A Sign

Hello: 

For the past couple of days (as you probably noticed), the server has been down on my site.  They promised that it would be back up on the same day it went out but all they would tell me is that they are experiencing “technical difficulties.”  Thanks for all the emails expressing your concern but Yes, everything was okay and I am fine.  

Today we are in the 16^th chapter of Matthew.  We are making progress.

Here is the text:

1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.

Our text opens up with the two dominant religious groups that existed during the time of Jesus.   The Pharisees and Sadducees were at odds within their theological beliefs yet they were unified with their desire to get rid of Jesus.   Jesus was a threat to the hypocrisy and pride of the Pharisees and the theological beliefs of the Sadducees.   Both parties opposed each other but came together because Jesus was a greater threat to their doctrines, belief systems and way of life than each other.

The text opens with they came to test him.  In others words, they came to trap him.  They were not interested in learning from Jesus or being convinced that he was the Messiah.  They were trying to gather some type of evidence to proclaim that he was a false prophet.   The test was to show them a sign from heaven.   In the Old Testament scriptures, they were used to the stories of the miraculous signs to demonstrate the power of God such as the burning bush, the ten commandments being carved by the finger of God,  Elisha and the prophets of Baal,  the fire coming down from heaven to consume the alter, etc. 

Jesus had already given them numerous signs. The lame walked, the sick were healed, demons were cast out and sins were being forgiven.  No man could do the things that Jesus was doing which meant it only could have been attributed to God.  

 The test was if Jesus had called down some miraculous event from heaven, they would have identified him with the devil as they did on other occasions when he demonstrated his power.  If he did nothing then they would have argued that he has not the power to issue a sign from heaven and declare him a mere man.  

I love the way Jesus would respond each time that they attempted to test them.  He always put it back on them.  He said , “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.    

With all their “spiritual” knowledge, He spoke to their inability to discern and interpret the signs of the times.   Oh!!!!!  Jesus was just so masterful with his answers. Jesus goes on to say that “ A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.”

When we are wicked and adulterous, we look for a miraculous sign because we can’t discern what God is already doing in the land because we are distracted by our wickedness and making other things our Gods.   God often referred to his people that sought after and worship foreign gods as adulterous. 

Jesus explains that the only sign given will be that of Jonah.  We actually covered that story before earlier in Matthew when Jesus first referenced it so I want include it today.   We know that Jonah was called to preach to the Niniahvites and he refused and ended up in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights.

 Have a great weekend! 

Stay encouraged!!!!!!! 

Don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

This entry was posted on 23. January 2009 at 10:48 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.