Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." He said to them in reply, "An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here. (Mt 12:38-42)
The scribes and Pharisees also followed Jesus. The ordinary people followed him and they were ready to believe what he said about God and the kingdom and even about himself. The scribes and Pharisees saw Jesus to be different and they were not able to pin him down to be someone. In their search they were not willing to accept the revelation. They were asking for signs that would answer their search.
Jesus was definite about not giving them a sign. He did not want to be an answer to their intellectual search. Even if he were to give a sign it would not be an answer to their search. He would be greater than signs. People of the faith have had signs in the old Testament. And those signs were sufficient for the people of that time to repent and return to God.
Jesus life would be a prophetic sign. In fact it would be greater than a prophetic sign. His death and resurrection would be more than a sign. That would be the goal and scope of the life of every believer. Solomon was a wise king. Jesus’ wisdom was greater than that of Solomon. Jesus’ wisdom was all about the kingdom. Jesus was more than a sign of wisdom.
