In studying the gospels, I marvel at the wonderful miracles Jesus performed in His ministry on Earth. I also marvel at the blindness of the scribes and Pharisees who took no notice of His great miracles but chose to focus on His indifference to their laws and tried to trap Him into what we would call a “gotcha question.” They often condemned Him for healing on the Sabbath, eating with unwashed hands and spending time with sinners. They asked Him to show them a sign or give them proof of His divine sonship. His answer was always the same. He called them out and identified them for who they were, hypocrites.
In Greek theatre, they used huge elaborately decorated masks to portray the characters in the play, and the actors were called hypocrites. It is easy to see why this description is perfect for the scribes and Pharisees who tried to trap Jesus at every turn. They were more interested in their outward appearance than they were with their souls. They wanted Him to be like them. They wanted Him to prove His power the way they wanted it done.
Jesus walked with them and showed them signs and wonders, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, the deaf to hear and even raising the dead. That should have been proof enough, but they wanted something else. They wanted Him to make a mistake so they could rid themselves of His popularity and new doctrine so diametrically opposed to theirs.
Jesus did not fall for their traps and further angered them by exposing their plots and deceptions. He chastised them for their demands.
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 KJV)
Jesus was saying only wicked people ask for faithless proof, and He would not cast his pearls before swine, so to speak. He would only give the sign that was given to Jonah – a three-day vacation in the belly of a whale.
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. (Matthew 12:40 KJV)
Jesus said He would give them a sign, but it would be in His own time. His death and resurrection would be a sign to all humanity.
Jesus healed leprosy, blindness, speech impediments, deafness, cast out devils and raised the dead. Jesus changed water into wine, hushed the raging tempest and walked on water. There was ample proof that He was the son of God, and His followers believed and witnessed more miracles all while the scribes and the Pharisees were blind and tried to attribute His magnificent power to the devil. Even at the foot of the cross, these spiritually blind religious leaders mocked Him and demanded a sign. You can almost hear the sinister sarcasm and mockery in their words:
And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.(Matthew 27:39-43 KJV)
In our “gotcha” society, where the talking heads and social media seem more interested in the trap than the truth, I wonder if we are missing the miracles seeking for the signs because we are looking for what we want to hear and not what would bring us peace and joy.
There were two thieves crucified next to Jesus. One joined in the revelry of Jesus’ demise, while the other looked inside his own soul and recognized he was accountable for his own choices. He deserved his punishment, but he was also compassionate. I am sure he had a habit of defending the less fortunate. Jumping in the middle of the mocking crowd is not easy. It would have been easier to remain silent. He could have said, “I am in enough trouble already. I will keep my mouth shut.” But he chose to speak up. Mockery was not his style. I imagine he could feel the spirit of Jesus Christ, and being in His presence was enough to give him a testimony of Christ’s divinity, but this man would have defended anyone who was being mocked. That is who he was. I am convinced this unnamed thief earned his welcome into paradise by his compassion and love for his fellow beings and ultimately his defense and love of the Savior.
What does this have to do with our modern enlightened society? After these many centuries, are we not educated enough to know the difference between signs and miracles? Do we not have the good sense to accept others' testimonies of faith and see the evidence already written in the holy scriptures? Or are we a wicked and adulterous generation who seeks for signs? Do we seek for scientific proof for every phenomenon? Do we wag our heads and mock people of faith? Do we ignore miracles and fill our minds with gotcha questions?
Miracles are everywhere. Signs and wonders abound in the scriptures. We do not have to look further than our own bodies to see the miracles of God. We have eyes that work millions of times better than computers. Our ears can hear and process information in split nanoseconds. If we are wounded, our bodies heal. These are miracles that cannot be replicated by men. The Earth, the oceans and the wonders of far-flung galaxies are evidence there is a God. Yet man, in his puny wisdom, fabricates theories to deface and mock the truth of the creation.
Long before Christ was born, the sign of his birth was announced:
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)
His entire mortal ministry was a miracle. He walked the earth devoting his entire life to blessing others. He opened the eyes of the blind, not just physically, but spiritually. He helped others see a new way of life and gave them hope for the future. The sign of Jonah, as Jesus predicted, happened. He was crucified, laid in a borrowed tomb and on the third day, He was resurrected. His disciples saw Him, touched His hands and feet, and subsequently, willingly gave their lives as a testimony of that truth. Martyrs down through the ages still give their lives defending that truth.
People today find it easy to mock and scoff about Christian faith. Yet Christians go about witnessing unexplained miracles daily. Diseases are healed through the power of prayer. People walk in newness of life. Addictions are turned into strengths. Depression is taken away and replaced with the overwhelming joy of hope. Blind people still receive their sight and the deaf still hear both physically and spiritually. We can attribute many miracles to modern science, but the Lord opened the heavens to those inventions and discoveries. The light of Christ permeates the world and gives humans power to do all things. It is not the other way around.
Jesus literally walks with His followers through the perils of life. He still calms the raging storms and fills hearts with peace. Mighty miracles still happen because of faith. Miracles do not occur because someone demands a sign.
When Jesus departed into heaven, He promised that those who believe will have signs follow them. In other words, faithful believers would be the torchbearers of His signs and wonders.
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (Mark 16:17-18)
