Resurrection Lutheran Church, St Catharines

What Generation?

Do you wish to see a sign? Be honest now. Don’t you want to be healed of your cancer, your arthritis, your infertility? Of course, you wish to see a sign. Don’t you want to see a miraculous conversion of the unbelievers in some part of the world, in our country, in your family? Of course, you wish to see a sign. Don’t you wish to see your church suddenly filled for Sunday and midweek services, and offerings abounding, and a Sunday School overflowing with children, and a seminary enrolled to capacity with pastoral ministry students, and Lutheran Church-Canada rise to a place of influence in our contemporary society?

Those are the kind of signs that an adulterous and unbelieving generation seek. Think about it. What will really bring unbelievers into the church? Is it not that these sorts of things would happen? That is why we have this desire to see these things come about in our time. We think that with these signs the kingdom of God will come among us and grow to include others. What else is going to bring in the unbelievers if not miraculous healings, and a church bursting at the seams, and a world-wide great in-gathering?

This is why our church meetings are filled with suggestions about how to make these great signs happen, and why our grumblings in the narthex focus on the many faults that stand in the way of these things happening. “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (Matthew 12:39).

Nineveh wasn’t looking for a sign. They were happy with the way things were. They didn’t even know they should be looking for something better. But Jonah wanted a sign. From the stinking rot in the belly of the fish he needed a sign. He needed the resurrection vomit that spewed him out on the shore. And he needed more, for he still did not want to go to Nineveh to preach. He needed the miraculous growth of a plant to give him shade as he brooded in the hot sun, and he still did not want to go.

But when he did, it was not his miraculous deliverance from the depths of the sea that brought the people of Nineveh to repentance. It wasn’t hail or fire from heaven, or anything like that. It was the word of God preached by the prophet whom He sent. It was the truth of God’s judgment against sin, the same thing that is preached here by the pastor whom God has sent to preach His word to you. Nothing miraculous here. In fact, it is all pretty ordinary. These pastors know no miraculous deliverance from death. They haven’t had any great response that has filled the church. Nothing to see here.

The temptation for a sign is the temptation that the devil threw before our Lord Jesus Christ. “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread” (Matthew 4:3). And just as was the case with the repentance of the people of Nineveh, the Lord replied that it is not a sign that is needed in order to be sons of God. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (v. 4).

“An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign.” “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, lest You strike Your foot against a stone’” (Matthew 4:6). And if it is miraculous signs that fill the church buildings with people, then those buildings will be filled with an evil and adulterous generation of people, not with sons of God. And if you or your family member come into the church seeking some miraculous sign, such as the Pharisees wished to see, you will remain part of that evil and adulterous generation. “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’” (v. 7).

The solemn warning of our Lord Jesus is that a faith built on miraculous signs develops like a person who was cleansed of an unclean spirit, but when the ecstatic effect of the sign wears off, then the unclean spirit returns and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself... “and the last state of that person is worse than the first” (Matthew 12:43-44).

Perhaps it can be compared to so many people who play the lottery, and think that one big win will solve all of their problems. If the money ever does come, quite often the results are worse than at first, financial and otherwise. Man shall not live by stones turning into loaves of bread, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

The queen of the south paid a royal visit to King Solomon and was amazed at his house, his food, his servants, his clothing, and the amount of offerings that he offered at the temple. But it was none of this that drew her to him. In the Book of 1 Kings we are told, “Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions” (1 Kings 10:1).

Jesus brings up this example along with the people of Nineveh because again, it was not any outward sign of wealth or glory that drew her to visit Solomon, but it was his wisdom “concerning the name of the LORD.” She came to hear Solomon speak the word of God. We have those very words in three books of the Bible plus the psalms that are attributed to Solomon. That is the contrast with an evil and adulterous generation that seeks after signs.

Even when Jesus’ own family members came to speak to Him, He noted that family ties do not determine whether your generation is adulterous or faithful. Even his mother and brothers would fall into that “evil and adulterous generation” if they were to come to Him only because of the miraculous signs that He could do. But if they were coming to hear the Word of God spoken by the Word made flesh, then they would be a part of the holy and faithful generation that were gathered at His feet, listening to Him speak the words of life.

“And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in Heaven is My brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:49-50). God’s will is not that you seek signs from Him, but that you seek to hear His Word which gives forgiveness, life, and salvation.

It is in the opening words of the prayer that Jesus shared with us. Listen to the words of Jesus that He gives for you to have as your own: “Our Father.” With these words Jesus declares that you are His brothers and sisters. We join with Jesus praying to One who is the Father of us all.

It is not by signs and wonders that we become God’s children. It is not by the healing of our diseases or the popularity of our church services or the influence that we have in society. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

It is this word of God that brought the people of Nineveh to repentance, even when they were not looking for it. It is this word of God that led them to confess their sins and to plea to the God who saved Jonah from three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, that He might save their lives also.

It is the same God who brought our Lord Jesus Christ out of the tomb after three days in the belly of the earth. He is the one who will bring you and your loved ones who have died with faith in this same word, out of your graves at His coming so that you may live eternally with Him and Our Father.

“An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of... the Son of Man... three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:39-40). A holy and faithful generation hears the word of the Lord, even when there is sickness and despondency and disappointment and death. It is a Word of life that testifies to a resurrection from the dead, sealing the forgiveness of your sins, and peace with your heavenly Father, to live with faith and confidence in Him as dear children.

It is His word of forgiveness for craving outward and miraculous signs of power and success and glory. It is His word that He spoke from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). It is His word that enfolds you into His family to pray, not for the outward signs but for the things that you thought those outward signs would do and cannot; to pray for the work of the Holy Spirit through the words of Jesus; to pray that God’s name be holy, His kingdom come, and His will be done for you and for all.