A GREATER SIGN THAN SOLOMON
OR
A GREATER SIGN THAN JONAH
SUNDAY AUGUST 22, 2021
Scripture To Consider:
“And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, Jesus began to say, ‘This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.’”
“The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.” Luke 11.29-32
Something To Consider:
Today’s reading is similar to that of Matthew 12.38-42. It is a fact that Matthew, Mark, and Luke share much of the same material and many of the same events, but from different perspectives. It is difficult to determine and impossible to know for sure if these similar events are indeed the same, or merely the same information spoken by Jesus on separate occasions.
It is not uncommon for traveling ministers, whether pastors, teachers, evangelists, or missionaries, or any other speaker speaking on any variety of subjects, to share the same material in more than one location. And more so if the information is of an important nature.
Jesus emphatically declared, “This is an evil generation.” What would He acknowledge concerning this 21st century generation? No one could argue the fact that this is a wicked and perverse generation that we are living in. It is a generation that is fast becoming a generation that knows not God! And if it knows God, it is attempting to wipe Him from the memory and records of society.
And yet, there is none among us who have not sinned against God. But for some, our sin has been forgiven and cleansed by the washing of the blood of the Lamb and Lord Jesus Christ, and by the cleansing power of the Word of God. And therefore, because Jesus has taken our judgment upon Himself, we have escaped the judgment of God for our past sins if we, according to Jesus, endure unto the end of either our lives or unto the end of this age.
Something Else To Consider:
In Matthew’s gospel the scribes and Pharisees verbally requested to see a sign from Jesus. In Luke’s account we have no mention of scribes or of Pharisees, but rather, we are told that the crowds or multitudes were thickly gathered together around Jesus.
Therefore, it is quite possible that it was the multitude who asked for a sign in verse 16 of Luke chapter 11. And so, it is possible that if a message regarding a sign greater than Solomon, and a sign greater than Jonah were important enough to present to the religious leaders, it was also important enough to present to the crowds of people as well.
What end time message are we listening to? What end time message are our lives declaring to those closest to us? Is our message a message of faith combined with a commitment to endure to the end? According to Jesus and the New Testament writers this is important! But has it become important to us as true end time believers in Jesus and in His commandments?
Or are we following after a false pre-tribulation rapture theory that assures that its listeners and believers will not heed the call to end time preparedness due to their falsely thinking they will not be here, but rather they believe the lie of a pre-tribulation rapture. In the end, there will be no time to prepare and no means to be prepared. Therefore, do not be deceived. Be Prepared!
Something More To Consider:
In Luke’s record regarding a sign greater than Jonah, there is no mention of Jesus being in the heart of the earth three days as in Matthew. But in Matthew that was a reference to the death and resurrection of Jesus which would certainly become a most convincing sign. Therefore, in this text, Jesus or Luke must have another reason for declaring that Jesus would be a sign to that generation.
Could it be that the many miraculous healings, the casting out of demons, and His teaching with such amazing authority was indeed a sign in and of itself that was greater than Solomon and Jonah to that generation, as well as to every generation since? The important question should be, will we, as the men of Nineveh, will we be able to rise up in the end at the judgment, in the midst of this evil and wicked 21st century generation and condemn it?
For that to actually take place we must now be willing to condemn it to the point that we remain in this world but not of this world. We must remain transformed by the renewing of our minds by the washing of the Word of God rather than listening to the spiritual emptiness of the religious appearing false prophets of this end time generation. Or will we too be condemned?
A Few Final Words:
The men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah. And yet, Jonah was a reluctant preacher of God’s Word because of his dislike of the people of Nineveh. Jonah had a wrong perspective of the people of Nineveh. God is no respecter of persons, for God so loved all people, good, bad, young, old, and all in between, that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus!
Why? Because God is not willing that any perish, but that all come to the saving knowledge of Jesus. And yet, man’s God given gift of free will has been exchanged for a most rebellious will that seeks first his or her own kingdom among the sinful attractions of this world. Therefore, man’s free will, as it relates to the receiving or rejection of God’s salvation, overrides God’s perfect will of His desire that none perish, and does so every day of every generation.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we are to become signs, living epistles of the love of God in Jesus Christ to all in every generation, to the glory of God. Is that happening, especially in this most possible end time generation? Are we living letters or dead tombstones to those we come in contact with on a daily basis?
According to Jesus, “For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation.” Has Christ in us become a sign to this generation? And if not, why not?
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, may we be among many of this generation who rises up and repent at the preaching and teaching of Jesus Christ and the biblical truth of the living Word of God. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 