Sermon Transcript:

We continue this morning working our way passage by passage through the Gospel of Matthew. We don’t come to these passages simply to learn about history. Matthew isn’t writing just to make us smarter. We come not primarily to be informed. We pray the Holy Spirit will use this word to transform our minds and make us more like Jesus. We pray God plants these truths deep in our hearts so that we can leave our sin behind and rejoice in the goodness of God. 

This word is sufficient for everything we need to live as the people of God. In this word, God has revealed Himself. It is a living word that testifies to a living Christ. This revelation, this Gospel, is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. If we reject it, we are without excuse, and if we accept it, we have received eternal life. For those seeking the wisdom of the world, this testimony will never be enough, but for those whom God has called, it is life. We need not add anything else to it. Our main point this morning is that:

The revelation of God is sufficient for the salvation of His people.

As we have progressed through Matthew’s Gospel, we have witnessed the hostility to Jesus rising, and in the previous verses, we have seen the leaders conspiring against Jesus, and even accusing Him of being in league with the devil. Jesus has proven their accusations false and has rebuked them for their unbelief despite the power evident in His preaching and the great works He has done. We pick up in verse 38,

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”

After the previous confrontation, where some Pharisees said Jesus was exercising demonic power and Jesus shows them to be fools, some of the other scribes and Pharisees try a different approach. 

This time they don’t come with accusations, but with a request. This is far more subtle because it does two things. First, it makes them seem reasonable, as if they are simply seeking to be biblical. Second, they probably do not expect Him to grant the request, and so this is also a way to try and discredit Jesus with the people.

They are trying to appear prudent, but Mark chapter 8 tells us they were asking this question to test Him. It was just a different tactic. Calling Him evil backfired, so now they cloak their unbelief in the language of careful discernment. They act as though they are impartially evaluating the evidence, but in reality they are shifting the burden of proof, demanding that Jesus meet their conditions.

So, while the last group called Him a devil, this group addresses Him as teacher. This doesn’t mean they respect Him as a rabbi, but it highlights the shift in tactics and shows us their subtlety. Although they despise Him, they address Him with a term of respect to make it seem as if He is the unreasonable one. It is a phony respect, sort of how people may say “sir” or “ma’am” without any substance to it.

They ask Him to give them a sign. They were asking him to do a miracle to prove that He was from God. Now, this is absurd because Jesus has been publicly performing all sorts of miracles openly and they have witnessed many of them. In fact, this whole interaction was triggered because He healed a man and cast out a demon. 

What they want is to set the terms. They want a miracle on demand, for Jesus to jump through their hoops and prove Himself to their satisfaction. To be fair, looking for evidence of His claims was not wrong in itself. 

God often validated His messengers with signs. Moses performed signs, Elijah called down fire from heaven. Many prophets were accompanied by miraculous works that confirmed their message. After all, it is a big thing to claim to be the Messiah, and the crowds are often easily misled. Many other so-called healers and miracle workers had made similar claims and been found to be charlatans. 

The problem is not that they are asking for evidence. The problem is that they are demanding more evidence after rejecting the evidence they have been given. Jesus has already performed many signs, even explaining the signs, and they refused to accept them. The reality is they are not asking so that they may believe, they are asking hoping to discredit Him.

The signs given in the Old Testament and the prior works of Jesus were gifts to confirm them as messengers to God’s people, not to satisfy skeptics. In Chapter 11, Jesus said the cities have seen mighty works and did not repent. In verse 24 of this chapter, the Pharisees see an undeniable miracle and call it demonic. Now in verse 38, they ask for another sign. This is not faith seeking understanding, it is unbelief rejecting the truth.

This is the pride of sin, that sinners seek to make themselves judges over the revelation of God, rather than submitting to it in obedient faith. The Puritan commentator, Matthew Henry summarizes it well. 

“Signs were granted to those who desired them for the confirmation of their faith, as to Abraham and Gideon; but were denied to those who demanded them for the excuse of their unbelief.”

It was not a sincere request. They did not expect Him to do anything that would be acceptable to them and Jesus gave them what they really wanted. He refuses to play their games and leaves them in their unbelief.

39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

He had done enough mighty works to fill books. Nobody had ever done the things He had done. Not since the Exodus had such wonders been seen among Israel. Even the Pharisees admitted He exercised unique power. Evidence was not the problem. The problem was they had no love for the truth.

Jesus responds strongly, rebuking not only the Pharisees but the crowd as well. He calls them an adulterous generation. Throughout the Old Testament, God describes Himself as the husband of His people. He had set His love upon them, entered into covenant with them, and blessed them beyond measure. Yet their hearts were far from Him. They professed devotion to God with their lips, but their affections belonged to the world. Like an unfaithful spouse, they took His name, but longed for other loves.

Jesus finds their suggestion offensive. He is not a circus performer there to entertain them. He is not willing to satisfy the fleshly craving of people for wonders when they have no seriousness about spiritual things. He is not going to have them as an authority over Him, as though they can judge the things of God by their own standards. His power is for the glory of God and not for the curiosity of sinful men.

Jesus began His ministry by resisting the devil’s temptation of Him to use His power for fleshly ends. He continues to win that temptation over idolatry. He will not use the power of God to please men or to be popular with the people. He does not seek their approval, but only the approval of The Father.

Basically, Jesus says they will get no sign from Him. There will be no miracle on demand. They will be left with the same sign that all people will have, that Jesus will be buried, and rise again on the third day. They will get no special consideration. He will be vindicated by the resurrection.

This is why He tells them the only sign they will receive is the sign of Jonah. Jesus isn’t referring to any sign Jonah performed or predicted. Jonah left no prophecies. He is telling them that in Jonah they have an illustration, or a pattern for what God will do. 

The prophet Jonah was sent by God to Nineveh, a sinful people under judgment, calling them to repent and turn to the Lord. Jonah fled from God's call and God caused him to be swallowed by a great fish. He was essentially buried three days in the belly of the fish. After three days, God brought him forth alive and sent him again to Nineveh to preach. In the same way, Jesus came proclaiming repentance and the Kingdom of God. He was buried and after three days rose again from the dead. Jonah's deliverance resulted in the repentance of Nineveh. Christ's resurrection secures the salvation of all who believe. 

There are no other unique signs that Jesus will perform than He already has done at this point until He is raised from the dead. He has already healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, controlled the weather, and many other things. He will continue to do these things, but not for the approval of the skeptics. He tells them the final vindication of His message, and the only sign they will be given is that after three days in the tomb, He will emerge alive. Then Jesus says,

41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

If sinful Gentiles were moved to repentance by the preaching of Jonah, how much more should Israel be moved to faith and repentance by the ministry of Jesus Christ? Jonah came reluctantly to a people he did not love. Jesus came willingly from heaven to save enemies who hated Him. Jonah preached judgment and offered no sacrifice for sinners. Jesus offers salvation and bore the judgment for their sins Himself upon the cross. He secures eternal salvation for all who repent and believe. Jonah was a servant sent by God. Jesus is God the Son, who came to seek and save the lost. 

That the men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah proves that there is no excuse for the Pharisees rejecting Jesus. It is to the shame of these Jews that Ninevites obeyed, when they refused. To press this even further, Jesus says,

42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

The Queen of the South refers to the Queen of Sheba, who 1 Kings 10 tells us traveled hundreds of miles from the region of modern-day Yemen to Jerusalem after hearing of Solomon's wisdom. She came to see for herself if the reports were true and to learn from the wisest king on earth. She needed no sign. 

The queen traveled at great cost and inconvenience simply to hear the wisdom God had given to a man. She crossed deserts to listen to an earthly king speak. Jesus is not merely a wise man, but Wisdom Himself. Not merely one who could teach the truth, but One who is the Truth. Not merely one who could point sinners to God, but God incarnate standing among them.

These gentiles recognized the truth of God though no miracles were done among them. Yet, the scribes and Pharisees, and those who followed them, even though they had the Old Testament scriptures and the miracles of Jesus, refused to believe the truth because of their pride. Gentiles, who were without the law, would be witnesses in the judgment to the hardened rebellion of these Jews. One far greater than Jonah or Solomon had come to proclaim salvation to them, but they refused.

The men of Nineveh repented with far less light. The queen of Sheba sought wisdom with less opportunity. If each prophet was a flashlight making the path to God visible, then Jesus is like the noonday sun in all its brilliance. They do not see because they refuse to see. The problem was not a lack of evidence. The word of God is sufficient to save those God has called. In the end, they will not be able to blame God for their unbelief. They do not believe because they hate the truth. John 10:25–30 says,

25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

If religion and discipline alone were enough to save, then the Pharisees would have responded. But religion cannot turn a goat into a sheep. Only the grace of God can do that. Friends, let’s not forget that we too are gentiles, and it is only by pure grace that this word has come to us and we have been included in these promises. In many ways, we have more in common with the Ninevites and with the Queen of the South than we do with the Jews to whom Jesus is speaking. 

So, what an astounding thing it is that God has lavished on us such treasures of salvation in Christ. We should never take this for granted. There was nothing in us that we should be included in this amazing inheritance. What an awesome privilege it is that salvation should come to the likes of us. This is something we should meditate on often.

If we kept in mind how precious this truly is, we would not so quickly neglect our Bibles, rush through prayers, or treat the gathering of God's people as an ordinary thing. These words of Jesus remind us that all these things we have received are extraordinary privileges. God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and He will have compassion on who He will have compassion. Brothers and sisters, may we never lose our amazement that God has saved us from our sin. May it never seem common to us.

The word of God is a treasure of incomparable value. Worth much more than gold or diamonds. Let’s give thanks for it. Praise God, we have the full testimony of the grace of God in Jesus Christ. We know of the cross and the resurrection. We know that Christ has ascended to the right hand of the Father. We know the Holy Spirit is at work among us and even now is saving sinners as the gospel goes to every tribe and tongue and nation. This is a marvelous thing.

In the past few months, I have encountered more than one person who has said they do not yet believe, but they are waiting for God to do something. They are waiting for some kind of sign. The unbelieving heart always imagines that more proof would settle the matter, but the Bible shows us that isn’t true. The Pharisees watched the blind receive sight, the mute speak, the lame walk, and demons flee. The issue is not that they need more light. The issue is that they do not want the light they already have. Sadly, this describes many today.

In the sixteenth chapter of Luke, there is a story of a wealthy man and a poor man named Lazarus who both died. The wealthy man was comfortable in life, but died without faith and went to Hades and was in anguish. The poor man suffered in life, but died in faith and was comforted. The rich man begged that Lazarus be sent to warn his five brothers, lest they end up like him.

29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’ ”

Brothers and sisters, the word of God is sufficient for the salvation of God’s people. This word testifies to the many mighty acts of salvation that God has performed. It proclaims the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Who He is, what He has done. These things were not done in secret. They were confirmed by witnesses, recorded for us, and this testimony was preserved for us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you have not yet put your faith in Christ, do not assume God is going to send you a sign as if He needs you more than you need Him. Look at the signs He has already given to you. He has spoken clearly in His word, which testifies to His faithfulness in protecting the promise of salvation so you would have an opportunity to repent. He has sent people into your life who pray for you and share this message with you.

The scriptures record the mighty works He has performed to accomplish the salvation of all those who will be saved; including sending His Son, the Lord Jesus, to live a perfect life in our place, and to die, being crucified on a cross to take away our sins. Then, having been buried, on the third day, by the power of God, He was raised again to give eternal life to all who will receive Him as their Lord and Savior.

Now He is calling for everyone everywhere to repent, believe, and be saved. There is nothing more for Him to do. What more testimony would you have Him give? What more marvelous deed could He do? The evidence is there. It is clear. Do not put God to the test, but repent and believe.

The Pharisees kept postponing obedience behind requests for more evidence, even while explaining away the evidence that was given to them. Don’t follow in their footsteps. Don’t tell yourself, "I will believe after..." After God answers this prayer. After God gives this sign. After God explains this suffering. After God proves Himself on my terms. 

Christ has come. Christ has died, and Christ has risen. The only question now is what will we do with this? Believers, will we live in light of these truths, trusting in Him for all things? Think of how many longed to see what we have seen. Abraham saw it from afar. David yearned for it in his songs and psalms. The prophets searched and inquired carefully concerning it. Yet we possess the completed testimony of God's saving work in Jesus Christ. 

What a tragedy it would be to take it for granted. The Queen of Sheba traveled a great distance to hear wisdom. The men of Nineveh humbled themselves at a single sermon. We have access to the word of God every day. We gather every week to proclaim the excellencies of Christ. May we never become casual about these things. May they never fade into the background and be taken for granted.

May we never be unsatisfied with them. The scribes and Pharisees were always looking for something more. The miracles were not enough. The Scriptures were not enough. The testimony of John the Baptist was not enough. They were constantly demanding another sign, another proof, another display of power. Sadly, so many today fall into a similar error. Tempted to think that what the church really needs is something new. A new method. A new program. A new experience. Something dramatic and extraordinary that will finally produce the results we desire.

But what does Jesus say? He constantly directs our attention back to the revelation God has already given. The Word of God is sufficient. The Gospel is sufficient. The testimony of Christ crucified and risen is sufficient. Do not lose confidence in them. God promises to work through these means, and He has been faithful for thousands of years to do it. That has not changed.

Yes, it takes time, yes it requires us relying on Him in ways that are often not comfortable. But a farmer does not dig up his seed every week to see if it is growing. He plants it, waters it, waits patiently, and trusts God to give the increase. That is the way the word works in our hearts and in our church. We don’t need anything else, we need only to trust what He has given to us.

God delights to work through the simple proclamation of His Word and through His people encouraging one another to live in obedience to it. We are not called to manipulate emotions or manufacture spiritual experiences. We are called to proclaim Christ and Him crucified. The same Gospel that raised the dead hearts of the apostles, turned persecutors into preachers, and has saved countless millions throughout history is still the power of God unto salvation today.

Many believers spend their lives longing for some extraordinary experience that will suddenly transform them. Yet God's ordinary pattern is to conform His people to the image of Christ through the ordinary means of grace. Through the preaching, reading, and study of His Word. Through prayer. Through fellowship and service among the saints. These things may seem ordinary, but they are God's appointed instruments for accomplishing extraordinary things. May our confidence not be in our own cleverness, but in God's Word and in Jesus Christ to whom it testifies.

The Pharisees set themselves up as judges over the revelation of God. By His grace, may we be satisfied to be obedient servants, humble and thankful to God for His grace and mercy. This is the glory of the wisdom of God, that we are saved not by our works, but by resting in the work of Christ. That all we must do to receive eternal life is to trust in what Jesus has done for us. Not to work, but to rest, trusting in His work.

God does not ask us to do any great things to receive the gift of salvation. All we need to do is to put our faith in Jesus Christ. The only sign we need to know that in Him is life eternal is that His tomb is empty. In Him, believers have been blessed with every spiritual blessing and Ephesians 1:13-14, says, 

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

What I hope we will leave with today is not to look down on the scribes and Pharisees as if we are any better than they are, as if we have anything that has not been given to us. But, to marvel at the amazing grace of God in saving us. In opening our eyes to the truth of His word. Jesus is greater than any prophet, He is God. Flesh and blood did not reveal that to us, but the Father in heaven reveals it. Let us praise Him for He is good and His lovingkindness last forever.

We will finish with this observation from Hebrews 1:1–3,

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. …

This is the God we came here today to worship. Brothers and sisters, may the joy and wonder of our salvation never fade.