1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 “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? 4 “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.
True to character, the religious leaders again attempt to corner Jesus. He had just returned from the north, having retreated there from the brewing hostilities in Israel with the Pharisees and Sadducees. Quickly finding Him they demand miraculous proof of His spiritual credentials. Their “testing Jesus” was designed for one purpose—to demonstrate He was a charlatan, an imposter. The test was this, someone who was truly the Messiah from God would be validated by supernatural events. If not, then the individual would prove to be fake, whose words might be flowery, but ultimately would be empty.
The irony of this is rich, if not pathetic—for in their own self-exalted wisdom, they did not know that the One they were confronting personified wisdom in the flesh. Jesus quotes to them a well-known proverb, namely the common wisdom for determining the weather forecast for a given day by observing the sky the night or morning before. He turns this proverb back on them: observe the signs you already have! Go where the evidence already leads! Jesus had been doing signs all along. Either the religious leaders had been blind (hardly a reasonable explanation) or they knew where the evidence led and were deliberately rejecting that conclusion. Nicodemus, himself one of them, admitted they did in fact recognize as much: “… a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ ” (John 3:1-2).
At this point, Jesus pulled no punches. He pronounced judgment on those who still sought signs, but rejected the signs already given. Only one sign would be given for those who rejected the evidence based His life and ministry, that one sign would be the “sign of Jonah.” Jesus had made this point before (see Matt 12:39-40), with the intimation that this referred His death and resurrection. Paul affirmed this idea, “For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness” (1 Cor 1:22-23).
Lord, help me not to chase after miraculous events trying to prove that You are real. You have already done enough in my life to show Your love to me.
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