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

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In order to identify whether
this man is or is not the

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Messiah and that that would have
been very threatening to the

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Jewish leadership, whether they
be Pharisee or Sadducee.

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We can see the Pharisee and
Sadducees don’t like one another

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at all.
In fact, that even becomes

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clearer when you look at extra
biblical sources like Josephus

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when you can really draw a
contrast between these groups.

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But yet they are united in this
purpose that if Jesus was

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reclaiming or was being thought
of, I should say, as the

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Messiah, both were very
threatened by that idea.

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And they if science has given me
the test of the Messiah, well

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certainly they are going to try
to have a sign that he can’t

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possibly fulfill.
So in Matthew chapter 16, verse

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one, they come to Jesus
requesting a sign and Jesus gave

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them a response in two parts.
The first part was used an

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analogy of weather.
They could see the weather and

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disguise it currently was.
And then they could imply, well,

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if the weather’s like this in
the sky, then it means that that

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that in the future I can look
forward to whether it’s going to

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be foul or hot.
So they could see the current

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weather and predict future
weather, but they couldn’t see

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the signs right in front of them
because they’re blinded.

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Why they blinded?
Well, they’re blinded by pride.

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They had too much to lose.
Instead of accepting the signs

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that were right in front of
them, that same the same signs

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that other people saw and
responded with faith, they did

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not respect those signs.
They wanted something that was

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larger or grandeur.
But the truth is, even if larger

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or grandeur or more grandiose
signs were offered, they

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wouldn’t have believed those
signs either because it wasn’t

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about the sign at all.
Jesus says He’s going to give

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them one sign.
Now, as Jesus was performing

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signs such as, you know, raising
Lazarus or healing the blind man

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in John Chapter 9 or other types
of signs.

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The trouble we have is why did
Jesus say this would be the one

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sign to be given?
Clearly there were more signs

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yet that he was going to do in
front of the people.

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But Jesus seems to suggest this
is the one sign, the only sign.

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Now the question we need to
present ourselves with is what

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does He mean by that?
What does He mean this is the

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only sign you’re going to be
given?

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They were given other signs.
Clearly they had opportunities.

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Let’s look at the story of
Lasher’s.

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Was that not a sign?
Of course it was a sign.

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So other signs were offered.
Why does He say you will be

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given no other sign but this one
sign?

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What does he mean by that?
And the one sign that He offers

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then is the sign of the prophet
Jonah.

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And this class, by way of
introduction, is to understand

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what Jesus meant when he said
that.

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And Simply put, it is the son of
the prophet John is simply the

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death and resurrection of the
Lord Jesus Christ.

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Is that all it is?
Because I’ll be honest with you,

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I’m 46 years old.
I look 46.

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You see the white on the beard,
right?

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That’s really helping me look
46.

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For the longest time I wanted to
look older, right, because I’m

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in sales and so I’d go in front
of these advisors, financial

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advisors, and I looked like I
was 12 and they wouldn’t want to

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buy anything from me.
So I thought I’d get a beard and

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I’d get some white and it would
help, you know?

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But now it’s happening
naturally.

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So I’m 46 years old and for
years and years and years and

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years and years, I just thought
it was the death of resurrect

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and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Next question, but I can suggest

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this more to it.
The men, isn’t it obviously is

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the leading question, isn’t it?
Now I just I know that you know

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this, but the Jews love signs.
They love you know, it’s not

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only in the Gospels that we know
about them.

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The fact that Jews love signs so
much because we can even look at

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First Corinthians chapter 1,
verses 21 to 23, and we see

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these words for since in the
wisdom of God, the world by its

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wisdom did not know God, God was
pleased to save those who

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believe by the foolishness of
preaching.

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For the Jews demand miraculous
signs and the Greeks ask for

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wisdom, but we preach about a
crucified Christ, a stumbling

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block, the Jews.
So the Greeks, they wanted

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philosophical wisdom, but the
Jews saw through philosophical

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wisdom that could just simply be
and often is and almost always

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is simply the invention of of
men’s minds.

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So the Jews are renowned,
according to the Apostle Paul,

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they’re renowned for seeking
signs, which is perhaps why the

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Holy Spirit was poured out in
the 1st century.

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You can see why it was poured
out because it’s used to man

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signs, but you can also see why
it was withdrawn for the

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foolishness of preaching because
it was not on the basis of signs

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that God was out and ultimately
asking his people to believe

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that on the basis of faith and
signs were not sufficient to

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create faith query.
So we should be surprised then

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that there are several instances
in the Gospels, not just one,

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but several, in which the Jews
come to Jesus and request a

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sign.
Now the incident in Matthew 16

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is the second time that they
come to Jesus after the first

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sign, not the first time.
In fact, the previous occasion

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where the Jesus, Jesus asking
for a sign is recorded for us in

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Matthew chapter 12.
So for chapter 0, you might want

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to turn there, but I’ll look at
some of the verses up on screen.

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And it’s in Matthew chapter 12
that Jesus first mentions the

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sign of the prophet Jonah.
So the context of Matthew 12 is

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that Jesus is accused of
breaking Sabbath law because he

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heals a man with a withered
hand.

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Now the story of the man with
the withered hand will form our

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expectation on Sunday morning.
So I won’t go into that now in

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any great detail because we’re
going to cover that in detail on

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Sunday morning, Matthew chapter
12.

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But that’s the context of what
we’re seeing here in Matthew 12.

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Now following this, the record
says in Matthew chapter 12 and

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verse 14, the Pharisees went out
and held a council against them,

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how they might destroy him.
But when Jesus knew it, he

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withdrew himself from fence, and
great multans followed him, and

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he healed them all.
Now verse 22 then it says, the

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people respond to this.
And one was brought unto him,

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one possessed devil, blind and
dumb, and he healed him in so

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much as the blind and dumbed,
both spake and salt.

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And all the people were amazed
and said, Now that’s the

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important part.
Is this not the son of David?

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Now the Pharisees cannot abide
by they cannot they cannot abide

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by this man being called to the
side too dangerous, too

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threatening them to them.
So they so not only they still

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anger for the fact that Jesus
had just healed the man on the

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Sabbath and that infuriated, but
now to add insult to their

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injury.
Now in response to healing,

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people are saying this must be
the son of David, meaning this

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must be the Messiah.
And they cannot abide by this

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messianic talk.
And so they’re looking for ways

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to discredit Jesus.
And so we read that in verse 24.

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The bears have heard it and they
said devils, but by the Els of

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us, the Prince.
In other words, they can’t deny

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his power.
So instead they claim that the

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source of his power is in
heaven.

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The source of his power is not
from God.

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Because of course by implication
of this from God, they have a

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problem.
They can’t really deny the

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miracle, they just deny the
miracle’s source.

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So it’s from this in Matthew 12
that they make their first

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request of a sign from Jesus.
So let’s look at that then.

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So you built up our stories.
Now let’s look at this request

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for a sign, which is found in
Matthew chapter 12 and verse 38

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to 41.
Then some of the scribes and

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Pharisees said to him, Teacher,
we wish to see a sign from you.

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But he answered them, An evil
and adulterous generation

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seeketh for a sign, but no sign
shall be given unto it, except

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the sign of the prophet Jonah.
For as Jonah was 3 days and

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three nights in the heart of the
earth, so the Son of Man be 3

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days and three nights in the
heart of the earth.

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So this passage leaves us with a
few clues and a few questions.

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So let’s just start by stating
the obvious.

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Always important to state the
obvious.

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Sometimes in our effort to fair
it and find uncovered

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information, we sort of ignore
the the the information right in

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front of us.
We’re just going to state right

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away that the sign of prophet
Jonah must be related to his

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death and resurrection.
It must be because he mentions

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the three days and the three
nights.

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So clearly, whatever we make of
the sign of the prophet Jonah,

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his death and resurrection must
be a key part of it.

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In fact, the key part of it.
I’m just suggesting there’s

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going to be more to it the
Scripture offers us.

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So by the way, why would a a
symbolic death and resurrection

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be assigned to them?
Well, presumably on the basis

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that a dead man can do nothing
for himself.

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So if a man did rise from the
dead, the dead know nothing, and

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that must be from God, and such
a miracle must be a sign from

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heaven.
But consider this, brother

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sisters, When Jesus was
resurrected, was it enough to

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convince the people that he was
the Messiah?

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Did he convince the Pharisees
and scribes, the Brokies and

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Sadducees, that Jesus did come
from God?

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Was it truly assigned to them?
Well, I’m sure you remember

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you’re already ticking over the
passage.

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The passage you’re thinking
about in your head right now is

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Matthew chapter 28, verse 11 to
15.

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When, when they receive evidence
that Jesus is not a longer in

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the grave and and they tell the
soldiers, tell everyone that his

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disciples came by night and
stole them.

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And if, if this comes to the
Roman authorities, we’ll protect

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you, right?
So, so clearly his death and

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resurrection, obviously.
Why being a sign doubting it’s a

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sign.
Was it a sign to them?

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See, like all the other signs he
had offered healings and the

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blind receiving sight, the dumb
speaking and hearing the

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resurrection of the Jesus was
It’s just another miracle that

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they dismissed and they may have
attributed to non heavenly

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origin.
So how was this the unmistakable

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sign that the men of his
generation could not mistake

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you?
So you see this is this is just

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Bible study.
Young people see there’s the

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surface answer.
And I tell you what, there’s

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nothing wrong with the surface
answer.

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And when you’re young, you read
it and you think, OK, good.

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And I’ll go on to the next
thing.

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But but see good Bible studies
just asking that next little

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question.
It’s a sign to them, but they

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didn’t receive it as a sign.
So is it Jesus saying this is

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the one sign?
This is the one sign you’re not

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going to miss.
But but they missed it.

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So how’s that different than
than the raising of Lazarus?

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How is that different than than
healing the blind man in John 9?

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How is it different than these
other signs that he did?

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They treat this one the same way
they treat the other ones.

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How is this the sign?
So, So what do you do when you

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get a question like that?
And by the way, I, I’ve asked

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questions like that that I still
don’t have answers to.

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I think there are answers, I
just don’t have them yet.

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Fortunately, there’s an answer
to this one or else I wouldn’t

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be talking about this this this
morning.

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So we want to get a more
complete understanding of what

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this is.
So that’s our open question that

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we want to get an answer to.
OK, Is that set in your minds

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now?
Because I find that sometimes

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I’ll start talking and I’ll be
giving an answer to something

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and you don’t even know the
question I’m answering, and then

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people are lost.
So that’s the question I’m

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trying to answer.
How was this the sign when

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clearly they missed it?
OK, so let’s move on.

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00:13:50,800 –> 00:13:56,000
And what we’re going to do is
just note this.

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Jesus says that an adulterous
generation seeketh after a sign

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00:14:01,760 –> 00:14:03,240
an evil and adulterous
generation.

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00:14:04,080 –> 00:14:07,400
And I put forward to you that
evil and adulterous generation

220
00:14:07,520 –> 00:14:10,320
is a very good descriptor of
Jesus day and age.

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00:14:10,600 –> 00:14:15,040
But it was a good descriptor of
other ages in terms of the

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00:14:15,040 –> 00:14:18,680
history of Israel as well.
And one of the ages that the

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00:14:18,680 –> 00:14:22,200
term evil and adulterous
generation would very adequately

224
00:14:22,200 –> 00:14:28,080
describe is the time of Jonah.
Now, why would I say that?

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00:14:28,080 –> 00:14:31,800
Let me just offer a little bit
of evidence that specifically

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00:14:32,120 –> 00:14:36,560
those are words that apply very
well to the time of Jonah the

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00:14:36,560 –> 00:14:39,000
prophet.
Now here’s Jonah there and you

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00:14:39,000 –> 00:14:42,160
can see the Jonah prophesied
during the time of Jeroboam the

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00:14:42,160 –> 00:14:43,480
second.
Follow that.

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00:14:44,440 –> 00:14:47,600
Now we know that the prophet
Hosea also prophesied during the

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00:14:47,600 –> 00:14:50,160
time of Jeroboam the second.
If you look at Hosea 11, there’s

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00:14:50,160 –> 00:14:52,960
evidence enough of that.
So we can let’s look at what

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00:14:52,960 –> 00:14:58,040
Hosea said to the people when
trying to help them understand

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00:14:58,040 –> 00:15:05,800
and to repent of their evil.
So Hosea chapter 4 verse one and

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00:15:05,800 –> 00:15:09,960
two describes his generation and
Hosea says hear the word the

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00:15:09,960 –> 00:15:13,680
Lord, O children of Israel, for
the Lord has a controversy with

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00:15:13,680 –> 00:15:17,880
the inhabitants of the land.
There is no faithfulness or

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00:15:17,880 –> 00:15:21,600
steadfast love and no knowledge
of God in the land.

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00:15:21,760 –> 00:15:25,840
They’re swearing, lying,
murderer, stealing, committing

240
00:15:25,840 –> 00:15:29,200
adultery.
They break all bounds and

241
00:15:29,200 –> 00:15:34,720
bloodshed follows bloodshed.
OK, that is quite an indictment

242
00:15:34,920 –> 00:15:38,920
of that generation that God
offers that generation through

243
00:15:38,920 –> 00:15:41,800
the mouth of Hosea.
Look at look at verse 12, that

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00:15:41,800 –> 00:15:45,840
same chapter he says for a
spirit of whoredom has LED them

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00:15:45,840 –> 00:15:48,480
astray.
They have left their God to play

246
00:15:48,480 –> 00:15:52,080
the whore or the next chapter
says there.

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00:15:52,240 –> 00:15:55,080
Their deeds do not permit them
to return to their God, for

248
00:15:55,080 –> 00:15:56,960
there is a spirit of whoredom
within them.

249
00:15:57,720 –> 00:16:02,360
They know not the Lord.
The pride of Israel testifies to

250
00:16:02,360 –> 00:16:05,360
his face.
Israel and Ephraim shall stumble

251
00:16:05,360 –> 00:16:07,880
and his guilt.
Judah shall also stumble with

252
00:16:07,880 –> 00:16:11,000
them.
Now based on these passages, how

253
00:16:11,000 –> 00:16:12,640
would you describe this
generation?

254
00:16:14,200 –> 00:16:16,680
An adequate description of this
generation would be that they’re

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00:16:16,680 –> 00:16:19,480
evil and adulterous.
In fact, if you just want to

256
00:16:19,480 –> 00:16:22,680
look at references to adultery
in Hosea, of course, Hosea

257
00:16:23,040 –> 00:16:25,480
marries a harlot.
So you know, that has to be a

258
00:16:25,480 –> 00:16:28,040
theme within that book.
And there are many, many

259
00:16:28,040 –> 00:16:31,920
references to this particular
theme within the book of Hosea

260
00:16:32,040 –> 00:16:35,600
is a certainly of all
generations.

261
00:16:35,640 –> 00:16:38,240
This is certainly could be
described as in a generation

262
00:16:38,440 –> 00:16:47,160
that was adulterous.
Now what’s interesting here, and

263
00:16:47,160 –> 00:16:54,640
here’s the point, We have no
record of this generation

264
00:16:56,560 –> 00:17:03,680
repenting at the prophecy of
Jonah or the prophecy of Hosea

265
00:17:04,160 –> 00:17:09,440
or of any prophet sent to them.
Now why is that remarkable?

266
00:17:11,359 –> 00:17:13,160
Why is it remarkable that they
didn’t repent?

267
00:17:13,160 –> 00:17:15,680
Well, it’s remarkable because
the Ninevites did repent.

268
00:17:16,599 –> 00:17:20,800
And one question that you ask
yourself when reading Jonah is

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00:17:20,800 –> 00:17:26,280
why the Ninevites were so
convicted at the preaching of

270
00:17:26,280 –> 00:17:28,920
Jonah where his own people
weren’t at all.

271
00:17:30,360 –> 00:17:33,560
It’s it’s almost inexplicable
because you know, the only

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00:17:33,560 –> 00:17:36,320
record we have of Jonah’s
preaching in an invites is

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00:17:36,320 –> 00:17:38,000
recorded in Jonah chapter 3,
verse 4.

274
00:17:38,000 –> 00:17:41,880
This is it.
This is the only record we have

275
00:17:42,040 –> 00:17:43,400
of what Jonah said to the
Ninevites.

276
00:17:44,080 –> 00:17:48,200
It’s found in a single verse.
This is it.

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00:17:49,960 –> 00:17:51,720
No, I don’t.
I don’t even I, I didn’t.

278
00:17:51,720 –> 00:17:53,680
It’s so small, I didn’t even put
it on the screen.

279
00:17:53,840 –> 00:18:00,960
It is John chapter 3, verse 4.
Yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be

280
00:18:00,960 –> 00:18:02,640
overthrown.
That’s it.

281
00:18:03,200 –> 00:18:05,560
Yet 40 days and Nineveh shall
bless it.

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00:18:05,560 –> 00:18:14,520
In English, it’s 8 words now.
I mean, he must have said more

283
00:18:14,520 –> 00:18:16,920
than this, right?
I mean this isn’t exactly a

284
00:18:16,920 –> 00:18:19,680
treatise is it?
8 words.

285
00:18:22,920 –> 00:18:29,920
So I’m just suggesting to you
the repentance doesn’t seem to

286
00:18:29,920 –> 00:18:41,040
be based totally, maybe even
mostly off of what Jonah said or

287
00:18:41,040 –> 00:18:43,120
else we’d know about more about
what Jonah said.

288
00:18:45,040 –> 00:18:46,880
Is that do you follow that logic
a little bit?

289
00:18:47,160 –> 00:18:49,600
Like they, they dramatically
repent.

290
00:18:50,840 –> 00:18:57,320
We have 8 words.
If they repented based on what

291
00:18:57,320 –> 00:19:00,800
he said, you’d think we’d have
more than 8 words.

292
00:19:06,370 –> 00:19:11,290
So what’s their repentance based
off of if not based on his

293
00:19:11,290 –> 00:19:16,810
preaching or the words he said?
Now a clue comes from Jonah

294
00:19:16,810 –> 00:19:22,200
chapter 4.
So Jonah leaves Nineveh and

295
00:19:22,600 –> 00:19:25,840
looks and watches the city to
see what God’s going to do to

296
00:19:25,840 –> 00:19:28,840
it.
So we’re told in chapter 4 that

297
00:19:28,840 –> 00:19:33,080
the sun was hot.
The record says that that God

298
00:19:33,080 –> 00:19:38,000
prepared a gourd in John chapter
4 verse six that delivered Jonah

299
00:19:38,000 –> 00:19:44,840
from his grief.
We see a sculpture of Jonah and

300
00:19:44,840 –> 00:19:49,720
the gourd there.
In fact, the record says that

301
00:19:49,720 –> 00:19:56,440
God prepared a behemoth E wind.
Now, Jonah, ironically, probably

302
00:19:56,440 –> 00:19:58,720
knowing how to interpret the
signs, knew what an east wind

303
00:19:58,720 –> 00:20:02,000
meant, and he knew that it was
going to get hot, really hot.

304
00:20:02,000 –> 00:20:05,880
It meant hot weather.
So Jonah is very grateful for

305
00:20:05,880 –> 00:20:08,280
the gourd, and I think that
you’ve all come to this

306
00:20:08,280 –> 00:20:11,080
conclusion already, but I think
he’s so grateful for the gourd

307
00:20:11,240 –> 00:20:14,640
because I reckon that his skin
was really sensitive.

308
00:20:15,000 –> 00:20:18,320
And burnt because of his time
within the fish.

309
00:20:19,600 –> 00:20:23,280
And, and perhaps then, if that’s
true, Jonah was burying in his

310
00:20:23,280 –> 00:20:28,920
body the marks or the evidence
of his time entombed within the

311
00:20:28,920 –> 00:20:33,720
fish.
And if that’s the case, it

312
00:20:33,720 –> 00:20:38,440
wasn’t Jonah’s preaching alone
that persuades the Ninevites to

313
00:20:38,440 –> 00:20:41,880
repent.
It’s the fact that Jonah himself

314
00:20:41,880 –> 00:20:46,840
was the one doing it.
So what I’m suggesting to you is

315
00:20:46,840 –> 00:20:53,640
that Jonah was himself a living
sign to the Ninevites, and that

316
00:20:53,640 –> 00:20:58,200
part of the reason that they
repent is that they repent

317
00:20:58,200 –> 00:20:59,920
because of the one delivering
the message.

318
00:21:00,120 –> 00:21:08,080
Not necessarily because of the
message, but despite Jonah’s

319
00:21:08,080 –> 00:21:13,240
symbolic resurrection and thus
his obvious credentials as a

320
00:21:13,240 –> 00:21:19,120
prophet, there’s no record of
the adulterers, Jews of Israel,

321
00:21:19,200 –> 00:21:23,360
repenting during the time of the
preaching of Jonah.

322
00:21:23,600 –> 00:21:26,840
Whatever they thought of Jonah’s
death and resurrection, to them,

323
00:21:27,320 –> 00:21:30,680
somehow this sign would seem to
be convincing to the Ninevites.

324
00:21:30,960 –> 00:21:36,600
Wasn’t convincing to them.
Maybe the people of Israel

325
00:21:36,600 –> 00:21:39,560
observed his image.
Maybe they thought it was

326
00:21:39,560 –> 00:21:45,280
curious, interesting, maybe even
humorous, but they what they

327
00:21:45,280 –> 00:21:49,480
absolutely did not do is they
didn’t repent at his preaching.

328
00:21:52,240 –> 00:21:54,880
So the whole point of the story
of Jonah is that the Ninevites,

329
00:21:55,120 –> 00:22:00,800
which were the cruelest of
nations when presented with the

330
00:22:00,800 –> 00:22:06,480
prophet, were deeply moved and
repented and as a result within

331
00:22:06,480 –> 00:22:10,240
40 years they would conquer
Israel.

332
00:22:13,440 –> 00:22:16,800
So do you see the contrast to
the device?

333
00:22:16,800 –> 00:22:23,080
Jonah himself was a sign.
The call to repent was was

334
00:22:23,080 –> 00:22:27,240
listened to or heeded because
they were impressed with the

335
00:22:27,240 –> 00:22:32,840
miracle man himself.
Now what this does is this takes

336
00:22:32,840 –> 00:22:37,160
us to our second reference to
the sign of Jonah in the gospel.

337
00:22:37,160 –> 00:22:39,520
And that second reference is
found in Luke Chapter 11, verse

338
00:22:39,520 –> 00:22:42,440
29.
So we’ve already looked at

339
00:22:42,520 –> 00:22:46,440
Matthew chapter 12, which spoke
specifically of the death and

340
00:22:46,440 –> 00:22:49,800
resurrection of Jesus being
connected to the sign of the

341
00:22:49,800 –> 00:22:51,560
prophet Jonah.
But now let’s look at Luke

342
00:22:51,560 –> 00:22:56,840
Chapter 11 and look at verse 29,
and we’re going to get another

343
00:22:56,840 –> 00:23:00,160
clue about what the sign of the
prophet Jonah is really all

344
00:23:00,160 –> 00:23:04,440
about.
South Luke Chapter 11, verse 29

345
00:23:04,440 –> 00:23:10,560
says this.
When the crowds were increasing,

346
00:23:11,880 –> 00:23:18,400
he began to say, This generation
seeks a sign, but no sign shall

347
00:23:18,400 –> 00:23:21,600
be given to it except the sign
of Jonah.

348
00:23:23,680 –> 00:23:31,440
For as Jonah became a sign to
the men of Nineveh, so will the

349
00:23:31,440 –> 00:23:33,720
Son of Man be to this
generation.

350
00:23:36,600 –> 00:23:38,720
Do you see that?
This is just careful vibrating.

351
00:23:38,720 –> 00:23:44,560
Do you see that though?
See, it wasn’t just his death

352
00:23:44,560 –> 00:23:47,120
and resurrection, only that was
the sign.

353
00:23:48,400 –> 00:23:52,720
But this reference from Luke, it
confirms our suspicion about

354
00:23:52,720 –> 00:23:59,240
Jonah.
See, Jonah was a sign to the

355
00:23:59,240 –> 00:24:04,000
people of Nineveh.
So what I’m suggesting to you is

356
00:24:04,000 –> 00:24:08,320
that Jesus, like Jonah, will be
the sign.

357
00:24:09,720 –> 00:24:12,720
She, she, how that adds on, it
doesn’t replace.

358
00:24:12,840 –> 00:24:16,000
It simply adds on to her
understanding to Matthew chapter

359
00:24:16,000 –> 00:24:19,680
12, Matthew chapter 12-3 days
and three nights, right?

360
00:24:20,720 –> 00:24:27,000
But Luke Chapter 11, Jonah
became a sign, and Jesus would

361
00:24:27,000 –> 00:24:30,560
be assigned to the men of his
generation the way that Jonah

362
00:24:30,560 –> 00:24:32,640
was assigned to the men of
Nineveh.

363
00:24:34,040 –> 00:24:35,960
It’s not merely the death and
resurrection.

364
00:24:36,600 –> 00:24:41,680
So the Ninevites must have
beheld Jonah and seen him as a

365
00:24:41,800 –> 00:24:46,080
sign.
Looking at him, He was a sign as

366
00:24:46,080 –> 00:24:50,240
a man risen from the dead.
They saw the marks of symbolic

367
00:24:50,240 –> 00:24:54,040
death and resurrection and
consequently they listened to

368
00:24:54,040 –> 00:24:58,240
the message and Jesus saying
that He will be assigned to his

369
00:24:58,240 –> 00:25:01,560
generation like Jonah was to the
Ninevites.

370
00:25:01,760 –> 00:25:06,520
But but OK, if that’s true, this
should be the burning obvious

371
00:25:06,520 –> 00:25:08,400
question.
Again, you get presented with

372
00:25:08,400 –> 00:25:11,600
some data, some information,
good information, useful

373
00:25:11,600 –> 00:25:14,080
information, I hope.
But then there’s another

374
00:25:14,080 –> 00:25:15,400
question you need to ask
yourself.

375
00:25:15,400 –> 00:25:19,880
What’s that question?
Well, the question is this.

376
00:25:22,560 –> 00:25:28,520
The men of Jesus generation did
not receive him as a sign.

377
00:25:35,160 –> 00:25:38,440
Say he says they will, but they
don’t.

378
00:25:38,440 –> 00:25:47,680
So I’m going to ask the question
again, What’s the sign of the

379
00:25:47,680 –> 00:25:52,200
prophet Jonah?
Now what we have is clues, but

380
00:25:52,200 –> 00:25:53,480
we don’t have the whole picture
yet.

381
00:25:55,120 –> 00:25:59,760
So, connecting to our earlier
discussion, you can see how

382
00:26:00,200 –> 00:26:06,720
Jesus would have reflected on
Jonah given his own experience.

383
00:26:07,560 –> 00:26:09,080
How so?
Jonah go.

384
00:26:09,480 –> 00:26:12,440
Jesus goes a Sidon and finds
faith.

385
00:26:13,920 –> 00:26:16,680
Jesus goes to the capitalist and
finds faith.

386
00:26:17,360 –> 00:26:19,480
He crosses the lake into Jewish
territory.

387
00:26:19,760 –> 00:26:22,160
By contrast, he’s immediately
accosted.

388
00:26:22,880 –> 00:26:31,800
Same Jesus, same teaching, same
miraculous power, same man,

389
00:26:33,880 –> 00:26:39,320
different response.
So we need more clues.

390
00:26:42,320 –> 00:26:47,720
Let’s go back to Matthew 12.
In Matthew 12, we’re going to

391
00:26:47,720 –> 00:26:52,080
receive a further clue about the
sign of the prophet Jonah that I

392
00:26:52,080 –> 00:26:54,520
intentionally left until now for
us to consider.

393
00:26:56,600 –> 00:26:59,320
So going back to Matthew chapter
12 and now we’re going to look

394
00:26:59,320 –> 00:27:05,840
at verse 41 together.
Matthew 12, verse 41 says this.

395
00:27:06,960 –> 00:27:11,480
The men of Nineveh will rise at
the judgment with this

396
00:27:11,480 –> 00:27:17,440
generation and condemn it.
Now Jesus says in Luke Chapter

397
00:27:17,440 –> 00:27:20,080
11, He’s assigned to this
generation.

398
00:27:20,360 –> 00:27:24,880
So is this generation talking
about the Jew, the Gentiles?

399
00:27:25,120 –> 00:27:29,400
No, I just suggest you that this
generation must be talking about

400
00:27:29,400 –> 00:27:31,080
the Jews.
You follow the logic there.

401
00:27:32,520 –> 00:27:33,840
Who are the men of this
generation?

402
00:27:33,840 –> 00:27:35,240
He’s talking about the Jews.
Why?

403
00:27:35,360 –> 00:27:38,040
Because Matthew chapter 12 says
the men and generation of

404
00:27:38,040 –> 00:27:40,880
Nineveh will rise with this
generation.

405
00:27:42,480 –> 00:27:45,840
The Jews that heard Jesus talk
is what he’s talking about and

406
00:27:45,840 –> 00:27:48,680
they’re going to condemn it for
they repented at the preaching

407
00:27:48,680 –> 00:27:52,320
of Jonah and behold, something
greater than Jonah was here.

408
00:27:53,720 –> 00:27:56,840
OK, now in case we miss the
emphasis, Jesus is is being

409
00:27:56,840 –> 00:28:00,800
deliberate here.
So in case you miss the emphasis

410
00:28:01,400 –> 00:28:05,160
on Gentile belief versus Jewish
unbelief, he says, well one

411
00:28:05,160 –> 00:28:08,040
example’s not enough.
I’m going to give you 2 examples

412
00:28:08,200 –> 00:28:11,400
so that you are for sure not
mistaken what I’m talking about.

413
00:28:11,680 –> 00:28:13,960
So he gives the next example,
and he says the queen of the

414
00:28:13,960 –> 00:28:17,600
South will rise at the judgement
with this generation and condemn

415
00:28:17,600 –> 00:28:23,680
it, for she came from the ends
of the earth to hear the wisdom

416
00:28:23,680 –> 00:28:27,880
of Solomon.
And behold, something greater

417
00:28:27,920 –> 00:28:33,520
than Solomon is here.
So what is Jesus telling us?

418
00:28:39,770 –> 00:28:44,130
He’s saying that this evil and
adulterous generation will be

419
00:28:44,130 –> 00:28:45,930
given the sign of Jonah.
That’s clear enough.

420
00:28:46,010 –> 00:28:48,290
We all understand that they’re
going to be given the sign of

421
00:28:48,290 –> 00:28:51,810
Jonah.
But by contrast to the many

422
00:28:51,810 –> 00:28:55,850
other miracles which they seem
to gainsay and gainsay and

423
00:28:55,850 –> 00:28:59,410
gainsay and gainsay, this will
be the one sign.

424
00:28:59,650 –> 00:29:03,450
This will be the miracle.
They cannot dispute.

425
00:29:05,320 –> 00:29:07,440
But the trouble, what’s
troubling us is they dispute it

426
00:29:09,240 –> 00:29:14,640
and they don’t receive the sign.
And if Jesus saying to us the

427
00:29:14,640 –> 00:29:16,520
sign’s going to come in three
parts.

428
00:29:16,800 –> 00:29:20,320
Now let’s just rehearse what
those three parts are so we’re

429
00:29:20,320 –> 00:29:23,960
clear on them.
Part number 1 is a man will

430
00:29:23,960 –> 00:29:28,560
rise, die and rise again from
the dead, just as Joan was, 3

431
00:29:28,560 –> 00:29:34,120
days and three nights.
Part number 2 this man in living

432
00:29:34,120 –> 00:29:40,360
form is the sign himself that
they will behold that connects

433
00:29:40,360 –> 00:29:44,320
to Luke Chapter 11 verse 29.
For as Jonah became a son.

434
00:29:45,360 –> 00:29:52,040
And the third part is this in
response the Gentiles respond,

435
00:29:52,040 –> 00:29:56,800
repent, but the unbelieving Jews
will be condemned.

436
00:29:58,720 –> 00:30:03,080
Matthew chapter 12, verse 41,
the men of Nineveh will arrive.

437
00:30:03,680 –> 00:30:08,880
Those are our three parts.
And I can suggest to you that is

438
00:30:08,880 –> 00:30:14,400
the combination of these
elements and not anyone

439
00:30:14,400 –> 00:30:17,080
specifically that is the son of
the prophet Jonah.

440
00:30:19,560 –> 00:30:24,720
So if that’s true, then here’s
my question to you.

441
00:30:28,440 –> 00:30:32,760
When did the Jews of his
generation, evil and adulterous

442
00:30:32,760 –> 00:30:37,560
as it is, when did they receive
this sign?

443
00:30:46,440 –> 00:30:52,720
Because Luke Chapter 11 says to
us, just as the men of Jonah’s

444
00:30:52,720 –> 00:30:56,760
generation, the Ninevites,
received him as a sign, the men

445
00:30:56,760 –> 00:30:59,880
of his generation, Jesus says,
will receive him as a sign.

446
00:31:02,640 –> 00:31:04,200
What does it mean to have a
sign?

447
00:31:05,480 –> 00:31:07,640
Well, we know from the weather
what a sign means.

448
00:31:08,040 –> 00:31:13,560
A sign means not merely that you
observe what is a sign means you

449
00:31:13,560 –> 00:31:16,800
know what’s coming.
Isn’t that what the weather

450
00:31:16,800 –> 00:31:20,080
teaches us?
Not merely that you observe what

451
00:31:20,080 –> 00:31:23,520
is, is that you know what it
means.

452
00:31:23,640 –> 00:31:27,600
Well, when did the Jews receive
this sign and know what it

453
00:31:27,600 –> 00:31:35,440
means?
OK, so let’s answer that

454
00:31:35,440 –> 00:31:41,200
question now.
Firstly, I want to direct you

455
00:31:41,400 –> 00:31:45,080
just for a moment back to
Matthew 16, because it’s Matthew

456
00:31:45,080 –> 00:31:50,040
16 is we’re told it’s not merely
a sign of any variety, it’s a

457
00:31:50,040 –> 00:31:53,720
specific type of sign.
So if you come back to Matthew

458
00:31:53,720 –> 00:31:56,680
chapter 16 and verse one, we’re
going to realize what kind of

459
00:31:56,680 –> 00:32:03,800
sign it is they were asking for.
They’re asking for a sign from

460
00:32:04,200 –> 00:32:09,840
heaven, and I can suggest you,
that’s important language.

461
00:32:11,040 –> 00:32:15,880
I want you to keep the words
from heaven in mind because

462
00:32:16,120 –> 00:32:21,440
Jesus speaks in a few other
instances about a sign from

463
00:32:21,440 –> 00:32:26,560
heaven, and maybe we can link
those to the sign of Jonah.

464
00:32:27,120 –> 00:32:30,680
And if so, we might be able to
understand when the Jews

465
00:32:30,680 –> 00:32:35,360
received this sign.
Now the first place you might be

466
00:32:35,360 –> 00:32:37,480
thinking was where does Jesus
talk about a sign from heaven?

467
00:32:37,480 –> 00:32:40,320
Well, one place is in the all of
that prophecy, Matthew chapter

468
00:32:40,320 –> 00:32:44,240
24.
You might recall that in the all

469
00:32:44,240 –> 00:32:51,840
of that prophecy Jesus mentions
a sign where a sign in heaven.

470
00:32:52,440 –> 00:33:00,120
In fact, Jesus speaks of the
sign of the Son of man in

471
00:33:00,120 –> 00:33:04,880
heaven, and you know he’s
speaking to the Jews because all

472
00:33:04,880 –> 00:33:06,800
the prophecy is all about the
Jews.

473
00:33:07,920 –> 00:33:09,640
Now that might be a relevant
cross reference.

474
00:33:10,800 –> 00:33:14,520
Now you know that the all the
prophecy in the main speaks

475
00:33:14,520 –> 00:33:16,760
about the events related to
8070.

476
00:33:16,960 –> 00:33:21,880
But Jesus of course, towards the
end of the prophecy does reveal

477
00:33:21,880 –> 00:33:25,840
about the sign of His coming at
the end, the sign that the Jews

478
00:33:25,840 –> 00:33:29,200
would understand about His
coming at the time of the end.

479
00:33:29,440 –> 00:33:32,280
And we read about that in
Matthew chapter 24, verse 30,

480
00:33:32,280 –> 00:33:36,360
where we read then will appear
the sign of the Son of Man in

481
00:33:36,360 –> 00:33:39,480
heaven.
Then all the tribes of the earth

482
00:33:39,520 –> 00:33:41,600
will mourn.
These are the Jewish tribes, and

483
00:33:41,600 –> 00:33:45,400
they will see the Son of Man
coming on the clouds of heaven

484
00:33:46,400 –> 00:33:51,440
with power and great glory.
And He will send out His angels

485
00:33:51,440 –> 00:33:54,880
with a loud trumpet call, and
gather His elect from the four

486
00:33:54,880 –> 00:33:59,080
winds, from one end of heaven to
the other.

487
00:34:02,320 –> 00:34:05,680
Is this the sign of the Son of
Man in heaven?

488
00:34:10,400 –> 00:34:12,440
And is this the sign of the
prophet Jonah?

489
00:34:17,280 –> 00:34:23,159
If so, then the sign of the
prophet Jonah wasn’t given to

490
00:34:23,159 –> 00:34:27,199
the Jews during Christ’s earthly
ministry.

491
00:34:28,440 –> 00:34:34,080
But what I’m suggesting to you
is maybe the sign is given to

492
00:34:34,120 –> 00:34:40,080
him them at his return.
Now I believe that the idea that

493
00:34:40,080 –> 00:34:44,800
the Jews of Jesus generation
receive a sign from heaven and

494
00:34:44,800 –> 00:34:49,840
His return is not merely alluded
to here in the Olivet prophecy,

495
00:34:49,840 –> 00:34:51,400
but it is alluded to somewhere
else.

496
00:34:51,400 –> 00:34:55,920
Can you think about the other
place a sign from heaven is

497
00:34:55,920 –> 00:34:59,600
referred to?
You’re probably thinking about

498
00:34:59,600 –> 00:35:01,560
it.
Knowing the good Bible students

499
00:35:01,560 –> 00:35:04,960
in the room.
You’re probably thinking of

500
00:35:04,960 –> 00:35:07,760
Matthew chapter 26.
So turn over to Matthew chapter

501
00:35:07,760 –> 00:35:11,840
26.
Now Matthew chapter 26.

502
00:35:11,880 –> 00:35:16,280
Jesus is on trial before the
chief priests and the whole

503
00:35:16,280 –> 00:35:20,080
council made-up of Sadducees,
scribes and Pharisees, and

504
00:35:20,080 –> 00:35:25,840
they’re frustrated by
inconsistent witnesses and their

505
00:35:25,840 –> 00:35:29,000
inconsistent witnesses were
likely exposed by faithful men

506
00:35:29,000 –> 00:35:32,680
like Nicodemus.
And Jesus remained silent before

507
00:35:32,680 –> 00:35:35,800
his accusers and that prompts an
outburst.

508
00:35:36,040 –> 00:35:40,040
And the high priest said in
Matthew chapter 26 and verse 63,

509
00:35:40,480 –> 00:35:43,640
he says, I adjure you by the
living God, tell us if you are

510
00:35:43,640 –> 00:35:50,160
Christ the Son of God.
And Jesus said to them, said to

511
00:35:50,160 –> 00:35:56,760
him, You have said so, but I
tell you hereafter you will see

512
00:35:58,160 –> 00:36:05,040
the Son of Man seated at the
right hand of power and coming

513
00:36:05,720 –> 00:36:09,560
in the clouds of heaven.
Now brothers and sisters, Jesus

514
00:36:09,560 –> 00:36:12,160
makes something completely clear
in this passage.

515
00:36:14,520 –> 00:36:21,000
The Son of the Son of Man coming
in the clouds of heaven will be

516
00:36:21,000 –> 00:36:28,960
seen by the evil and adulterous
men of his generation, the ones

517
00:36:28,960 –> 00:36:35,000
that accused him, the ones that
rejected him, and the ones that

518
00:36:35,000 –> 00:36:39,680
blasphemed him.
They will see this sign.

519
00:36:40,480 –> 00:36:49,400
Well, when will they see it?
So what they’re referring to

520
00:36:49,440 –> 00:36:55,160
there, I believe, is Daniel
Chapter 7, verse 13, which is a

521
00:36:55,160 –> 00:36:58,560
prophecy about how the Lord will
slay that forth in dreadful,

522
00:36:58,920 –> 00:37:01,720
terrible beast, and of course
the little horn that proceeds

523
00:37:02,480 –> 00:37:04,120
and how He will establish his
Kingdom.

524
00:37:05,480 –> 00:37:11,080
And it was to this passage that
Jesus refers the Pharisees and

525
00:37:11,080 –> 00:37:16,560
Sadducees to, and the high
priest of the council we read

526
00:37:16,560 –> 00:37:18,680
there.
And I saw in the night visions,

527
00:37:18,680 –> 00:37:21,600
behold, with the clouds of
heaven there came one like the

528
00:37:21,600 –> 00:37:25,800
Son of Man, and he came to the
Ancient of Days and was

529
00:37:25,800 –> 00:37:30,520
presented before him.
And the implication, of course,

530
00:37:31,080 –> 00:37:36,640
is by alluding to this passage,
Jesus is saying that his

531
00:37:36,640 –> 00:37:43,920
generation would behold this
sign, Jesus coming in the clouds

532
00:37:43,920 –> 00:37:52,280
of heaven.
But when will they see it?

533
00:37:54,920 –> 00:37:58,280
Well, they’ll see it at an
interesting time.

534
00:37:59,760 –> 00:38:04,080
They’ll see it when dominion and
glory and the Kingdom is given

535
00:38:04,080 –> 00:38:16,080
to Him, that all peoples and
nations and languages, whether

536
00:38:16,160 –> 00:38:22,520
the Queen of Sheba or the
Ninevites or the Australians,

537
00:38:25,720 –> 00:38:30,200
will serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting

538
00:38:30,200 –> 00:38:34,760
dominion which shall not pass
away, and His Kingdom one that

539
00:38:34,760 –> 00:38:39,200
shall not be destroyed.
So they’ll receive the sign of

540
00:38:39,200 –> 00:38:42,200
the Son of Man coming in the
clouds of heaven at the

541
00:38:42,200 –> 00:38:45,360
establishment of His Kingdom
that shall not be destroyed.

542
00:38:45,600 –> 00:38:46,720
And you know what else we
learned?

543
00:38:47,680 –> 00:38:51,120
We learned that the Gentiles are
there, that they receive it,

544
00:38:51,280 –> 00:38:56,360
they participate in the Kingdom,
whilst by implication that the

545
00:38:56,360 –> 00:39:01,960
Jews and that council that were
accusing him and the high priest

546
00:39:02,920 –> 00:39:07,400
are shut out.
So back in Matthew 26 in front

547
00:39:07,400 –> 00:39:10,160
of the chief priests, the
Pharisees, the religious leaders

548
00:39:10,320 –> 00:39:13,920
that had sent emissaries to him,
and in Matthew chapter 16 and

549
00:39:13,920 –> 00:39:17,440
verse one requesting a sign,
Jesus quotes Daniel Chapter 7 to

550
00:39:17,440 –> 00:39:23,520
them and tells him that they
will see a sign from heaven and

551
00:39:23,520 –> 00:39:28,760
look what a sign is.
They will receive unmistakable

552
00:39:28,760 –> 00:39:34,120
evidence the sign was from
heaven as the man they killed is

553
00:39:34,120 –> 00:39:37,960
resurrected like Jonah was
symbolically resurrected.

554
00:39:40,680 –> 00:39:50,200
Jesus doesn’t perform the sign,
He is the sign, the sign of the

555
00:39:50,200 –> 00:39:56,760
Son of Man, just as Jonah became
personally the sign to the men

556
00:39:56,760 –> 00:40:02,680
of Nineveh.
And 3rd Gentile nations from all

557
00:40:02,680 –> 00:40:06,320
peoples and nations and
languages respond and are saved,

558
00:40:06,320 –> 00:40:08,680
but by implication they are
rejected.

559
00:40:08,880 –> 00:40:11,680
So there are three parts.
The Resurrection.

560
00:40:12,280 –> 00:40:15,600
The man being the sign, the
Gentiles entering and the

561
00:40:15,600 –> 00:40:17,600
adulterous generation being cast
out.

562
00:40:18,080 –> 00:40:23,920
Matthew 12, Luke 11, Matthew 12.
Just as Jesus said in Matthew 12

563
00:40:23,920 –> 00:40:28,480
verse 41, the men of Nineveh
will rise at the judgment with

564
00:40:28,520 –> 00:40:33,480
this generation and condemn it.
So says Daniel, all peoples,

565
00:40:33,480 –> 00:40:36,480
nations and languages will serve
Christ in the Kingdom.

566
00:40:40,080 –> 00:40:42,520
So now back in Matthew 16, we
can see more, more.

567
00:40:42,560 –> 00:40:45,960
We can see hopefully more
clearly what Jesus meant when he

568
00:40:45,960 –> 00:40:55,240
said a wicked and adulterous
generation seeketh after a sign,

569
00:40:55,480 –> 00:41:00,840
and there shall no sign be given
unto it, but the sign of the

570
00:41:00,840 –> 00:41:05,520
prophet Jonah.
Jonah who lived in an adulterous

571
00:41:05,520 –> 00:41:08,080
generation.
Jonah who rose from the dead.

572
00:41:08,280 –> 00:41:12,280
Jonah whose message to repent
the Jews of his own day

573
00:41:12,280 –> 00:41:15,960
rejected.
Jonah who is accepted of the

574
00:41:15,960 –> 00:41:21,520
Gentiles, brothers and sisters.
It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t do

575
00:41:21,520 –> 00:41:27,640
any more signs in front of or
around the men of his

576
00:41:27,640 –> 00:41:29,960
generation.
It was simply that the sign of

577
00:41:29,960 –> 00:41:34,440
the prophet Jonah, in all of its
aspects, would be the only sign

578
00:41:34,880 –> 00:41:39,800
that they would receive.
It was the only sign they would

579
00:41:39,800 –> 00:41:41,400
believe.
And they’re going to believe it

580
00:41:41,400 –> 00:41:45,240
too late.
Because when they receive that

581
00:41:45,240 –> 00:41:47,480
sign, they will know what it
means.

582
00:41:48,040 –> 00:41:52,480
They will know that this man was
their Messiah.

583
00:41:53,760 –> 00:41:57,160
They will understand that he is
resurrected from the dead.

584
00:41:57,960 –> 00:42:00,720
They will see the Gentiles
rejoicing.

585
00:42:02,800 –> 00:42:03,880
And you know what?
They’ll know.

586
00:42:08,320 –> 00:42:09,640
They’ll know.
They’ll be cast out.

587
00:42:11,320 –> 00:42:15,880
You see, they’re going to know
what the sign means for the

588
00:42:15,880 –> 00:42:17,920
first time.
They’ll know what it means.

589
00:42:21,400 –> 00:42:26,640
They’ll know it meant they
rejected their Messiah, and

590
00:42:26,640 –> 00:42:31,840
they’ll know it means they will
not participate in any of the

591
00:42:31,840 –> 00:42:34,920
blessings that Daniel 7 offers
the world.

592
00:42:37,760 –> 00:42:42,320
They’ll know what it means that
they were a wicked and

593
00:42:42,320 –> 00:42:46,240
adulterous generation that
rejected their Messiah.

594
00:42:47,200 –> 00:42:55,840
They will receive this sign.
It’s the one sign they cannot

595
00:42:55,840 –> 00:42:59,640
dismiss.
And Jesus told them.

596
00:43:03,000 –> 00:43:05,920
And I, I hope on some level that
you’ve enjoyed pulling these

597
00:43:05,920 –> 00:43:12,920
scriptures together.
But my exhortation is this Bron

598
00:43:12,920 –> 00:43:21,280
sisters, we can heed the signs
now and know what they mean, or

599
00:43:21,280 –> 00:43:27,600
be responsible to this word.
We can be resurrected like all

600
00:43:27,600 –> 00:43:29,400
those who are responsible to the
Word.

601
00:43:30,840 –> 00:43:33,480
When we are resurrected, we can
see the risen Lord.

602
00:43:34,760 –> 00:43:38,440
We can see the implementation of
those things that have been

603
00:43:38,440 –> 00:43:43,360
promised for ages long.
We can see people from all

604
00:43:43,360 –> 00:43:49,160
nations rejoicing and coming
into the Kingdom.

605
00:43:50,840 –> 00:43:56,080
We can see those who had much
more slender grounds than we

606
00:43:56,080 –> 00:44:01,920
have, who didn’t have the Book
of Revelation fulfilled prophecy

607
00:44:01,920 –> 00:44:04,520
by prophecy by prophecy by
prophecy.

608
00:44:04,680 –> 00:44:08,720
That much less slender grounds
than we have accepted and

609
00:44:08,720 –> 00:44:15,840
brought in.
Or we can be like the Pharisees

610
00:44:15,840 –> 00:44:22,360
and the Sadducees.
You see, is the issue is this.

611
00:44:24,800 –> 00:44:31,960
You have to know this for
certain either way, whether you

612
00:44:32,000 –> 00:44:36,880
accept or reject the signs,
either way you’re going to know

613
00:44:36,880 –> 00:44:42,960
what the signs mean.
The only question is when you

614
00:44:42,960 –> 00:44:47,680
know what they mean.
You’ll know what they mean now,

615
00:44:49,520 –> 00:44:53,200
or you’ll know what they mean
then You’re going to know.

616
00:44:55,320 –> 00:45:01,880
When are you going to know?
So I encourage you then to open

617
00:45:01,880 –> 00:45:06,320
up your heart and faith and to
know what the signs mean now.

618
00:45:08,040 –> 00:45:12,760
Because the one who knows what
the signs mean in faith is the

619
00:45:12,760 –> 00:45:17,080
one who rejoices with Christ on
that day, an everlasting

620
00:45:17,080 –> 00:45:20,440
dominion, which shall not pass
away, in a Kingdom which shall

621
00:45:20,440 –> 00:45:21,440
never be destroyed.