The Pharisees came and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from Heaven to test Him. Mark 8:11 ESV¹

Read Matthew 12:38-42, 16:1-4 & Mark 8:11-13

Have you seen the billboard which reads, “If you are looking for a sign, this is it!”? Perhaps you have seen something similar on a wall plaque or in an advertisement. Jesus could have invented that saying! Whether a person knows it or not, He is the One for whom everyone is ultimately looking. And yet, He is the One who is continually asked to prove Himself. Such was the case if the following account.

“The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test [Jesus] they asked Him to show them a sign from Heaven. He answered them, ‘When it is evening, you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.” And in the morning, “It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.” You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.’ So, He left them and departed” (Matthew 16:1-4).

Why was Jesus seemingly so rude to the Pharisees and Sadducees? Jesus had already performed many signs in the presence of these religious leaders. Page through Matthew chapters 1 through 15 and Mark chapter 1 through chapter 8 verse 10, and you will see for yourself. Jesus, by a touch or by a word, had healed multitudes of people from both sicknesses and demon possession. He brought a dead girl back to life. He spoke to a violent storm, and it stopped in its tracks. He walked on water. Twice, Jesus miraculously fed thousands of people with only a handful of bread and few fishes. Yet, they continued to ask for signs from Heaven to prove that Jesus was who He claimed to be.

The problem with asking for a sign is that one often does so hoping to receive confirmation for something he/she already believes or wants. Rarely does one accept a sign contrary to that which he/she feels or hopes. These Pharisees and Sadducees weren’t looking for Jesus to provide a sign so that their belief in Him might be ignited or could be strengthened. These and other unbelievers asked for signs to test Him (see Matthew 16:1, Luke 11:16), to argue with Him (see Mark 8:11-13), or to be entertained by Him (see Luke 23:8). No wonder Jesus called those demanding signs “evil and adulterous” (Matthew 12:39 & 16:4). They certainly weren’t asking with a desire for righteousness or out of pure hearts. Otherwise, Jesus’ response may have been quite different.

Besides, Jesus was reiterating that which He had previously said when “some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, ‘Teacher, we wish to see a sign from You.’ But He answered them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth’” (Matthew 12:38-40).

Jesus would do as He promised and provide a miraculous sign for them. It would be the same sign to which He referred when He first began His ministry and “the Jews said to Him, ‘What sign do You show us for doing these things?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this Temple, and in three days, I will raise it up’” (John 2:18-19). Jesus was referring to His body as a Temple. His body would be destroyed by crucifixion, but He would come to life again in three days. “Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish” (Matthew 12:40) before he was spat out onto dry land, Jesus would be in the grave for three days before He would be raised from the dead.

As Jesus pointed out, these religious leaders were accomplished at interpreting natural signs. “‘When it is evening, you say, “It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.” And in the morning, “It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.” You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:2-3). Yet, as much as they asked for them, the religious leaders refused to believe the signs from Heaven when Jesus provided them.

They used His declaration of the sign of the Temple in an attempt to convict Him. “The chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put Him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, ‘This Man said, “I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days”’” (Matthew 26:59-61). And when Jesus performed the promised sign of Jonah, they tried to cover it up. “The elders [took] counsel, … and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’” … And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day. (Matthew 28:12a, 13 &15b). If they weren’t going to believe in Him when He rose from the dead, they weren’t going to believe with any other sign He gave them.

We, as Christians, will undoubtedly encounter those requiring us to defend our faith. Those people may be like the “Jews [who] demand signs [or like the] Greeks [who] seek wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:22). They may demand visible evidence or seek scientific facts as proof. Not all of these people will be kind. Some of them may even want a fight more than an answer.

In such situations, it is valuable for us to remember: “The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing … For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe … We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to [those who demand signs] and folly to [those who seek wisdom] … For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men … But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong … God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18, 21, 23, 25, 27-29).

We are called to “honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks [us] for a reason for the hope that is in [us]; … [and we must] do it with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15-16a). But how do we defend our faith when what we believe is both offensive and foolish to those whose eyes have not been opened and whose hearts have not been softened to it?

Part of honoring Christ, the Lord as holy is relying on Him for direction. Ask for His assistance in assessing the situation whenever you are confronted to defend your faith. Sometimes, as Jesus did in the above passage, the right thing to do is remove yourself from the situation (see Matthew 16:4b). At other times, Jesus may be calling you to stand up for Him. In such cases, Jesus promises, “‘Do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you’” (Matthew 10:19-20).

These Holy Spirit directed words are available to all who are in Christ whether those asking for the reason for the hope that is in a Christ-follower are asking for a righteous or evil reason and with pure or adulterated intentions.

A couple stopped by my house today. They were sweet and sincere about their religious beliefs, but they were quite wrong about Jesus. When it comes down to it, if one is not right about Jesus, it really doesn’t matter what else he/she believes correctly. When it became clear that they weren’t going to change my view, nor was I going to alter theirs, they left.

After the couple had gone, I thought about things I might have said and resources I could have given them, but I believe, the important thing is that they left on good terms and I promised to pray for them. I did and will continue to pray for them that God will “‘open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in [Jesus Christ]’” (Acts 26:18).

I was unprepared for their visit, but I had previously prayed for my day, asking God to lead me and guide all I would say and do. I believe the Holy Spirit directed my words and that He will use my comments, along with the other events in the lives of these two, to bring them to a correct understanding of Jesus.

Whether we are searching for a sign or giving direction to another, whether we are called upon to defend our faith vigorously or gently lead someone to Christ, let us never forget that Jesus is the source of everything we need. May none of us who genuinely wish to serve the LORD miss that which He is revealing in every circumstance. All the signs are pointing to Him.

¹ Scripture quotations marked with ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All Scriptures are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. To aid in understanding, I have capitalized references to God.