Faith in Signs
Notes
Transcript
An Evil Generation
An Evil Generation
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just 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 at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
Jesus said to the scribes and Pharisees that an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign.
So no one thinks that I am taking a verse out of context, let me just tell you that this passage is referring to a sign as Jesus being the Son of God. They wanted a sign instead of trusting the Word of God.
Many believers are looking for a sign of the end of the world or the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Jesus gave many signs in Matthew 24 that the disciples were to keep a look out for, but not be focused on.
And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Now, as soon as the army had no more people to slay or to plunder, because there remained none to be objects of their fury (for they would not have spared any, had there remained any other such work to be done) Caesar gave orders that they should now demolish the entire city and temple, but should leave as many of the towers standing as were of the greatest eminency; that is, Phasaelus, and Hippicus, and Mariamne, and so much of the wall as enclosed the city on the west side.
After Jesus said these words the disciples immediately began to ask Him for a sign for when all these things will take place.
This is a different circumstance than what the Pharisees were asking. The scribes and Pharisees were asking out of unbelief in who Jesus was presenting Himself to be. The disciple believed Jesus and was wanting to be prepared.