Matthew 12:38-45 The Scribes and Pharisees Ask for a Sign
”Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.”
An Unclean Spirit Returns
“When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
Jesus has been moving throughout cities and towns healing people, delivering them from demons, and preaching the good news of the Kingdom. The Pharisees pride themselves on their knowledge of scripture, and yet they are ignoring the Messianic prophecies, particularly Isaiah 35, which tells us, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing.”
Jesus has just healed a man who was deaf, mute, and demon-possessed and this is only the latest of thousands of healings. The villages are full of stories about the miracles Jesus has performed; yet, the Pharisees are still demanding more signs. What do these men want anyway?
Jesus describes these men as “an evil and adulterous generation” because they are more absorbed in religious rituals than they are in seeking God. These men have been seduced by the belief that they are operating on a different spiritual plane than those around them and they are now serving a god of religion rather than the One True Living God. (Not all the religious leaders are this deceived. Throughout the Gospels, there are mentions of religious leaders who secretly follow Jesus but refuse to come out openly for fear of ostracism.)
In Matthew 11:16-17 Jesus has already derided these men for their ridiculous lack of logic.“But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you, and you did not lament.’
Jesus knows that there is no sign that these men will accept; however, he foretells his death and resurrection by mentioning the story of Jonah. “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Jesus goes on to rebuke the Pharisees for their spiritual blindness. “The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.” Nowhere in the Book of Jonah does it indicate that Jonah performed any miracles; all Jonah did was to walk through Nineveh crying out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Such a simple message, and yet the entire city of Nineveh repented in sackcloth and ashes and fasting. King Solomon never performed a single miracle; yet, the Queen of Sheba traveled long distances to hear his wisdom.
Spiritual blindness can lead to far worse consequences. “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
Jesus has come and has ministered. Those who truly continue in the Holy Spirit will be safe; however, those who have witnessed the miracles simply as entertainment and who have not undergone a spiritual awakening will become progressively more spiritually confused.
What about us? Sometimes people demand that God should prove Himself by saying, “Oh if God really exists, why doesn’t He______________?” God has already given us Jesus, but as with the Pharisees, there are those who have already seen signs and still demand more anyway. And then those who have begun as atheists and wound up as Christians upon closely studying Jesus.
Years ago, Josh McDowell published a book entitled Evidence that Demands a Verdict. This book was later updated in 2017. One reviewer says: “It is the stated goal of the book to offer such an abundance of evidence in favor of the claims of Christ that people will see that they must come to a verdict – they must decide what they will do with Jesus.” Lee Strobel was a tough-minded journalist when he began investigating claims about Jesus. Strobel came to faith and wrote The Case for Christ. Decades earlier, Chuck Colson was a top Washington lawyer who was imprisoned for his part in the Watergate coverups. While in prison, Colson read C.S. Lewis’ book Mere Christianity. The logical arguments put forth by Lewis so convinced Colson that he became a Christian and founded Prison Fellowship.
Why not try Jesus? You can pray and ask Jesus to make himself real to you and he will do so.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, many of us are confused and not sure which way to go. We want to believe in you, but we really aren’t sure you exist or that you work today as you did two thousand years ago. Will you please make yourself real to us and show us that you really are there and you really do hear our prayers? Amen
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment