The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

--Parallel verses:
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16‬:‭24‬-‭27‬
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.”

What is the level of commitment I have to Jesus? Is it club-level, focused on the experience? Is it attendance-level that is focused on works at official and approved church activities? Or does it rise to a level of full-life surrender?

Here Jesus encountered a group of people in the Pharisees whose actions, when we see what they were doing, are bent on condemning Jesus over the legalistic standards they developed. The sad thing is the legalistic standards they developed to make themselves look more righteous in comparison to others … actually condemned them. No one can earn salvation by being “good enough” in comparison. God’s standard for righteousness and relationship with him is perfection.

But God was gracious and made a way for temporary forgiveness of sin through animal sacrifice in the Old Testament times. And here, he sent Jesus as a permanent solution, the perfect sacrifice for our sins. Yet these Pharisees were trying to catch Jesus in breaking one of their technical rules while performing an amazing miracle, sign or wonder of God. They may also have been trying to stroke his ego.

Jesus, in his humility, saw right through this trap and spoke, I believe, not only to the Pharisees but to the people here. He calls them out. It is like he is telling them, “Quit living out a shallow faith that focuses only on the experience or the miracle. I will not feed this desire for fake righteousness and religion.”

Jesus knew their hearts were not fully surrendered to God. And so he declined their request for a sign. The miracles of Jesus, and his signs and wonders, were not only to take away pain and suffering. They did do this at times, which was wonderful.

But they were also to show the people that: 1) He was the Son of God, 2) He wanted them to know that God’s care encompasses every life circumstance and need, 3) No one is outside the reach of the grace of God, and he takes us just as we are, and 4) His love is deep for them and his biggest desire is to save their souls and heal their hearts.

What signs and wonders do I ask God for? What are the motives behind my request?

Lord, thank you that I am your child and I do not have to measure up to the legalistic righteousness standards that others set out for me. I am your child and your heart is to fill me and use me for your glory as I surrender and obey your call.