Introduction
Have you ever found yourself at a crossroads, desperately asking God for a sign? "Lord, if you want me to take this job, let the phone ring in the next ten minutes." "God, if this is the person I'm supposed to marry, have them wear a blue shirt tomorrow." We crave certainty. We want a clear, unmistakable sign from heaven to guide our steps and calm our fears.
In our text today, we find the religious leaders of the day doing the very same thing. The Pharisees and the Sadducees come to Jesus, asking for a sign. But as we will see, not all requests for a sign are born of a sincere heart. Theirs was a demand, not a humble plea. And Jesus's response to them is a powerful lesson for us today about where we should be looking for proof and what it means to truly see what God is doing.
I. The Demand of a Hardened Heart
A. A Tempting Request
The scripture is clear: they came "tempting" Jesus. This wasn't a group of sincere seekers trying to overcome their doubts. This was a calculated test. They weren't looking for a reason to believe; they were looking for a reason to accuse Him. They had already seen Him heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and feed thousands with a few loaves and fish. But those signs weren't enough because their hearts were already set against Him. They wanted a spectacle, a magic trick from the sky that they could either explain away or use to trap Him. We must always check our motives. Are we seeking God to know Him, or are we trying to make God prove Himself to us on our terms?
B. A Common Enemy
It's fascinating that the Pharisees and the Sadducees came together. These two groups were bitter theological rivals. The Pharisees believed in the resurrection, angels, and spirits; the Sadducees did not. They argued constantly. Yet, in their opposition to Jesus, they found common ground. It's a stark reminder that a shared opposition to the things of God can create the strangest of alliances. They were so blinded by their desire to protect their own power and traditions that they united against the very Messiah they were supposed to be waiting for.
II. The Rebuke of a Discerning Savior
A. An Obvious Hypocrisy
Jesus's response is brilliant. He doesn't perform a miracle on command. Instead, He exposes their hypocrisy with a simple analogy about the weather. He says, "When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red... O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky." They were experts in observation. They could look at the natural world and make accurate predictions. They knew how to interpret the physical signs all around them. The phrase "Red sky at night, sailor's delight; Red sky in morning, sailor's warning" was common wisdom.
B. A Spiritual Blindness
Then comes the piercing question: "...but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" They had all the evidence they needed, but they refused to see it. Prophecy was being fulfilled right before their eyes. The forerunner, John the Baptist, had come and announced the Lamb of God. Lives were being transformed by Jesus's teaching and touch. The very "sign of the times" was standing in front of them, yet they were spiritually blind. They could read the sky, but they couldn't read the Savior. It is a dangerous thing to be an expert in worldly matters but an infant in spiritual ones.
III. The Sign That Truly Matters
A. The Refusal of a Lesser Sign
Jesus gives them a harsh diagnosis. He calls them a "wicked and adulterous generation." In the Old Testament, adultery was often used as a metaphor for Israel's unfaithfulness to God. By seeking a sign, they were showing their spiritual unfaithfulness. Their hearts were not with God, so they constantly demanded more proof. Because of this, Jesus declares, "there shall no sign be given unto it..." He will not cater to a cynical, faithless heart. God does not owe us a performance.
B. The Promise of the Ultimate Sign
But then He makes one crucial exception: "...but the sign of the prophet Jonas." What is this sign? Jesus explains it elsewhere in Matthew 12:40: "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
The one, great, ultimate sign that God would give to this world is the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. This is not a fleeting spectacle in the sky. This is a history-altering event. It is the sign that conquers sin and defeats death. It is the sign that proves Jesus is who He says He is. It is the ultimate demonstration of God's power and love. They were looking for a sign from heaven, and God gave them a sign that came up from the grave.
Conclusion
The story ends with two of the most chilling words in scripture: "And he left them." When a heart becomes so hard that it refuses to see the truth, there comes a point where the presence of the Lord departs.
The question for us today is this: What sign are you looking for? Are you waiting for a voice from the clouds or a fiery message in the sky? Jesus says that is the request of a wicked and faithless heart. God has already given us the sign. The sign is the empty tomb. The sign is the risen Christ. That is the bedrock of our faith. That is the proof of His power. That is the sign that changes everything. We don't need another sign from heaven, because we have the ultimate sign that rose from the earth.
