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Answer
As Jesus traveled around ministering with His disciples, He performed many miracles, signs, and wonders. These signs were evidence of His divine authority, causing many to believe His message and respond to Him in faith. However, the Pharisees, who also witnessed these signs, were filled with wickedness and unbelief, and they “plotted how they might kill Jesus” «Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. », (Matthew 12:14). When they asked Jesus for a sign to prove He was the Messiah, the Lord saw beyond their words into their treacherous, faithless hearts. Jesus responded, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” «But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: », (Matthew 12:39, ESV).
A similar exchange took place in Matthew 16:1–4. The Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, “demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority” (verse 1, NLT). Again, Jesus confronted their unbelief, noting that they could interpret meteorological signs, but not “the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah” (Matthew 16:2-4;ESV).
The “sign of Jonah” is a reference to Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (see Matthew 12:40;cf: Jonah 1:17). The religious leaders already had more tThe people had more than enough proof of Jesus Christ’s identity. They were aware of the messianic prophecies that Christ was fulfilling. They had witnessed His miracles of healing and exorcisms with their own eyes. If these signs were not indisputable evidence, what more could He do? Jesus concluded that nothing more could convince them. The fact that they kept seeking a sign showed the hardness of their unbelieving hearts. The only definitive sign they might accept to confirm Christ’s authority would be His triumph over death on the cross (Romans 6:9;2 Timothy 1:10). The Pharisees may not have fully grasped Jesus’ meaning at that moment, but they might have recalled and understood His words after the resurrection.
Scripture teaches that it is wise to test the legitimacy of someone who claims to be God’s prophet: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). Jesus was not implying that seeking a sign is evil or wrong. God provided signs to Moses (Exodus 4:1-9) and Gideon (Judges 6:11-22) to confirm His Word. He encouraged King Ahaz to ask the Lord God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or the highest heights (Isaiah 7:11; see also Isaiah 7:10-25). Miraculous signs can sometimes ignite a person’s faith and trust in Jesus (see John 2:23; see John 11:45). God offers signs to assist those who are struggling to believe.
43-54″>(John 4:43-54).
The purpose of a divine sign is always to lead people to respond to God’s message in faith. The scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign to deceive Jesus and ultimately destroy Him. Therefore, Jesus told them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign.” He discerned the rebellion and unbelief in their hearts. Furthermore, Jesus identified these men as representatives of an entire generation of unfaithful, unbelieving individuals.
The term “adulterous generation” refers to the Old Testament concept that adultery or spiritual infidelity is akin to apostasy or idolatry (see Jeremiah 3:20; Isaiah 57:3; Ezekiel 16:32; Hosea 1—3). Jesus stated, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels” «Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.», (Mark 8:38). James wrote, “You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God” «Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. », (James 4:4, NLT). God views His spiritual union with His people as intimate and exclusive as the bond between a husband and wife (see Ezekiel 16:8; Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 3:14; Jeremiah 31:32; Ephesians 5:31-32).
Believers with faithful hearts may receive a sign from God—to confirm His Word (Hebrews 2:3-4; Mark 16:20); to assure them of His presence (Exodus 3:1-5); to demonstrate His power «and hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror; », (Jeremiah 32:21); to warn against rebellion (Numbers 17:10; 1 Samuel 2:34); and to encourage them (Deuteronomy 7:17-19; Matthew 2:9-10). The insincere unbelievers of “an evil and adulterous generation” in Jesus’ day sought a sign, but none was given to them except the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
