Ben Brinkerhoff - Who Do You Say That I Am? - Class 2

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:00

   In order to identify whether this man is or is not the Messiah and that that would have been very threatening to the Jewish leadership, whether they be Pharisee or Sadducee. We can see the Pharisee and Sadducees don’t like one another at all. In fact, that even becomes clearer when you look at extra biblical sources like Josephus when you can really draw a contrast between these groups.

2. 0:23

   But yet they are united in this purpose that if Jesus was reclaiming or was being thought of, I should say, as the Messiah, both were very threatened by that idea. And they if science has given me the test of the Messiah, well certainly they are going to try to have a sign that he can’t possibly fulfill. So in Matthew chapter 16, verse one, they come to Jesus requesting a sign and Jesus gave them a response in two parts. The first part was used an analogy of weather. They could see the weather and disguise it currently was. And then they could imply, well, if the weather’s like this in the sky, then it means that that that in the future I can look forward to whether it’s going to be foul or hot. So they could see the current weather and predict future weather, but they couldn’t see the signs right in front of them because they’re blinded.

3. 1:22

   Why they blinded? Well, they’re blinded by pride. They had too much to lose. Instead of accepting the signs that were right in front of them, that same the same signs that other people saw and responded with faith, they did not respect those signs. They wanted something that was larger or grandeur. But the truth is, even if larger or grandeur or more grandiose signs were offered, they wouldn’t have believed those signs either because it wasn’t about the sign at all. Jesus says He’s going to give them one sign. Now, as Jesus was performing signs such as, you know, raising Lazarus or healing the blind man in John Chapter 9 or other types of signs.

4. 2:07

   The trouble we have is why did Jesus say this would be the one sign to be given? Clearly there were more signs yet that he was going to do in front of the people. But Jesus seems to suggest this is the one sign, the only sign. Now the question we need to present ourselves with is what does He mean by that? What does He mean this is the only sign you’re going to be given?

5. 2:28

   They were given other signs. Clearly they had opportunities. Let’s look at the story of Lasher’s. Was that not a sign? Of course it was a sign. So other signs were offered. Why does He say you will be given no other sign but this one sign? What does he mean by that? And the one sign that He offers then is the sign of the prophet Jonah.

6. 2:51

   And this class, by way of introduction, is to understand what Jesus meant when he said that. And Simply put, it is the son of the prophet John is simply the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

7. 3:06

   Is that all it is? Because I’ll be honest with you, I’m 46 years old. I look 46. You see the white on the beard, right? That’s really helping me look 46. For the longest time I wanted to look older, right, because I’m in sales and so I’d go in front of these advisors, financial advisors, and I looked like I was 12 and they wouldn’t want to buy anything from me. So I thought I’d get a beard and I’d get some white and it would help, you know?

8. 3:30

   But now it’s happening naturally. So I’m 46 years old and for years and years and years and years and years, I just thought it was the death of resurrect and the Lord Jesus Christ. Next question, but I can suggest this more to it. The men, isn’t it obviously is the leading question, isn’t it? Now I just I know that you know this, but the Jews love signs. They love you know, it’s not only in the Gospels that we know about them.

9. 4:04

   The fact that Jews love signs so much because we can even look at First Corinthians chapter 1, verses 21 to 23, and we see these words for since in the wisdom of God, the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching.

10. 4:24

    For the Jews demand miraculous signs and the Greeks ask for wisdom, but we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block, the Jews. So the Greeks, they wanted philosophical wisdom, but the Jews saw through philosophical wisdom that could just simply be and often is and almost always is simply the invention of of men’s minds.

11. 4:48

    So the Jews are renowned, according to the Apostle Paul, they’re renowned for seeking signs, which is perhaps why the Holy Spirit was poured out in the 1st century. You can see why it was poured out because it’s used to man signs, but you can also see why it was withdrawn for the foolishness of preaching because it was not on the basis of signs that God was out and ultimately asking his people to believe that on the basis of faith and signs were not sufficient to create faith query. So we should be surprised then that there are several instances in the Gospels, not just one, but several, in which the Jews come to Jesus and request a sign. Now the incident in Matthew 16 is the second time that they come to Jesus after the first sign, not the first time. In fact, the previous occasion where the Jesus, Jesus asking for a sign is recorded for us in Matthew chapter 12. So for chapter 0, you might want to turn there, but I’ll look at some of the verses up on screen.

12. 6:01

    And it’s in Matthew chapter 12 that Jesus first mentions the sign of the prophet Jonah. So the context of Matthew 12 is that Jesus is accused of breaking Sabbath law because he heals a man with a withered hand. Now the story of the man with the withered hand will form our expectation on Sunday morning. So I won’t go into that now in any great detail because we’re going to cover that in detail on Sunday morning, Matthew chapter 12.

13. 6:31

    But that’s the context of what we’re seeing here in Matthew 12. Now following this, the record says in Matthew chapter 12 and verse 14, the Pharisees went out and held a council against them, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from fence, and great multans followed him, and he healed them all. Now verse 22 then it says, the people respond to this. And one was brought unto him, one possessed devil, blind and dumb, and he healed him in so much as the blind and dumbed, both spake and salt.

14. 7:07

    And all the people were amazed and said, Now that’s the important part. Is this not the son of David? Now the Pharisees cannot abide by they cannot they cannot abide by this man being called to the side too dangerous, too threatening them to them. So they so not only they still anger for the fact that Jesus had just healed the man on the Sabbath and that infuriated, but now to add insult to their injury. Now in response to healing, people are saying this must be the son of David, meaning this must be the Messiah. And they cannot abide by this messianic talk. And so they’re looking for ways to discredit Jesus. And so we read that in verse 24.

15. 7:56

    The bears have heard it and they said devils, but by the Els of us, the Prince. In other words, they can’t deny his power. So instead they claim that the source of his power is in heaven. The source of his power is not from God. Because of course by implication of this from God, they have a problem. They can’t really deny the miracle, they just deny the miracle’s source.

16. 8:32

    So it’s from this in Matthew 12 that they make their first request of a sign from Jesus. So let’s look at that then. So you built up our stories. Now let’s look at this request for a sign, which is found in Matthew chapter 12 and verse 38 to 41. Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.

17. 9:01

    But he answered them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh for a sign, but no sign shall be given unto it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was 3 days and three nights in the heart of the earth, so the Son of Man be 3 days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

18. 9:22

    So this passage leaves us with a few clues and a few questions. So let’s just start by stating the obvious. Always important to state the obvious. Sometimes in our effort to fair it and find uncovered information, we sort of ignore the the the information right in front of us. We’re just going to state right away that the sign of prophet Jonah must be related to his death and resurrection. It must be because he mentions the three days and the three nights.

19. 9:48

    So clearly, whatever we make of the sign of the prophet Jonah, his death and resurrection must be a key part of it. In fact, the key part of it. I’m just suggesting there’s going to be more to it the Scripture offers us.

20. 10:02

    So by the way, why would a a symbolic death and resurrection be assigned to them? Well, presumably on the basis that a dead man can do nothing for himself. So if a man did rise from the dead, the dead know nothing, and that must be from God, and such a miracle must be a sign from heaven. But consider this, brother sisters, When Jesus was resurrected, was it enough to convince the people that he was the Messiah?

21. 10:47

    Did he convince the Pharisees and scribes, the Brokies and Sadducees, that Jesus did come from God? Was it truly assigned to them? Well, I’m sure you remember you’re already ticking over the passage. The passage you’re thinking about in your head right now is Matthew chapter 28, verse 11 to 15. When, when they receive evidence that Jesus is not a longer in the grave and and they tell the soldiers, tell everyone that his disciples came by night and stole them.

22. 11:17

    And if, if this comes to the Roman authorities, we’ll protect you, right? So, so clearly his death and resurrection, obviously. Why being a sign doubting it’s a sign. Was it a sign to them?

23. 11:36

    See, like all the other signs he had offered healings and the blind receiving sight, the dumb speaking and hearing the resurrection of the Jesus was It’s just another miracle that they dismissed and they may have attributed to non heavenly origin. So how was this the unmistakable sign that the men of his generation could not mistake

24. 12:14

    you? So you see this is this is just Bible study. Young people see there’s the surface answer. And I tell you what, there’s nothing wrong with the surface answer. And when you’re young, you read it and you think, OK, good. And I’ll go on to the next thing. But but see good Bible studies just asking that next little question. It’s a sign to them, but they didn’t receive it as a sign. So is it Jesus saying this is the one sign? This is the one sign you’re not going to miss. But but they missed it.

25. 12:51

    So how’s that different than than the raising of Lazarus? How is that different than than healing the blind man in John 9? How is it different than these other signs that he did?

26. 13:01

    They treat this one the same way they treat the other ones. How is this the sign? So, So what do you do when you get a question like that? And by the way, I, I’ve asked questions like that that I still don’t have answers to. I think there are answers, I just don’t have them yet.

27. 13:18

    Fortunately, there’s an answer to this one or else I wouldn’t be talking about this this this morning. So we want to get a more complete understanding of what this is. So that’s our open question that we want to get an answer to. OK, Is that set in your minds now? Because I find that sometimes I’ll start talking and I’ll be giving an answer to something and you don’t even know the question I’m answering, and then people are lost. So that’s the question I’m trying to answer. How was this the sign when clearly they missed it? OK, so let’s move on.

28. 13:50

    And what we’re going to do is just note this. Jesus says that an adulterous generation seeketh after a sign an evil and adulterous generation. And I put forward to you that evil and adulterous generation is a very good descriptor of Jesus day and age. But it was a good descriptor of other ages in terms of the history of Israel as well. And one of the ages that the term evil and adulterous generation would very adequately describe is the time of Jonah. Now, why would I say that?

29. 14:28

    Let me just offer a little bit of evidence that specifically those are words that apply very well to the time of Jonah the prophet. Now here’s Jonah there and you can see the Jonah prophesied during the time of Jeroboam the second. Follow that. Now we know that the prophet Hosea also prophesied during the time of Jeroboam the second. If you look at Hosea 11, there’s evidence enough of that. So we can let’s look at what Hosea said to the people when trying to help them understand and to repent of their evil. So Hosea chapter 4 verse one and two describes his generation and Hosea says hear the word the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love and no knowledge of God in the land.

30. 15:21

    They’re swearing, lying, murderer, stealing, committing adultery. They break all bounds and bloodshed follows bloodshed. OK, that is quite an indictment of that generation that God offers that generation through the mouth of Hosea. Look at look at verse 12, that same chapter he says for a spirit of whoredom has LED them astray. They have left their God to play the whore or the next chapter says there.

31. 15:52

    Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God, for there is a spirit of whoredom within them. They know not the Lord. The pride of Israel testifies to his face. Israel and Ephraim shall stumble and his guilt. Judah shall also stumble with them. Now based on these passages, how would you describe this generation?

32. 16:14

    An adequate description of this generation would be that they’re evil and adulterous. In fact, if you just want to look at references to adultery in Hosea, of course, Hosea marries a harlot. So you know, that has to be a theme within that book. And there are many, many references to this particular theme within the book of Hosea is a certainly of all generations.

33. 16:35

    This is certainly could be described as in a generation that was adulterous. Now what’s interesting here, and here’s the point, We have no record of this generation repenting at the prophecy of Jonah or the prophecy of Hosea or of any prophet sent to them. Now why is that remarkable? Why is it remarkable that they didn’t repent?

34. 17:13

    Well, it’s remarkable because the Ninevites did repent. And one question that you ask yourself when reading Jonah is why the Ninevites were so convicted at the preaching of Jonah where his own people weren’t at all. It’s it’s almost inexplicable because you know, the only record we have of Jonah’s preaching in an invites is recorded in Jonah chapter 3, verse 4.

35. 17:38

    This is it. This is the only record we have of what Jonah said to the Ninevites. It’s found in a single verse. This is it. No, I don’t. I don’t even I, I didn’t. It’s so small, I didn’t even put it on the screen. It is John chapter 3, verse 4. Yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown. That’s it.

36. 18:03

    Yet 40 days and Nineveh shall bless it. In English, it’s 8 words now. I mean, he must have said more than this, right? I mean this isn’t exactly a treatise is it? 8 words.

37. 18:22

    So I’m just suggesting to you the repentance doesn’t seem to be based totally, maybe even mostly off of what Jonah said or else we’d know about more about what Jonah said. Is that do you follow that logic a little bit? Like they, they dramatically repent. We have 8 words. If they repented based on what he said, you’d think we’d have more than 8 words.

38. 19:06

    So what’s their repentance based off of if not based on his preaching or the words he said? Now a clue comes from Jonah chapter 4. So Jonah leaves Nineveh and looks and watches the city to see what God’s going to do to it. So we’re told in chapter 4 that the sun was hot. The record says that that God prepared a gourd in John chapter 4 verse six that delivered Jonah from his grief. We see a sculpture of Jonah and the gourd there. In fact, the record says that God prepared a behemoth E wind. Now, Jonah, ironically, probably knowing how to interpret the signs, knew what an east wind meant, and he knew that it was going to get hot, really hot.

39. 20:02

    It meant hot weather. So Jonah is very grateful for the gourd, and I think that you’ve all come to this conclusion already, but I think he’s so grateful for the gourd because I reckon that his skin was really sensitive. And burnt because of his time within the fish. And, and perhaps then, if that’s true, Jonah was burying in his body the marks or the evidence of his time entombed within the fish. And if that’s the case, it wasn’t Jonah’s preaching alone that persuades the Ninevites to repent. It’s the fact that Jonah himself was the one doing it. So what I’m suggesting to you is that Jonah was himself a living sign to the Ninevites, and that part of the reason that they repent is that they repent because of the one delivering the message.

40. 21:00

    Not necessarily because of the message, but despite Jonah’s symbolic resurrection and thus his obvious credentials as a prophet, there’s no record of the adulterers, Jews of Israel, repenting during the time of the preaching of Jonah. Whatever they thought of Jonah’s death and resurrection, to them, somehow this sign would seem to be convincing to the Ninevites.

41. 21:30

    Wasn’t convincing to them. Maybe the people of Israel observed his image. Maybe they thought it was curious, interesting, maybe even humorous, but they what they absolutely did not do is they didn’t repent at his preaching.

42. 21:52

    So the whole point of the story of Jonah is that the Ninevites, which were the cruelest of nations when presented with the prophet, were deeply moved and repented and as a result within 40 years they would conquer Israel.

43. 22:13

    So do you see the contrast to the device? Jonah himself was a sign. The call to repent was was listened to or heeded because they were impressed with the miracle man himself. Now what this does is this takes us to our second reference to the sign of Jonah in the gospel. And that second reference is found in Luke Chapter 11, verse 29. So we’ve already looked at Matthew chapter 12, which spoke specifically of the death and resurrection of Jesus being connected to the sign of the prophet Jonah. But now let’s look at Luke Chapter 11 and look at verse 29, and we’re going to get another clue about what the sign of the prophet Jonah is really all about. South Luke Chapter 11, verse 29 says this. When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, This generation seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah.

44. 23:23

    For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. Do you see that? This is just careful vibrating. Do you see that though? See, it wasn’t just his death and resurrection, only that was the sign. But this reference from Luke, it confirms our suspicion about Jonah. See, Jonah was a sign to the people of Nineveh. So what I’m suggesting to you is that Jesus, like Jonah, will be the sign.

45. 24:09

    She, she, how that adds on, it doesn’t replace. It simply adds on to her understanding to Matthew chapter 12, Matthew chapter 12-3 days and three nights, right? But Luke Chapter 11, Jonah became a sign, and Jesus would be assigned to the men of his generation the way that Jonah was assigned to the men of Nineveh.

46. 24:34

    It’s not merely the death and resurrection. So the Ninevites must have beheld Jonah and seen him as a sign. Looking at him, He was a sign as a man risen from the dead. They saw the marks of symbolic death and resurrection and consequently they listened to the message and Jesus saying that He will be assigned to his generation like Jonah was to the Ninevites.

47. 25:01

    But but OK, if that’s true, this should be the burning obvious question. Again, you get presented with some data, some information, good information, useful information, I hope. But then there’s another question you need to ask yourself. What’s that question? Well, the question is this.

48. 25:22

    The men of Jesus generation did not receive him as a sign. Say he says they will, but they don’t. So I’m going to ask the question again, What’s the sign of the prophet Jonah? Now what we have is clues, but we don’t have the whole picture yet. So, connecting to our earlier discussion, you can see how Jesus would have reflected on Jonah given his own experience.

49. 26:07

    How so? Jonah go. Jesus goes a Sidon and finds faith. Jesus goes to the capitalist and finds faith. He crosses the lake into Jewish territory. By contrast, he’s immediately accosted. Same Jesus, same teaching, same miraculous power, same man,

50. 26:33

    different response. So we need more clues. Let’s go back to Matthew 12. In Matthew 12, we’re going to receive a further clue about the sign of the prophet Jonah that I intentionally left until now for us to consider.

51. 26:56

    So going back to Matthew chapter 12 and now we’re going to look at verse 41 together. Matthew 12, verse 41 says this. The men of Nineveh will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it. Now Jesus says in Luke Chapter 11, He’s assigned to this generation. So is this generation talking about the Jew, the Gentiles?

52. 27:25

    No, I just suggest you that this generation must be talking about the Jews. You follow the logic there. Who are the men of this generation? He’s talking about the Jews. Why? Because Matthew chapter 12 says the men and generation of Nineveh will rise with this generation. The Jews that heard Jesus talk is what he’s talking about and they’re going to condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Jonah and behold, something greater than Jonah was here.

53. 27:53

    OK, now in case we miss the emphasis, Jesus is is being deliberate here. So in case you miss the emphasis on Gentile belief versus Jewish unbelief, he says, well one example’s not enough. I’m going to give you 2 examples so that you are for sure not mistaken what I’m talking about. So he gives the next example, and he says the queen of the South will rise at the judgement 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. So what is Jesus telling us?

54. 28:39

    He’s saying that this evil and adulterous generation will be given the sign of Jonah. That’s clear enough. We all understand that they’re going to be given the sign of Jonah. But by contrast to the many other miracles which they seem to gainsay and gainsay and gainsay and gainsay, this will be the one sign.

55. 28:59

    This will be the miracle. They cannot dispute. But the trouble, what’s troubling us is they dispute it and they don’t receive the sign. And if Jesus saying to us the sign’s going to come in three parts. Now let’s just rehearse what those three parts are so we’re clear on them. Part number 1 is a man will rise, die and rise again from the dead, just as Joan was, 3 days and three nights. Part number 2 this man in living form is the sign himself that they will behold that connects to Luke Chapter 11 verse 29. For as Jonah became a son.

56. 29:45

    And the third part is this in response the Gentiles respond, repent, but the unbelieving Jews will be condemned. Matthew chapter 12, verse 41, the men of Nineveh will arrive. Those are our three parts. And I can suggest to you that is the combination of these elements and not anyone specifically that is the son of the prophet Jonah.

57. 30:19

    So if that’s true, then here’s my question to you. When did the Jews of his generation, evil and adulterous as it is, when did they receive this sign?

58. 30:46

    Because Luke Chapter 11 says to us, just as the men of Jonah’s generation, the Ninevites, received him as a sign, the men of his generation, Jesus says, will receive him as a sign.

59. 31:02

    What does it mean to have a sign? Well, we know from the weather what a sign means. A sign means not merely that you observe what is a sign means you know what’s coming. Isn’t that what the weather teaches us? Not merely that you observe what is, is that you know what it means.

60. 31:23

    Well, when did the Jews receive this sign and know what it means? OK, so let’s answer that question now. Firstly, I want to direct you just for a moment back to Matthew 16, because it’s Matthew 16 is we’re told it’s not merely a sign of any variety, it’s a specific type of sign. So if you come back to Matthew chapter 16 and verse one, we’re going to realize what kind of sign it is they were asking for. They’re asking for a sign from heaven, and I can suggest you, that’s important language.

61. 32:11

    I want you to keep the words from heaven in mind because Jesus speaks in a few other instances about a sign from heaven, and maybe we can link those to the sign of Jonah. And if so, we might be able to understand when the Jews received this sign. Now the first place you might be thinking was where does Jesus talk about a sign from heaven?

62. 32:37

    Well, one place is in the all of that prophecy, Matthew chapter 24. You might recall that in the all of that prophecy Jesus mentions a sign where a sign in heaven. In fact, Jesus speaks of the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and you know he’s speaking to the Jews because all the prophecy is all about the Jews.

63. 33:07

    Now that might be a relevant cross reference. Now you know that the all the prophecy in the main speaks about the events related to 8070. But Jesus of course, towards the end of the prophecy does reveal about the sign of His coming at the end, the sign that the Jews would understand about His coming at the time of the end.

64. 33:29

    And we read about that in Matthew chapter 24, verse 30, where we read then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn. These are the Jewish tribes, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

65. 34:02

    Is this the sign of the Son of Man in heaven? And is this the sign of the prophet Jonah? If so, then the sign of the prophet Jonah wasn’t given to the Jews during Christ’s earthly ministry. But what I’m suggesting to you is maybe the sign is given to him them at his return. Now I believe that the idea that the Jews of Jesus generation receive a sign from heaven and His return is not merely alluded to here in the Olivet prophecy, but it is alluded to somewhere else.

66. 34:51

    Can you think about the other place a sign from heaven is referred to? You’re probably thinking about it. Knowing the good Bible students in the room. You’re probably thinking of Matthew chapter 26. So turn over to Matthew chapter 26. Now Matthew chapter 26. Jesus is on trial before the chief priests and the whole council made-up of Sadducees, scribes and Pharisees, and they’re frustrated by inconsistent witnesses and their inconsistent witnesses were likely exposed by faithful men like Nicodemus. And Jesus remained silent before his accusers and that prompts an outburst.

67. 35:36

    And the high priest said in Matthew chapter 26 and verse 63, he says, I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are Christ the Son of God. And Jesus said to them, said to him, You have said so, but I tell you hereafter you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven. Now brothers and sisters, Jesus makes something completely clear in this passage.

68. 36:14

    The Son of the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven will be seen by the evil and adulterous men of his generation, the ones that accused him, the ones that rejected him, and the ones that blasphemed him. They will see this sign. Well, when will they see it? So what they’re referring to there, I believe, is Daniel Chapter 7, verse 13, which is a prophecy about how the Lord will slay that forth in dreadful, terrible beast, and of course the little horn that proceeds and how He will establish his Kingdom.

69. 37:05

    And it was to this passage that Jesus refers the Pharisees and Sadducees to, and the high priest of the council we read there. And I saw in the night visions, behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like the Son of Man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And the implication, of course, is by alluding to this passage, Jesus is saying that his generation would behold this sign, Jesus coming in the clouds of heaven. But when will they see it?

70. 37:54

    Well, they’ll see it at an interesting time. They’ll see it when dominion and glory and the Kingdom is given to Him, that all peoples and nations and languages, whether the Queen of Sheba or the Ninevites or the Australians,

71. 38:25

    will serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. So they’ll receive the sign of the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven at the establishment of His Kingdom that shall not be destroyed. And you know what else we learned?

72. 38:47

    We learned that the Gentiles are there, that they receive it, they participate in the Kingdom, whilst by implication that the Jews and that council that were accusing him and the high priest are shut out. So back in Matthew 26 in front of the chief priests, the Pharisees, the religious leaders that had sent emissaries to him, and in Matthew chapter 16 and verse one requesting a sign, Jesus quotes Daniel Chapter 7 to them and tells him that they will see a sign from heaven and look what a sign is. They will receive unmistakable evidence the sign was from heaven as the man they killed is resurrected like Jonah was symbolically resurrected.

73. 39:40

    Jesus doesn’t perform the sign, He is the sign, the sign of the Son of Man, just as Jonah became personally the sign to the men of Nineveh. And 3rd Gentile nations from all peoples and nations and languages respond and are saved, but by implication they are rejected. So there are three parts. The Resurrection.

74. 40:12

    The man being the sign, the Gentiles entering and the adulterous generation being cast out. Matthew 12, Luke 11, Matthew 12. Just as Jesus said in Matthew 12 verse 41, the men of Nineveh will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it. So says Daniel, all peoples, nations and languages will serve Christ in the Kingdom.

75. 40:40

    So now back in Matthew 16, we can see more, more. We can see hopefully more clearly what Jesus meant when he said a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah. Jonah who lived in an adulterous generation. Jonah who rose from the dead.

76. 41:08

    Jonah whose message to repent the Jews of his own day rejected. Jonah who is accepted of the Gentiles, brothers and sisters. It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t do any more signs in front of or around the men of his generation. It was simply that the sign of the prophet Jonah, in all of its aspects, would be the only sign that they would receive. It was the only sign they would believe. And they’re going to believe it too late. Because when they receive that sign, they will know what it means.

77. 41:48

    They will know that this man was their Messiah. They will understand that he is resurrected from the dead. They will see the Gentiles rejoicing.

78. 42:02

    And you know what? They’ll know. They’ll know. They’ll be cast out. You see, they’re going to know what the sign means for the first time. They’ll know what it means.

79. 42:21

    They’ll know it meant they rejected their Messiah, and they’ll know it means they will not participate in any of the blessings that Daniel 7 offers the world.

80. 42:37

    They’ll know what it means that they were a wicked and adulterous generation that rejected their Messiah. They will receive this sign. It’s the one sign they cannot dismiss. And Jesus told them.

81. 43:03

    And I, I hope on some level that you’ve enjoyed pulling these scriptures together. But my exhortation is this Bron sisters, we can heed the signs now and know what they mean, or be responsible to this word. We can be resurrected like all those who are responsible to the Word. When we are resurrected, we can see the risen Lord.

82. 43:34

    We can see the implementation of those things that have been promised for ages long. We can see people from all nations rejoicing and coming into the Kingdom. We can see those who had much more slender grounds than we have, who didn’t have the Book of Revelation fulfilled prophecy by prophecy by prophecy by prophecy.

83. 44:04

    That much less slender grounds than we have accepted and brought in. Or we can be like the Pharisees and the Sadducees. You see, is the issue is this.

84. 44:24

    You have to know this for certain either way, whether you accept or reject the signs, either way you’re going to know what the signs mean. The only question is when you know what they mean. You’ll know what they mean now, or you’ll know what they mean then You’re going to know.

85. 44:55

    When are you going to know? So I encourage you then to open up your heart and faith and to know what the signs mean now. Because the one who knows what the signs mean in faith is the one who rejoices with Christ on that day, an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, in a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed.