Matthew 16:1-4

 ¹ Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. ² He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; ³ and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. ⁴ A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.

Commentary

Once again, the Pharisees; but this time coming with Sadducees who were arch rivals of the Pharisees in regards to the Jews religion and its interpretations of the Law; come seeking a sign from the Lord Jesus (see Matt 12:38-45). Now unlike the Pharisees who held to key Biblical doctrines like the resurrection of dead, the judgment to come, the spirit, heaven and hell, even the immortality of the soul (Acts 23:8). The Sadducees denied all these things and yet they had by the time of Jesus largely supplanted the Jews priesthood; which was only to draw priests from the direct descendants of Aaron; by claiming to be the direct descendants of Zadok, who was the high priest during King David’s reign. And so, by Rome’s permissive will they were the ones who largely made up the Sanhedrin Counsel which exercised judicial authority over the Jews in regards to matters concerning their religion, and to a lessor degree the affairs governing their lives when these were outside of Roman laws (Nonetheless the Roman Governor always had the finial say in regards to the death penalty and it’s being applied). Now by doing so the Romans kept themselves, and Herod their appointed ruler of the Jews arms length out of the religious affairs of the Jews (something which appeased the Jewish people) but still kept the Sadducees, and to a much lessor degree the Pharisees, within their reach and control. Now the Sadducees themselves were mostly aristocratic and wealthy Jews who wanted to preserve their elite and powerful positions in the religious and social lives of the Jews. Therefore, their interest in the Lord Jesus Christ was not in seeking to know Him as the Messiah, (rather their concern like all of the various religious and political factions in Israel was just what sort of influence was Jesus having on the people that they themselves bore rule over. And so, their initial antagonism and then later fierce hostility towards the Lord Jesus Christ (and His disciples) was far more than just a doctrinal disagreement, it was their wanting to preserve the status quo, something which Herod (and later his sons) along with all of Jerusalem was also concerned with doing when the Lord Jesus Christ’s arrival (consider Matt. 2:1-3). And so, from the elders of the Jews who bore rule over the people in everyday affairs of life, to the scribes who interpreted how the people were to live their lives according to the law of Moses, along with the Pharisees who likewise taught and enforced their “fathers” traditions which they believed was preserving the Jews faith. Every religious, social, and political faction in Israel during the time of Jesus was not looking to Him as their Messiah Promised them through the Scriptures. But all of them, from the least to the greatest were only concerned with preserving their own “slice of the pie” that was then ancient Israel. And so, if that meant forming a “confederacy” with those they were at odds with to try to hinder or undermine the Lord Jesus Christ then they would. For that is what unites them all, their own rejection of Jesus Person, as the Son of God, the Lord and Savior of the world, and thus the Rightful Ruler and Heir of Israel, (indeed of the whole world), which then leads to their own fierce hostility of His Person and everyone who belongs to Him. Something which is true in every generation where the Lord Jesus Christ is preached, but then rejected, those people will find common ground in their opposing and persecuting Him and His own, regardless of their other beliefs. Now the Pharisees were much more traditional in their beliefs then the Sadducees (who controlled the Temple and the priesthood there) and so, they were much more revered and respected by the common folk from where they came. However as previously noted the Pharisees often made their own scribes interpretations of the Law (or worse their own man-made traditions) as being on par with the Law itself. Therefore, the Pharisees interest in the Lord Jesus Christ was much more concerned with whether or not He was teaching and keeping their interpretations of the Law. For to them that was their measure of the Messiah, if He was just like them, something which the Lord Jesus Christ time and again intentionally sought not to be like, especially when it came to healing and helping people in their very presence; showing the mercy of God time and again; especially on the Sabbath which was God’s commanded day of rest which the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated to them time and again by doing so, bringing rest to weary and heavy laden souls (consider Matt. 11:28-30) and thus not laying “religious” burdens upon people as they frequently did in their observing it.

Now with Jesus being in area which was largely “Romanized” it makes sense that the Pharisees; who would’ve been outside of their comfort zone; would bring with them the Sadducees who would be more comfortable there. Now that they both came to the Lord Jesus seeking a sign from heaven from Him only shows their own spiritual blindness to Him, something that will remain unchanged. And so even if the Lord Jesus Christ showed them a sign from heaven; they would only dismiss it; just as they had already dismissed His own Person time and again; from the testimony of John the Baptist of Christ; to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself whose Words and Works no man had ever spoken or done. For the Lord Jesus Christ by the Authority and Power of God cast out demons, miraculously healed the blind and lame and sick, raised the dead, miraculously fed thousands at one time, He even calmed the stormy seas with a Word; but most importantly the Lord Jesus Christ declared to them the Word of God hidden from previous generations but now is being openly declared just as He came in fulfilment of it. Therefore, if they would not believe in Him as the Son of Man, Son of God, no sign from heaven would be given them; because the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the Sign from Heaven that God has come, and it is every person’s responsibility to believe in Him and receive Him and obey Him as Lord and Savior, for it is Jesus Christ God has given everything too, and He will make everything to be in subjection to Him. Therefore, the Lord Jesus will not show them or anyone else signs to verify His Person. Instead Jesus thoroughly rebukes the Pharisees and Sadducees for their own spiritual blindness and hardness of heart, because they do not see Him nor do they seek Him for who He is, instead they only seek a “sign” from heaven from Him. Yet as He says to them, they can so easily discern the face of the sky as to discern what the upcoming weather will be, and yet with all of their Scriptural knowledge they are unable to discern “the signs of the times” that God’s Son our Lord and Savior, was living and walking and doing the very Works of God as He said He would in His Word right amongst them. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ will not show them (or anyone else) a sign from heaven, for as He says again to them, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” That is the Lord Jesus’ own Resurrection from the Dead will be the finial sign that justifies His Person. Therefore, having rebuked them the Lord Jesus Christ departs from there, and leaves them to their own unbelief. 

Scripture Quotations

The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.