A Wicked And Adulterous Generation Asks For A Sign…

I would have to say that this is an oft quoted verse that is used to sort of “pooh-pooh” those of us who believe God for the miraculous in a given situation and pray according to that belief. It is normally argued that those of us who are continuationists are “sign seekers”. To say this is to imply, no, to say outright, that we are an adulterous and wicked group of people. That’s a broad stroke of the brush there, isn’t it? Is this even a right usage of this verse?

This isn’t an article intended to arm wrestle cessationism as much as it is written to discuss wether or not the mantra-esque usage of this verse is even proper. I’m pretty big these days on nailing “proof-texters”, though usually within my own camp of charismatic folks. But I have been sort of chafed when I hear this verse thrown around in this way, so I felt like addressing it.

So, how is it that we see people seeking Jesus for healing and being healed? How is it that men and women sought after Him for the healing of their sick (and sometimes dead) children and received it? There were those who were seeking Him to deliver their sons and daughters from demons and He complied with no reticence. He didn’t rebuke these people. There are by far many more instances where He was sought for healing or deliverance and willingy (and even lovingly) complied.

And herein lies the crux of the matter. Who did Jesus rebuke for “seeking” a sign and who is it that He was all too willing to give signs to in response to their seeking of His power? Just think about it for a second, it’ll come to you.

That’s right, it was the Pharisees and “teachers of the law” who got rebuked, not the sick and dying who were in desperate need and realized that only He could save, heal and deliver.
Too often, you cessationists accuse people of being wicked adulterers of a Pharisaical spirit who are far from it (and you yourselves may be that very thing) without really being true to the texts dealing with His rebuke of the Pharisees and those dealing with His all-too-willing compliance with those who sought that very thing from Him. How do you know the heart condition of all of those who believe God for something of a supernatural kind? Is it really right for you to make those kinds of sweeping accusations against millions of christians that you don’t even know?

I’d like to look at these Pharisees for a second. They are the one’s Jesus rebuked in Matt. 12:39. I wonder, had they ever seen Jesus perform a sign at this point in Jesus’ ministry? Yes, in fact, they had; several times. Observe:
Matthew 4:23 NIV “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.”

Synagogues….that’s where the Pharisees where on every Saturday. Surely they didn’t miss the fact that “large crowds” from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed Him, did they? No, they knew and they knew why because they had seen these things in their own gatherings weekend after weekend. Signs!! They saw them.

In Matthew 9 we see Jesus telling a man that his sins are forgiven. When Jesus pronounced this man forgiven of sin, the teachers of the law grumbled in their hearts against Jesus and accused Him of blasphemy. To prove His autority to forgive sins He gave them a sign….He healed the man right in front of them!!
In the first 13 verses of Matthew 12 we see the Pharisees and teachers of the law trying to trap Jesus. There was a man with a shriveled hand in the synagogue that day. They already, by this time, were so convinced of His healing power that they actually expected Him to do it!! Sadly, they only wished to use it against Him. Without going into all the in’s and out’s of the story, Jesus healed the man right in front of everyone. Six verses later He casts out a demon in front of the Pharisees.

THEN they had the audacity to demand a sign from Him! Absolutely incredible. They had been given many signs, but now they had it in their minds that they were going to manipulate Him into releasing His power by their own demand. These last two healings were in the same chapter that contains verse 39: “He answered, ‘A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the prophet Jonah.’” NOW we have a proper basis for understanding who this is aimed at, i.e. wicked and adulterous people who had already been shown many signs authenticating His Messianic credentials and Godhood.

But did Jesus ever say anything like this to those who joyfully looked to Him for help?

You see, the key is to look on the attitude of the ones He rebuked and the attitude of those He healed.
Bottom line, you can’t use this verse to bulwark cessationism; it just will not lend itself to you for that kind of abuse.

So then, what is a wicked and adulterous generation? What was it about these Pharisees and teachers of the law that caused Jesus to levy the most serious of indictments that can possibly be leveled at the supposed righteous ones of Israel? It is the fact that they, like their fathers before them who saw the plagues and signs and wonders of God coming out of Egypt, made demands upon God whenever they felt like it and grumbled against God and His sent one (first Moses, then Jesus). When God demonstrates Himself in front of you and you have the nerve to continue in doubt and demand that He perform, you are wicked and adulterous.

Jesus told the Pharisees that they would be given no sign except the sign of Jonah, yet He continued to perform miracles in front of them. So on the one hand they won’t be given anything and on the other they will continue to see His power. In other words, they won’t be given anything on demand. The only sign that Jesus was going to give them in response to their “demand” was His mastery over the grave but this was more a slap in their face than compliance to their wishes. In the meantime they would be given enough evidence to see full well that He was the Word in flesh, Messiah. It’s almost like when someone is pulling on a rope and yells at you, “Let go!”. You continue to hold on knowing that if you let go, they are going to eat dirt. So finally you relinquish your hold on the rope and BAM, down they go. Was it compliance with the demand to let go, or you demonstrating your power to hold the rope, let it go and then pick it back up at will?

And so it is with “the sign of Jonah”.

But remember, after saying this He continued to heal the sick and even raised the dead, as well as casting out demons. Signs, signs, everywhere signs.

See the difference? Do you see how you have been abusing this text? I don’t ask this in a sarcastic way, but I do mean to absolutely declare that using this verse as a blanket condemnation over those of us who believe for the supernatural acts of God is just that: abuse.

I guess those are all my thoughts on that for now.
Good night all,
mark jr.