29 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, "This is a wicked generation. It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.
While Luke does not share with us the question that Jesus is responding to here in our verses for today, we find it recorded in Matthew 12:38 and Mark 8:11: 38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you." Matt 12:38 (NIV) 11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it." Mark 8:11-12 (NIV)
Though Jesus had performed many miracles evidenced by the religious leaders of the day, they demanded more. They wanted a divine sign from heaven, an utterance, if you will, from above giving even more validity to Jesus’ authenticity. This did not fare well with our Savior. The fact is, He calls them “wicked” meaning evil in a moral or spiritual sense - always looking for more and more visual proof when sufficient evidence had already been brought forth. I am reminded of Paul’s words in Romans: 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:18-20 (NIV)
While an appeal for a miracle can be a legitimate expression of one’s faith, as evidenced in Mark 5:23-24 and 7:26 which, by the way, both exhibit enormous amounts of faith in our Lord:23 and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." 24 So Jesus went with him. Mark 5:22-24 (NIV) 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. Mark 7:26 (NIV)
Yet the appeal becomes an illegitimate one if it arises out of unbelief which was true of the Pharisees in our verses for today. Some people will never turn (repent) and believe no matter how much evidence is presented to them. Continuing on and on with their demands for a sign with no intentions of them ever turning away from their sin to faith in the Lord Jesus. Their lack of belief does not however negate the fact that God is continually about His wonders! I am reminded of a pagan king in Daniels day:25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land: "May you prosper greatly!” “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. 27 He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions." Dan 6:25-27 (NIV)
I believe the Pharisees were a little too full of themselves and their “religion” to be rescued from it, confidently settled in the wrong way of thinking – not too dissimilar to what Paul tells Timothy:7 always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. 2 Tim 3:7 (NIV)
May that never be spoken of us! By the way, guess what Jonah’s big “sign” was to the Ninevites:4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." Jonah 3:4 (NIV)
Hardly what I would call a message full of signs and wonders! Here we have a prophet not too happy about being there; proclaiming, more than likely in a monotone voice, that their city was going to be overturned. That is it, the barest of words straight to the point and the heart of the matter. What happens next is nothing short of the movement of God’s mighty hand upon an ignorant pagan people. Below is their response: 5 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. 6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish." 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. Jonah 3:5-10 (NIV)
They believed and God credited that belief to them as righteousness. The compassion and mercy of God still flows today toward all who will turn and believe.