Matthew 12:38-42, The Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 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. 40 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. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

Comments

Jesus, like Jonah, will undergo a sign which will be an experience of his divine commission. David, Jonah, Solomon, and the temple pointed to something greater that Jesus will accomplish for God’s people through his death, resurrection, and ascension. All of Jesus’ healings and other miracles point to who he is, but if these men, these religious leaders of the Jews, fail to grasp that the Messiah is in their midst, then what is to follow will not persuade them either. By speaking about Nineveh and the queen of Sheba, Jesus condemns them while anticipating the Gentiles will be coming to faith in him.

Prayer

Father in heaven, thank you for the signs of your love that you have given me in Jesus. Make my heart grateful throughout today as I think about what he has already done for me through his work on the cross, his resurrection from the dead, and the sending of his Spirit.