PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Matthew 12:38-42
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign!” (Matthew 12:39)
Why does Jesus speak about a wicked and adulterous generation?
This seems like the kind of thing that religious leaders would say, not Jesus.
I wonder if it was an expression used by the religious leaders to denounce ‘sinners’.
If so, then Jesus would use this expression to expose their own hypocrisy.
The signs He gives them, of Jonah and the Queen of the South, do that too.
Just as Jonah survived God’s judgment to bring God’s grace, He would too.
And the wicked and adulterous Ninevites would repent at His message.
Or like the wicked and adulterous Queen of the South; even she responded to wisdom.
And it was wicked and adulterous sinners who were responding to Jesus’s message.
So why are the Pharisees and teachers of the law not responding to His message?
Jesus is graciously yet firmly showing them how they are no better.
I wonder, does Jesus need to throw back our own judgmentalism at us (Romans 2:1).
Am I guilty of the things I criticize others of… and is Jesus challenging me?
We ought to be very careful how we criticize others, it will come back to haunt us.
PRAYER
Lord, it makes sense to me that You would use this phrase against religious hypocrites. Help me to know if this is something I am doing, and help me to listen, and repent.
“A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign!”
I am reminded of how often my lack of faith or discipline leads to me begging Jesus to show me a sign, despite the blessings that are showered on me daily. I am reminded that the sign has come!
Miracles – I believe they happen and can say I’ve seen them: miraculous healing – but more life changing conversions of people – they are true miracles! Magicians do astounding tricks – but people will always be skeptical – it’s trick and illusion. Even today if someone is healed – humanly speaking we rationalize it – yet the person healed attributes it to the answer of prayer – consider Diane DG, Mark KG. It takes faith to attribute to the right source of the healing – to see it from Jesus. We have ways of taking the credit away from our loving Father. Let miracles and everyday blessing that I see, help me to revel in God’s grace each day -that it strengthens my faith – but is not it’s source! Asking for a miracle so that I might believe is wrong – rather believe first then I will see the miracles around me.
“…something greater than Jonah… something greater than Solomon is here.”
Lord Jesus, forgive me for forgetting that You are greater than Jonah and Solomon… than all things. Open my spiritual eyes to see what I need to repent of and give me the humility to do so. In Your grace alone, amen.
One greater than Jonah and one greater than Solomon…. O Lord Jesus you are the greatest. No one can fathom your greatness yet you came as the most humble servant to us wicked and adulterous generation. Forgive my idolatry for I have not fully followed and honoured you my Lord and Saviour.
2020 vision?
Do I really see? Do I see the Lord God at work in His world today. The people demanded signs of God at work. Even John asked his disciples to show that Jesus was Jesus. Open eyes and an open heart I need each day to see Christ Jesus’s presence in the world today. I need singleness of heart in my living for Him this day – serving Him.
1 Praise him, praise him,
praise him in the morning,
praise him in the noontime.
Praise him, praise him,
praise him when the sun goes down.
2 Love him, love him,
love him in the morning,
love him in the noontime.
love him, love him,
love him when the sun goes down.
3 Trust him, trust him,
trust him in the morning,
trust him in the noontime.
Trust him, trust him,
trust him when the sun goes down.
4 Serve him, serve him,
serve him in the morning,
serve him in the noontime.
Serve him, serve him,
serve him when the sun goes down.
5 Jesus, Jesus,
Jesus in the morning,
Jesus in the noontime.
Jesus, Jesus,
Jesus when the sun goes down.