Matthew 16:1 – One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

2 He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; 3 red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times! 4 Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Then Jesus left them and went away. (NLT)

In today’s passage the Pharisees and Sadducees come to Jesus asking for a miraculous sign.  Let’s take a moment to consider who these people were, for these two groups were often at odds with one another.

In the days of Jesus, the Pharisees were a dominant group among the Jews.  A careful reading of the Gospels shows that Jesus included many Pharisees among his friends.  Like Jesus, the Pharisees believed in a life after death.  Unlike Jesus, many of the Pharisees had lost a spiritual connection with God.  The Pharisees kept the outward regulations of the Jewish rituals, but many had forgotten the spiritual application of those rituals.   

The Sadducees, while perhaps fewer in number, represented the more well connected and ruling class of Jews in that time.  Like Jesus, the Sadducees believed that we should serve God out of love and reverence.  Unlike Jesus, they did not believe in a life after death, and they believed that any reward from God came in this life (which, by the way, was easier for the rich Sadducees to believe in than it was for the multitude of poor and starving Jews).  

What makes this passage interesting is that both groups come to Jesus, and ultimately members from both groups sought to rid Judaism of Jesus.  Why would these two groups, who were often at odds with one another, come together to confront Jesus?  Both groups wanted a miraculous sign.  They wanted such a sign for the proof of Jesus’ authority. I believe that we often look for a sign from God in an effort to – at least on some level of our consciousness – assert God’s authority in our own lives.

I do believe in signs!  I believe that God gives us signs often, if not daily.  However, I believe that ultimately we must base our faith in the authority of Jesus on the sign that he promised to the Pharisees and Sadducees – the sign of Jonah.  We all know that Jonah spent three days in the belly of the ‘great fish’.  Essentially, Jonah was dead to the world for three days.  Likewise, Jesus was dead to the world for three days, and then rose from the dead.  

There are many reasons why I believe Jesus is who Jesus says he is, but ultimately I believe in the most miraculous sign ever given – the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  When we worship Jesus, and when we celebrate what Jesus has done for us (paying for our sins, and preparing a place for us in heaven), we need to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.  Yes, even as we prepare for Thanksgiving, we must celebrate Easter!

Today, let us praise God, and perhaps even sing a Great Easter Hymn, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”.  Christ is Risen this day, and every day! 

Posted by Ramón Torres