Son. Knowing them comes from the Bible. There are other supports, such as fulfilled prophecy. We have our own “signs of the times” that we can see. Like first century Israel, we are in expectation of Messiah’s arrival. And like them, we have the great sign of Jesus’ resurrection. The more you look into it, the more it is clear that believing the testimony of the eyewitnesses is far easier than believing the skeptics’ convoluted theories about how Christianity got started. Now as then, people will disbelieve if that’s what they decide to do. But now as then, the honest heart will perceive the power of his resurrection, and realize that his resurrection means that all the rest is true as well.