Looking for a Sign

-



Scripture

The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.
(Matthew 16:1 NASB)
But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’
(Matthew 16:2 NASB)
“And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?
(Matthew 16:3 NASB)

Observation

The Pharisees and the Sadducees were well educated and they certainly knew the teachings of the Prophets. From childhood they had been taught the signs of the coming Messiah. Now, suddenly, the Messiah stood before them and they simply refused to believe the Truth. Instead they kept pushing Him for signs and wonders. Finally Jesus reminded them that they were willing to fall back on their education and experience to predict the weather, and yet, they were unwilling to do the same thing in regard to Him. It didn't make sense, and they knew it. They were simply too stubborn to believe that Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophesies.

Application

What sign are we looking for? Let's be honest, there are times when we, too, don't want to believe what is written in the word, but rather, want some kind of miraculous sign. In our daily lives we are willing to accept the roadsigns and markers which lead us on our way, and yet, when it comes to our faith, we don't want to accept the obvious, but rather, want Jesus to jump in and do something miraculous. We need to open our eyes and realize that He really is doing something miraculous each and every single day, if only we'd pay attention. However, too often our hearts and minds are overly cluttered with the junk of life and we can't see or understand the simply reality of the Messiah.

It's time for us to have very simple faith. You can read the signs. Believe what you have learned, trust in Him and allow Him to use you to change the world. It's really that "simple."

Prayer

Lord, please help me to see You today in the simple things of life. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Take Off Your Ornaments

-
Scripture: Ex. 33:4 ¶ When the people heard these harsh words, they mourned, and no one put on ornaments. Ex. 33:5 For the LORD had said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘You are a stiff-necked people; if for a single moment I should go up among you, I would consume you. So now take off your ornaments, and I will decide what to do to you.’” Ex. 33:6 Therefore the Israelites stripped themselves of their ornaments, from Mount Horeb onward. Observation: The people had sinned before God by making and worshiping the golden calf!  They had taken their golden jewelry — the earrings and other items they had gotten from the Egyptians and used them to create an idol.  Now, in an act of humility and repentance they were to take off all of their jewelry and ornaments.  It was a time of mourning over their sin and it included intentional action on the part of the Israelites.  Application: We don’t do all that well with humility and repentance!  It seems that we live in a time when we try to carry
Read more

Does God Value Boys More than Girls?

-
Scripture: Lev. 12:1 ¶ The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Lev. 12:2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: ¶ If a woman conceives and bears a male child, she shall be ceremonially unclean seven days; as at the time of her menstruation, she shall be unclean. Lev. 12:3 On the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Lev. 12:4 Her time of blood purification shall be thirty-three days; she shall not touch any holy thing, or come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purification are completed. Lev. 12:5 If she bears a female child, she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation; her time of blood purification shall be sixty-six days. Lev. 12:6 ¶ When the days of her purification are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb in its first year for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering. Lev. 12:7 He shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement on her
Read more

The Advantage of Sanctification

-
Scripture: Rom. 6:22 But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Observation: Two sides of life are presented here in great contrast.  One is a life of sin and enslavement to evil.  The other side of life is freedom which provides the advantage of sanctification (or holiness as some translate the word) that leads to eternal life.  The options here are a life of sin, slavery and death; or freedom, holiness and eternal life.  The advantage of holiness or sanctification is the benefit of the life of freedom.  Jesus died so that we might be made holy like him and this is something that is offered as a “fruit” or “advantage” right now.  The end is eternal life — but the living of life is that it can be lived out in holiness.  The next verse is really just an affirmation of the verse 22.  Sin will lead
Read more