"But Jesus replied, 'Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.'" Matthew 12:39-40
Every generation wants a sign that verifies Jesus' identity and compels them to place their faith in Him. The death and resurrection of Jesus stands as the one compelling and irrefutable sign for all generations. C.S. Lewis said that Jesus is either a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. If He did not rise from the dead then He is nothing more than a bold liar or a deluded lunatic. But if He rose from the dead then we can be confident of every claim that He made about Himself and we should bow before Him as Lord. The resurrection of Jesus is attested to us by eyewitnesses, like Matthew, and their testimony is sealed with their own blood as the eyewitnesses died as martyrs rather than recant what they knew to be the truth. The facts of history affirm that Jesus rose from the dead but ultimately it is through the step of faith that we know and experience Jesus as the risen Lord and Savior.
Father, I rejoice in the "sign of the prophet Jonah" fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus my Savior and Lord. Today I embrace Him in faith and pray that I may live more fully in the power of His resurrection life.
I'm praying for you.
Pastor Mark
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath and Sunday through Friday. It is interesting that the Pharisees (outwardly obedient to the Law and inwardly hypercritical) are the ones to point out the wrong doing. God said in the Old Testament that He preferred obedience over sacrifice. Here Jesus adds mercy over sacrifice. These are conditions of the heart that require outward expression. Pointing them back to the Law, He showed how the Priest in the Temple desecrated the Sabbath and yet are innocent. Now in the Synagogue, a place of worship and where good is the order of the day, Jesus is asked a second question that seems ridiculous in the asking. “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” After Jesus showed them the hypocrisy of their question based on their own practices, He states the obvious — it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Now, knowing of their plot to kill Him, Jesus departs. The truth that comes next needs to be written on our hearts and before our eyes. That which is not united is divided and will not stand. That goes for our families, our spouse, our business, our church, our nation, and within our own bodies. He who does not gather with me scatters, said Jesus. What can survive if it fights against itself? Life is not just being here, it is being actively involved. That might be why those who serve with their whole heart enjoy so much more of life. The unforgivable sin is mentioned next. Blasphemy (irreverent talk about God or sacred things) against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. A strong encouragement to watch how we spew words underlines the rest of the thought line. The heart is the key to communication. Keep the heart right and the words and thoughts will be right. The Pharisees now want to see a stream of miracles signs from Jesus. Jesus points them to the story of Jonah as their sign. This might invite us to reread that story and see the rawness of a reluctant Prophet and maybe the selfishness of our own hearts. I have found myself in all the wrong places in that story and yet, to know that I could be as Jonah has caused reevaluations of priorities and purpose. To see oneself in this mirror might be all that is needed to invite change. How salty are the words falling on the Pharisees’ ears as Jesus claims to be greater than Solomon. This is not the first time He has said words like these and it will not be the last, but these words are always hard for them to hear. The next verses talk about guarding the victories and keeping guard over the heart. As Jesus obeyed and followed the will of the Father to the death, he says that those who likewise do the will of the Father are closer than relatives. My takeaway ~ without having been reminded about judging in a previous chapter, it would have been easier to fault the Pharisees without truly examining my own motives and behavior. In judging others it is easier to say, “I am glad I am not like ________ instead of listening to the beckoning voice of conviction of the Holy Spirit who helps me examine similar attitudes in my own life. Then He helps me get on the right path and do the will of the Father.
ReplyDelete