A Faith that Doubts

Carlton Elkins

Text: Mark 8:11, 12

“Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation. ”

So the Pharisees came to dispute with Jesus, seeking a sign from Him. It is common that when someone comes along contesting the status quo people will demand for proof for his position, and no matter what proof is given, it will not be accepted. Jesus did contest the status quo, and in a big way. Jesus challenged virtually every part of the official religious system. The Law of Moses was often recited, but they had developed many ways to divest the text of its meaning.

The Pharisees' demand of a sign to prove who He was is an open-ended complaint. No matter what sign He might give, it is certain not to satisfy them. It reminds me of a creationist friend who demanded of an evolutionist what evidence for creation would he accept. The answer was that there is nothing that he would accept. Likewise there was nothing that Jesus could have said or done that would have convinced His critics.

In Matthew 12:39, Jesus gives the additional information, that no sign would be given but the sign of Jonah, who was in the belly of the whale for three days and nights. So the sign was of Jesus' being buried in the tomb three days before His resurrection. But, of course, that was after the fatal crucifixion. Jesus was not playing their game to get them to believe Him. That was not important. And whether you believe Jesus or not is not important, so far as establishing who He is and confirming what He did -- He lived without sin, died to pay for our redemption, and rose from the dead.

Actually Jesus did give many signs. At the wedding at Cana, He turned water into wine. No conversions. On two occasions Jesus fed thousands starting with only a small lunch, and finally, just before His crucifixion, He raised Lazarus from the dead. Probably there were some conversions from some of these events, but remember He did not do them as signs, but as acts of compassion. Multitudes of people believing came as result of hearing His presentation of who He was and what He was in the world to do. Upon seeing the sign from Jesus of raising Lazarus from the dead, many demanded the death of Jesus.

The most obvious of signs, raising the dead, never convinced a man who did not want to believe. God has so designed man that there is no way to convert a man who does not want to be converted. For that reason the only sign Jesus gave was not a sign to convince, but to give evidence to who He was, and what He did. Jesus said He would lay down His life, and that He would take it again. Jonah couldn't do that, but He wasn't the Divine Son of God.