Introduction

1. Luciano Pavarotti, one of the greatest operatic tenors of our time, passed away one week and two years ago today.¹ He was known for his generosity, performing many benefit concerts for those in need. If he had been asked to sing a private concert for the President of the United States—for an audience of one—I'm sure he would have considered it an honor. Proverbs says "Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings." (Prov. 22:29) But do you know that when Pavarotti sang sometimes he was nervous? Once early in his career he was nervous and so clutched a handkerchief in his hand to wipe away his perspiration. That handkerchief became his trademark.

2. Though he was willing to sing for both great and small, rich and poor alike, what do you think Pavarotti would say if you and I walked up to him and taunted him, "So Pavarotti, you think you're the greatest tenor of all time? Prove it! Sing for us!" He'd say, "You don't deserve the honor."

3. We so easily trivialize God's work of salvation. When Jesus healed the man with a withered hand who was unable to work, that man could work again. When Jesus healed the man who was blind and mute, and what is more—was possessed by a demon—that man was made whole, could see his Savior with his own eyes, and give praise to God with his lips. Jesus wasn't performing little magic tricks for your entertainment. He brought man's salvation, for the glory of God.

4. Outline. What do you want from Jesus Christ? When you come to Him in this worship service? When you come to Him in prayer? Jesus shows you the right things to seek in this passage. We'll consider it under these headings:

   1. You Want a Miracle v. 38

   2. But Do You Want the Resurrection? vv. 39-40

   3. But Do You Want Repentance? v. 41

   4. But Do You Want Faith? v. 42

Body

1. You Want a Miracle v. 38. First, you want a miracle. Admit it! Everybody does. Sometimes we say "If I could just see Jesus heal a man or make someone rise from the dead, I would never forget it! If God would just heal me now, I would serve Him the rest of my life." Have you ever said that? Matthew tells us in v. 38,

   1. Text

      1. 38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you."

   2. What is a sign? The meaning of signs. "We wish to see a sign from you." They mean, "We want to see a miracle. We heard you just healed a man but we didn't see it. Do it again! This time for the camera! If you really are the Son of God, prove it!" They want to see a miracle. But they ask for what they term a "sign." A sign is more than just a supernatural act. It is a supernatural revelation that carries a message from God. It's proof that God's word is true. The Pharisees wanted Jesus to prove by a sign that He had authority to change the OT religion which was established by signs. These scribes and Pharisees were the ones from Missouri, the "Show Me" state. They say, "Show me."

   3. God approves of signs. It's not as if asking for a sign was a bad thing; God approves of signs. Gideon asked for a sign (Judg. 6:17), God gave Hezekiah one unsolicited (Is. 38:7, 8), and rebuked Ahaz for refusing to ask for one (Is. 7:11). Circumcision and baptism, Passover and the Lord's Supper, are signs. The rainbow, the plagues, the Sabbath, the budding of Aaron's rod, the parting of the Jordan and twelve stones to prove it, the sun's shadow going back ten steps, and the virgin birth of Christ—these were all signs. Christ Himself is "a sign to be opposed...that the thoughts of the hearts of many will be revealed." (Luke 2:34) Christ performed many signs—many miracles—throughout His ministry (John 4:54; 6:14; 12:18), but the greatest sign of all would be His resurrection from the dead. When the Jews asked, "‘What sign do you show us for doing these things?' Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.'" (John 2:18-19)

   4. But you shall not put the Lord your God to the test.

      1. God approved of signs, but "you shall not put the Lord your God to the test." (Matt. 4:7; Deut. 6:16) God does not answer to you. You answer to Him. These scribes and Pharisees wanted Jesus to answer to them. They wanted to test Him, and to find some way to accuse Him, as Luke 11:16 makes explicit. They sound so polite, but in reality they're setting a trap. Jesus had performed hundreds of miracles already! Why did they need another one?

      2. When I was in Uganda I presented the gospel to a woman who wouldn't believe it because, she said, "I have AIDS. Can your God heal me of AIDS right now?" This was just an excuse; it wasn't a real question. She was setting a trap. What she really meant was that she knew my God wasn't going to heal her today, so she doesn't need to believe the gospel or do anything about it. Nevertheless God gives a real answer to her question—the answer is that Christ is risen from the dead, and one day will raise believers from the dead, giving them new bodies and putting them in a new heavens and new earth where there is no AIDS, no mourning or crying or pain.

2. But Do You Want the Resurrection? vv. 39-40. You want a miracle, but do you want the resurrection? It is the greatest sign of all; the greatest proof anyone needs. This is what Jesus means by "the sign of...Jonah."

   1. Text

      1. 39 But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

      2. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

   2. The scribes and Pharisees, and their whole generation of men, even we today, are "an evil and adulterous generation." Listen to me, don't ask God to prove He's worthy of your devotion when you're doing what is evil in His sight, and when you have no more devotion than an adulterous spouse. With the same lips you bless God now and curse your brother tomorrow. You set your minds on things above in church, then fill it with filth on TV and the Internet. You pray "Lead us not into temptation" but when you are in temptation you don't pray. We sinners are "an evil and adulterous generation." And we say to Jesus, "If you will only show me a miracle now, I will give you my undying devotion the rest of my life." He's under no obligation to prove His faithfulness to you. But out of His marvelous grace He has given you, and even these wicked questioners, the greatest proof of His power over sin, of His power over death, in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

   3. To these scribes and Pharisees Jesus says, "You want a miracle? I'll give you one. This one's for you, bud. I'll spend three days in the grave, just like Jonah spent three days in the heart of the sea. Jonah came out of the sea by the power of God and when he spoke five Hebrew words the men of Nineveh fell to their knees, tore their clothes and put dirt on their head crying out ‘Oh God, have mercy on me, a sinner!' But what will you do when I rise from the dead? Will that sign mean anything to you?"

   4. The fact Jesus wasn't in the grave for three nights is nothing to worry about, because Christ is using synecdoche, referring to the parts to indicate the whole; referring to three nights and days to indicate three days.

   5. Neither should the fact that Christ mentions neither Jonah's nor Jesus' rising from the dead should not distract you from his purpose. Christ only mentions that Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights—but is that the most important thing you remember from the story of Jonah? Do you not remember that though the waters closed in over him to take his life, though the gates of Sheol nearly closed him in, God brought up his life from the pit, and the fish spit him out upon dry land? (Jonah 2:2, 5, 6, 10) God saved Jonah's life! Then He sent Jonah to preach to the Ninevites, "You are about to lose your life!—at the hand of the God who just saved mine." And what did the men of Nineveh say? "Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish." (Jonah 3:8-9) They were about to die but God saved their lives. You would die for the evil of your sins, "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8) And when Jesus rose from the dead He proved once and for all that God can give you eternal life.

   6. The greatest sign is Christ's resurrection. You want a miracle, but do you want the resurrection?

3. But Do You Want Repentance? v. 41 You want a miracle on your terms, but do you want the miracle God provides? One of the greatest miracles God works in a man's life is to bring him to repentance. This is what God worked in the men of Nineveh.

   1. Text

      1. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

   2. When you come to Jesus Christ, what do you want from Him? Do you want a magic trick? Or do you want your salvation, and the glory of God? Here in v. 41 Jesus tells you to seek from Him the grace of repentance. The right response to Jesus, to the gospel, and to Christ's resurrection, is repentance.

   3. Do you really want repentance? There is a great difference between a true Christian and a false Christian; between a faithful Christian and an unfaithful Christian. When God tells you you have to honor your father and mother, stop hating, stop lusting, stop lying, stop stealing, do you say in your heart of hearts, "No, I want to keep on sinning"? Or do you say "I really do want to stop sinning"? The Christian says "I want to stop sinning." The Christian says like Zacchaeus, who had stolen from people for years, "If I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." (Luke 19:8) "Even though it hurts me, I will stop doing what is evil, and do what is right." When a man turns from a life of sin "to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God" (1 Pet. 4:2), it is a miracle. It is not the miracle you would have asked for before God began to work in your heart. But now that you believe in Him, ask Him to give you more and more of this grace of repentance.

4. But Do You Want Faith? v. 42. The Pharisees found no place in their hearts for repentance. Nor did they have faith. Jesus shames them by showing them a small picture of what they would do if they had faith in Jesus Christ, by reminding them of the Queen of Sheba. You want a miracle, but do you want faith?

   1. Text

      1. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

   2. The Ninevites repented and the Queen of Sheba listened, but the Pharisees will neither repent nor believe. The Queen of Sheba came from the ends of the earth to hear Solomon, but sometimes even Christians with a Bible already in their hand hardly care to hear the words of Jesus. Behold, He stands at the door of your heart and knocks! The Queen came uninvited, but Christ invites you to come. Solomon was wise, but Christ is wisdom itself. The Queen sought earthly wisdom, but Christ gives eternal salvation.

   3. Do not let wicked Nineveh and unbelieving Sheba experience more of repentance and faith than you who stand in the full light of the glorious day of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is through faith as the receptive instrument and repentance as the fruit of saving faith that God miraculously applies to you the redemptive benefits of the miracle of Christ's resurrection. Viewed through the world's eyes we too easily trivialize the greatness of these miracles. We want to see someone healed. We want to see bread from stones, angels swooping down to catch Jesus when He falls. We want to see something amazing! But we so easily think Christ's resurrection, repentance and faith are nothing. We think they aren't miracles. But faith can move mountains, just as the Queen of Sheba was moved to come from the ends of the earth. And repentance changes the whole course of a man's life from today until the day he dies. These are miracles—greater miracles than a merely physical healing (John 5:20, 24; 14:12)—and they spring from the greatest miracle of all, the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

   4. Christ is a far greater prophet, with a far greater message, than Jonah; Christ is a far greater king, with a far greater wisdom, than Solomon. Jesus Christ is the name above all names. But until God opens your eyes to the greatness of Jesus Christ, and of the miracle of salvation through faith in Him, you remain blind to these things. John tells us, "Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him." Why? Because "they could not believe," for God "has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them." (John 12:37, 39, 40) There is a man in Caney who said "You can't prove to me that Christ rose from the dead." But Christ says to him and to you, "My resurrection is proof that I alone have the power to save you from your slavery to sin, by giving you repentance and faith; opening the eyes of the blind, and setting the prisoner free."

Conclusion

1. So you want a miracle. But do you want the resurrection? Do you want repentance? Do you want faith? Salvation by repentance and faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ is a pearl of great price; we should forsake all else if only to have this one thing. We should be ashamed where our repentance and faith fall short, and even admit we don't deserve the honor of receiving these miraculous works in our unworthy selves. But so graciously Christ "was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification" (Rom. 4:25), for our salvation, and the glory of God. These are the miracles you should want, above all others—God's wisdom through faith and repentance by the power of Christ's resurrection. "Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach...Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Cor. 1:22, 24)