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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said
to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from You."
He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.”
Matthew 12:38-42
He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.”
Matthew 12:38-42
As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This
is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except
the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the
Son of Man be to this generation. The Queen of the South will rise at the
judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from
the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater
than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with
this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah;
and now something greater than Jonah is here.”
Luke 11:29-32
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be
to God.
Throughout our study of Jesus’ ministry, we have seen Him in the midst of a showdown with the Pharisees, the Jewish religious authorities of the day. For as Jesus came on the scene with new teachings and a special power to heal people and drive our demons, He began to gain a following that disturbed those who were in charge of spiritual matters.
And so we have seen the Pharisees question Jesus’ actions or the actions of His disciples over and over again.
Throughout our study of Jesus’ ministry, we have seen Him in the midst of a showdown with the Pharisees, the Jewish religious authorities of the day. For as Jesus came on the scene with new teachings and a special power to heal people and drive our demons, He began to gain a following that disturbed those who were in charge of spiritual matters.
And so we have seen the Pharisees question Jesus’ actions or the actions of His disciples over and over again.
Why did He dine with sinners?
Why did His disciples pick grain and eat it on the
Sabbath?
Why did Jesus heal on the Sabbath?
Why? Why? Why?
The questions never seemed to end. Ditto for their
accusations and continuous efforts to discredit Jesus, even inferring that He
drove out demons because He was partnered with the prince of demons. But despite the efforts of the Pharisees,
Jesus always had a response for His detractors, a response that showed that He
was one greater than they were, one who was by far greater in power and wisdom.
Well, as we look at today’s passage, we find out quickly that the Pharisees are not giving up with wanting to challenge Jesus and we see that He is not giving up either in providing a reply to their challenge. Take a look at Matthew’s account of this encounter here:
Well, as we look at today’s passage, we find out quickly that the Pharisees are not giving up with wanting to challenge Jesus and we see that He is not giving up either in providing a reply to their challenge. Take a look at Matthew’s account of this encounter here:
Then some of the
Pharisees and teachers of the law said to Him, "Teacher, we want to see a
miraculous sign from You."
He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.” Matthew 12:38-42
He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.” Matthew 12:38-42
Incredibly, we read where “some of the Pharisees and
teachers of the law” asked Jesus to perform “a miraculous sign”, even though
they had already witnessed Him drive our demons and heal a man who had a
crippled hand. I mean, how many more miraculous signs could Jesus provide before
His opponents would realize that He was indeed one greater?
Now Jesus fully knew what the Pharisees and teachers of
the law were up to. After all, He knows the most inward thoughts of a person
and nothing is hidden from His sight. Jesus knew the Jewish religious
authorities were only trying to find something else to accuse or discredit Him.
And so Jesus addressed the main issue in the room head on and set the Pharisees
and teachers of the law straight saying:
"A wicked and
adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it
except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three
nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and
three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the
judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the
preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the
South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she
came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one
greater than Solomon is here.”
Wow! Through these words, we find Jesus taking full aim at His antagonists. The Pharisees and teachers of the law had taken their shots at Jesus but One greater than them was now speaking and taking a shot of His own, one that should have shaken His accusers to the core.
For it was obvious that the very Jewish religious leaders who claimed to be great men of God could not even recognize and acknowledge when the power of God was being performed right in front of them. I mean, how else would Jesus had been able to do the miracles He performed except by a power greater than any man or woman on earth. Clearly, the power Jesus displayed was unlike anything on earth because it was no of the earth but rather His Father in heaven.
And so Jesus let the Pharisees and teachers of the law know the extent of His authority through using two very familiar Old Testament figures, two figures who would be very familiar to them. Through these two examples, Jesus underscored the pending judgment awaiting anyone who sought to undermine His work.
First, we find Jesus refer to Jonah.
You’re familiar with Jonah’s story, right?
Wow! Through these words, we find Jesus taking full aim at His antagonists. The Pharisees and teachers of the law had taken their shots at Jesus but One greater than them was now speaking and taking a shot of His own, one that should have shaken His accusers to the core.
For it was obvious that the very Jewish religious leaders who claimed to be great men of God could not even recognize and acknowledge when the power of God was being performed right in front of them. I mean, how else would Jesus had been able to do the miracles He performed except by a power greater than any man or woman on earth. Clearly, the power Jesus displayed was unlike anything on earth because it was no of the earth but rather His Father in heaven.
And so Jesus let the Pharisees and teachers of the law know the extent of His authority through using two very familiar Old Testament figures, two figures who would be very familiar to them. Through these two examples, Jesus underscored the pending judgment awaiting anyone who sought to undermine His work.
First, we find Jesus refer to Jonah.
You’re familiar with Jonah’s story, right?
You’ll recall that he (Jonah) was told by the Lord to go
to Nineveh to preach against the city and its people because of their
wickedness. But Jonah, afraid of the assignment, ran instead of obeying God’s
command, boarding a ship that was bound for Tarshish.
As the ship set out, a terrible storm came upon it and everyone onboard was in danger of dying at sea. Scripture tells is that all the men on the ship were praying to their own gods and hoping for rescue but Jonah was asleep below decks. Awakened by the ship’s captain, Jonah was summoned on deck where he was questioned by the rest of the men who wanted to know about the God Jonah followed to which he replied, “I worship the Lord, the God of heaven who made the sea and the land” Jonah 1:9.
Well, this disclosure terrified the men more and they were convinced that it was God, the God Jonah followed, who was responsible for their perilous situation. So the men asked Jonah what they should do and he told them to cast him overboard since he was the one who had angered God and was responsible for their perilous circumstances. The men, grief-stricken that they had to kill Jonah to save themselves, cried out to Jonah’s God saying:
As the ship set out, a terrible storm came upon it and everyone onboard was in danger of dying at sea. Scripture tells is that all the men on the ship were praying to their own gods and hoping for rescue but Jonah was asleep below decks. Awakened by the ship’s captain, Jonah was summoned on deck where he was questioned by the rest of the men who wanted to know about the God Jonah followed to which he replied, “I worship the Lord, the God of heaven who made the sea and the land” Jonah 1:9.
Well, this disclosure terrified the men more and they were convinced that it was God, the God Jonah followed, who was responsible for their perilous situation. So the men asked Jonah what they should do and he told them to cast him overboard since he was the one who had angered God and was responsible for their perilous circumstances. The men, grief-stricken that they had to kill Jonah to save themselves, cried out to Jonah’s God saying:
“O Lord, please do
not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for
killing an innocent man, for You, O Lord, have done as You pleased”. Jonah 1:14
And with that, the men threw Jonah overboard and
miraculously, the raging sea calmed immediately. Amazed at what they had just
seen, the men remaining on the ship “greatly feared the Lord” and offered
sacrifice and vows to Him (Jonah 1:16). The men had seen first-hand the power
of One greater than anyone or anything they had ever witnessed.
So what happened to Jonah?
Well, we know he was swallowed by a great fish where he remained inside for three days and three nights. And during that time, he repented and reaffirmed his loyalty to the Lord before being vomited onto dry land (Jonah 2:10) and given a second chance to do as God commanded, to go to Nineveh and present the word of the Lord. We know the story ends where Jonah does as God asked and as a result, the people of Nineveh repented before experiencing the Lord’s compassion as He spared the city and its inhabitants from destruction.
Back to our scripture passage where we find Jesus telling the Pharisees and teachers of the law that He would eventually be in a place similar to Jonah, not in the belly of a huge fish but rather “in the heart of the earth”, dead and buried for three days and nights. And just as Jonah emerged after three days in the depths of the fish, so too would Jesus emerge alive from the tomb, conquering death through a powerful resurrection before ascending to abide with God eternally in heaven, both occurrences far greater than Jonah’s.
Jesus’ point was this:
So what happened to Jonah?
Well, we know he was swallowed by a great fish where he remained inside for three days and three nights. And during that time, he repented and reaffirmed his loyalty to the Lord before being vomited onto dry land (Jonah 2:10) and given a second chance to do as God commanded, to go to Nineveh and present the word of the Lord. We know the story ends where Jonah does as God asked and as a result, the people of Nineveh repented before experiencing the Lord’s compassion as He spared the city and its inhabitants from destruction.
Back to our scripture passage where we find Jesus telling the Pharisees and teachers of the law that He would eventually be in a place similar to Jonah, not in the belly of a huge fish but rather “in the heart of the earth”, dead and buried for three days and nights. And just as Jonah emerged after three days in the depths of the fish, so too would Jesus emerge alive from the tomb, conquering death through a powerful resurrection before ascending to abide with God eternally in heaven, both occurrences far greater than Jonah’s.
Jesus’ point was this:
If Jonah’s resurrection from the belly of the fish led to
the people of Nineveh repenting and finding God’s mercy as a result, how much
more will the impact of Jesus be in bringing people to repent and seek
salvation given He was one greater than Jonah?
I think we all know the impact Jesus has made, then and
now.
So what if people choose to not repent and accept the
gift of salvation Jesus offers?
Jesus told the Pharisees and teachers of the law (as well
as us too) that the very people of Nineveh would stand up at the judgment and
condemn their actions.
What a powerful statement by Jesus and you would think that anyone with half a brain would change their mind, repent and flee from the Lord’s judgment. But those who Satan has a grip on do not follow the right and righteous ways. They allow themselves to be blind to the cause of Christ, choosing to remain in darkness instead of stepping into the light.
What Jesus had said up to this point would have been enough but as we see, He wasn’t finished with making comparisons, this time turning His attention and the attention of His listeners toward Solomon, another honored member of Jewish history, the one time king of Judah
What a powerful statement by Jesus and you would think that anyone with half a brain would change their mind, repent and flee from the Lord’s judgment. But those who Satan has a grip on do not follow the right and righteous ways. They allow themselves to be blind to the cause of Christ, choosing to remain in darkness instead of stepping into the light.
What Jesus had said up to this point would have been enough but as we see, He wasn’t finished with making comparisons, this time turning His attention and the attention of His listeners toward Solomon, another honored member of Jewish history, the one time king of Judah
Jesus turns back the clock for the Pharisees and teachers
of the law by taking them back to when Solomon was visited in Jerusalem by the
queen of Sheba, an Arabian kingdom who profited greatly from the sea trade.
During her visit, Sheba “talked with him (Solomon) about all she had on her
mind” (2 Chronicles 9:1b) and in turn, Solomon “answered all her questions”
with “nothing being too hard for him to explain” (2 Chronicles 9:2). Well, the
queen, “overwhelmed” by what she heard, said:
“The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on His throne as king to rule for the Lord your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and His desire to uphold them forever, He has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness”. (2 Chronicles 9:5-8)
Here we find the Queen of Sheba, a powerful leader in her own right, traveling to Jerusalem where she found herself overcome with praise and acknowledgement of God through the wisdom He had imparted on Solomon, a wisdom that Solomon revealed through his words to her. The queen fully knew that Solomon was where he was because God had put him there, just as Jesus was sent by God to reign with power and majesty, a power and majesty that showed He was one greater than Solomon.
“The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on His throne as king to rule for the Lord your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and His desire to uphold them forever, He has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness”. (2 Chronicles 9:5-8)
Here we find the Queen of Sheba, a powerful leader in her own right, traveling to Jerusalem where she found herself overcome with praise and acknowledgement of God through the wisdom He had imparted on Solomon, a wisdom that Solomon revealed through his words to her. The queen fully knew that Solomon was where he was because God had put him there, just as Jesus was sent by God to reign with power and majesty, a power and majesty that showed He was one greater than Solomon.
So if the queen of Sheba would acknowledge Solomon and
the gifts God had bestowed upon him, how much more should the people in Jesus’
time acknowledge Him for exhibiting gifts from God that far exceeded those of
Solomon?
This was the point Jesus was making. He wanted His
people, then and now, to remember and testify to His greatness and assert fully
that He is greater than anyone or anything.
Looking at today, our generation so often put mere human beings on a pedestal when their power and prestige can’t even compare with the power and majesty of the Lord. Like the men on the ship heading to Tarshish, people are crying out to gods that don’t exist seeking provision, safety, and salvation despite Jesus, the One greater than all things, being right there ready to give them all they could ever need. All they need do is turn to Him, just as the men in the ship did after Jonah was thrown overboard and the storm disappeared.
Friends, Jesus sacrificed Himself for all mankind, not just for a few men perishing on a ship. He gave Himself up to death on the cross to pay the price for the sins of ALL mankind, not just a chosen few. He perished so we wouldn’t have to, a salvation we gain freely if we only believe and trust in Him as our Savior.
Question: Do you fully believe and trust in the One who is greater, greater than anything that life can bring upon you, one greater than your affliction or hardship, one greater than yourself?
For through Christ, nothing can separate us from being liberated one day from what this world brings upon us, ushered into eternal life with Christ and God, His Father and ours. And in the interim, we know we can cope with whatever comes our way because Jesus is with us as we seek to carry out His will and way while fulfilling His purposes.
Indeed, Jesus is the One who is greater. It was true in New Testament times and it remains true today.
Looking at today, our generation so often put mere human beings on a pedestal when their power and prestige can’t even compare with the power and majesty of the Lord. Like the men on the ship heading to Tarshish, people are crying out to gods that don’t exist seeking provision, safety, and salvation despite Jesus, the One greater than all things, being right there ready to give them all they could ever need. All they need do is turn to Him, just as the men in the ship did after Jonah was thrown overboard and the storm disappeared.
Friends, Jesus sacrificed Himself for all mankind, not just for a few men perishing on a ship. He gave Himself up to death on the cross to pay the price for the sins of ALL mankind, not just a chosen few. He perished so we wouldn’t have to, a salvation we gain freely if we only believe and trust in Him as our Savior.
Question: Do you fully believe and trust in the One who is greater, greater than anything that life can bring upon you, one greater than your affliction or hardship, one greater than yourself?
For through Christ, nothing can separate us from being liberated one day from what this world brings upon us, ushered into eternal life with Christ and God, His Father and ours. And in the interim, we know we can cope with whatever comes our way because Jesus is with us as we seek to carry out His will and way while fulfilling His purposes.
Indeed, Jesus is the One who is greater. It was true in New Testament times and it remains true today.
Thanks be to God for the gift of His Son.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
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