No Sign Given
Mark 8:11 – Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, asking for a sign from heaven to test him. 12 – Sighing deeply in his spirit he said, “Why does this generation look for a sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 – Then he left them, got back into the boat, and went to the other side.
Both Matthew and Luke record Jesus as saying: “but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” – Matthew 16:4, Luke 11:29. Mark does not include “the sign of Jonah.” Luke goes a step further with this statement from Jesus: “For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be a sign to this generation. – Luke 11:30.
Sign or no sign? which is it? What had the Pharisees already witnessed from Jesus? He fed a combined total of 9000 people over two separate occasions. Crowds of people from each village and town had received healing. Witnesses from other boats noticed how the wind and waves suddenly got calm in the presence of Jesus. According to Luke – Jesus was the sign – and the Pharisees would condemn the sign, place Him on the cross, and secure Him in a tomb. If the Pharisees refuse to acknowledge Jesus, what other sign could there possibly be? The gospel of Mark gets right to the point. No sign will be given.
Are we still looking for signs today? Watch out! The same thing might happen in our generation. Every day is a sign – if we ignore what is so obvious: wars, disease, earthquakes, lawlessness, gospel to the world – then we’ll be looking for signs that will never come. We’ll wake up seeing Jesus coming and it will be too late to start believing. Let’s not bargain our salvation away by demanding Jesus for signs proving His existence. See the evidence that’s already there – all creation is a sign and we are alive! What more do we want?
For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. – Romans 1:20.
Let’s glorify God and give Him thanks for the precious gift of life He’s given us today – and look forward to the return of Jesus together!
Where two are gathered 