The Gospel of Mark 8:10-13
“And
immediately He entered the boat with His disciples and came to the district of
Dalmanutha. And the Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him,
seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. And sighing deeply in His
spirit, He said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I say to you, no
sign will be given to this generation.” And leaving them, He again embarked and
went away to the other side.”
Jesus had
just fed 4000 men plus women and children. I make this point so you may see
what will happen in these four verses. Jesus sent the people away, boarded a
boat with His disciples, and came to the district of Dalmanutha.
Dalmanutha
was a fishing village on the west side of the Sea of Galilee near the southern
end of Gennesaret. Though Mark’s telling is more immediate; it’s said that
Jesus and His disciples stayed here after they fed the 4000. Thus, the
Pharisees had time to come out and begin arguing with Jesus.
The
Pharisees wanted a sign from Jesus, a sign from Heaven. A sign from Heaven means
a sign from Yahweh and the realm He resides. John Calvin, in his “Institutes
of Christian Religion,” says of Yahweh and heaven, “…we are not to infer
that He is enclosed and confined within the circumference of heaven, as by a
kind of boundaries. Hence Solomon confesses, “The heaven of heavens cannot
contain thee,” (1 Kings 8:27); and he himself says by the Prophet, “The
heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool,” (Isa. 66:1);
thereby intimating, that His presence, not confined to any region, is diffused
over all space.”
Thus, the
Pharisees cannot fathom the greatness of God to conceive of His ineffable
glory. They do not lift themselves in mind and spirit to a level of discernment
needed to perceive the glory of God through the works of Jesus.
“Yahweh holds
the whole universe in His grasp and rules it by His power.” (J. Calvin, Inst.)
And yet, the Pharisees seek a sign like the prophets of old. They challenge the
man they see before them and yet do not see what Jesus has already done through
the power of God.
Jesus groans at this even though He has displayed many signs before, they continue to not believe. “But though He had done so many signs before them, they still were not believing in Him,” (Jn 12:37) He is grieved deeply by their unbelief asking, “Why does this generation seek a sign?”
Here are
some scriptures which help bring this to light.
John 12:38 “Then some of the
scribes and Pharisees answered and said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign
from You.”
Matthew 16:1 “And the Pharisees and
Sadducees came, and testing Him, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.”
John 6:30 “So they said to Him,
“What then do You do for a sign so that we may see, and believe You? What work
do You perform?”
John 2:18 “The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do
You show us as your authority for doing these things?”
And Jesus answered
them, “Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” “An
evil and adulterous generation eagerly seeks for a sign, and yet no sign will
be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was three
days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man
be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Mt 12:40, 16:4;
Lk 11:29) and “Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it
up.” (Jn 28:19)
Jesus was
talking about His death, burial, and resurrection. This is the Sign of Jonah.
That the Christ would have to be lifted up, die, be buried, and rise up by His
own power and live. Yet this evil and wicked generation would not believe.
Like the
rich man and Lazarus, after the rich man pleaded with Father Abraham to send
Lazarus from the dead to proclaim the truth of his torment in hell, Father
Abraham says, “‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ But the
rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead,
they will repent!’ But Father Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to
Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from
the dead.’” (Lk 16:29-31)
Jesus rose
from the dead and “when He was raised from the dead, His disciples
remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word
which Jesus had spoken.” (Jn 2:22) “For just as Jonah became a sign to
the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.” (Luke 11:30)
“The men of
Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it
because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater
than Jonah is here.” (Mt 12:41)
The
Pharisees couldn’t see who Jesus was because their hearts were hardened. They
do not believe because they are not of Jesus' flock. This is the truth. Jesus
came, died, and rose from the grave. He lives and brings with Him eternal life
and the Kingdom of God.
He told His disciples
to teach what was commanded of them by the authority of Jesus and Yahweh gave
us the Law and Prophets, the Gospels, and Letters found in the Holy Scriptures,
and the Spirit attests to their truth and conviction.
Yet He lives
and rose from the dead, will you not be persuaded to repent and believe upon
Jesus for your salvation?
Jesus came
to save sinners. Sinners suppress the truth and hide in their darkness because
they love darkness. They are unbelieving, vile, foolish, rebellious, haters of
God who have adopted the ideologies of this world and the doctrines of men.
They have become slaves to their sexual desires, perverting the flesh and mind,
and rebelling against the created order of God. They are doomed to condemnation
and will be judged by Jesus and sent to Hell where they will burn for eternity
in the lake of fire.
However, God
so loved His creation, mankind, that He sent His Son Jesus, who can forgive you
of your sins and redeem you because He has the authority and power. Jesus
brings eternal life to all who repent and believe. For Jesus bore all our sins;
He bore all the sins of all who believe in Him. Jesus was born and lived a
perfect life of obedience to God as a man. Jesus was condemned to be executed
and die in the sinner's place. He suffered the totality of God's wrath upon
Himself on the Cross, which every sinner deserves, so that those who believe in
Jesus may have peace with God.
Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death, and lives, and ascended to the right hand of God the Father. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and He is in your midst with us offering you salvation, repent, and believe Jesus.
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