Matthew 12:38-5038Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39But 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: 40For 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. 41The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. 42The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here. 43When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. 46While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. 47Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. 48But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? 49And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! 50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. (Matthew 12:38‑50)
Some leaders of the people asked Jesus “to show them a sign”. They seem to have meant that He should do some wonderful miracle to prove to them that He had come from God. Jesus had already shown them His power by many great miracles. They could not do one of the many cures which He had done, and what greater miracle should they ask, than dead persons to be raised to life, as He had done?
Those men also had read God’s words in the Old Testament scriptures about the Messiah to come to earth, and about what He would do to bless the people. They should have believed God’s promises, but they had not believed the signs already done for them.
Then Jesus told those men who asked for a “sign”, that there would be one sign given them: He said that it would be the sign of the prophet Jonas (Jonah), that as Jonah had been three days within the great fish, so should the Son of Man (Jesus) be three days and three nights in “the heart of the earth.” We know that Jesus meant that He would be in the grave.
The men Jesus spoke to, knew the story of Jonah, and that God had caused a great fish to keep Jonah from drowning in the ocean; they believed it was true, and they knew how the people of the city of Ninevah had been sorry for their sins when Jonah told them of God’s punishment to come. Yet these men had not been sorry for their sins, although God had sent His own Son to speak to them, and He was so much greater than Jonah.
Perhaps afterward, when Jesus was buried in the grave, some of the men who had heard Him, remembered His words about “the sign to be given.”
Sometimes people now say that the story of Jonah could not have been true, but it is plain from Jesus’ words that He knew it was true.
Jesus spoke to the men, also, of the Queen who came a long journey to learn if what she had heard about the wonderful riches and wisdom of King Solomon were really true. And Jesus said to the men, “Behold a greater than Solomon is here.” Jesus was the One with them, “greater than Solomon”, yet the men would not listen to, or believe His wise words. Instead, those men were trying to find cause to have Jesus killed.
About this same time, while Jesus was inside of a house, or the synagogue, His mother and His brothers came wanting to speak to Him. Someone told Jesus that His mother and brothers were ouide, wanting to see Him. The answer of Jesus shows how very much He loveci and valued those who believed that He was from God, for He pointed to the disciples and said that they were as dear to Him as though they were His mother and brothers. At that time the brothers of Jesus did not believe that He was froni God (John 7:55For neither did his brethren believe in him. (John 7:5)), but the disciples had left their work and homes to stay with Jesus, because they loved Him and believed God had sent Him.
Later on we find that the brothers of Jesus believed that He was the Son of God, and not like themselves; they stayed with the apostles after Jesus’ death, and shared all things with them (Acts 1:1414These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. (Acts 1:14)). Two of the brothers, James and Jude (or Judas) were the men who wrote two of the short books of the New Testament, and called themselves “servants of Jesus Christ.”
ML 04/18/1943