24.149 | Why Do You Seek A Sign? | Mark 8:11-13 | God’s Word for Today with Pastor Nazario Sinon

God’s Word For Today

Text: Mark 8:11-13 ESV

11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.

12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

13 And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

-Mark 8:11-13 ESV

WHY DO YOU SEEK A SIGN?

The Pharisees and scribes have been following Jesus for quite sometimes. They were well aware of the miraculous works Jesus did—including healing the blind and deaf—and exorcisms.

But, they want something more extreme, that is, a literal "sign from heaven." Otherwise, they won’t be convinced that Jesus' authority is from God and not Satan (Mark 3:22–30). They want something like Elijah calling down fire from heaven to consume his sacrifice (1 Kings 18:36–38) They want something that validates His claim as God's Messiah who will lead them into freedom from the Roman empire.

Instead, Jesus rebukes these hard-hearted Pharisees. Matthew records that they have an understanding of the weather but not the prophecies of the Old Testament (Mat 16:2–3). Their attitude was similar to Satan’s during the second temptation (Mat 4:5–7). Satan had suggested Jesus has to throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple.

Is it not ludicrous that they obliged Jesus to prove His deity before their presence? They had even the audacity to give credit for the miracle He did to Satan (Mark 3:22). The people would have tried to make Jesus king (John 6:15). But, He evaded the crowd. Later, Jesus will face this same temptation while hanging on the cross from the thief (Mark 15:29–32).

Don’t we have people in our own lives with the same hardened heart today? They find something wrong in the Bible undermining its authority and choose to reject Jesus because of it. Instead of submitting to all the evidence that Jesus is who He said He is, they close their ears, eyes, and understanding and come up with ridiculous arguments to justify their decision.

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