"The Sign of the Prophet Jonah" — Matthew 12:38-39
Jonah and the Whale, picture from The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments books collection published in 1885, Stuttgart-Germany; drawings by Gustave Dore; Nicku / image by Shutterstock.com.
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Have you ever had someone tell you that they would believe in God if they saw a miracle? Yet, it is often the case that seeing isn’t necessarily believing. What can we learn from Jesus’ words about the prophet Jonah when it comes to testimony about God?
Even with all the existing historical photographs and film footage of the Apollo space missions, there are some people today who claim no human has ever walked on the moon. And as digital manipulation and deepfakes are becoming more and more commonplace, it is also becoming increasingly difficult to discern whether what we’re seeing in print and film and online is real.
Why shouldn’t people seek a sign or visual proof of the claims of Christianity?
There were many people who personally witnessed the miracles of Jesus and still didn’t believe he was God come in the flesh. The Pharisees, who were likely well aware of Jesus’ previous miraculous healings, even blasphemously accused Jesus of casting out demons by “Beelzebul, the prince of demons” (Matt. 12:24). In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus points to the heart issue behind the Pharisees’ request for proof that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah:
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” (Matt. 12:38-39)
The Pharisees had selfish motivations to deny Jesus as they wanted to hold on to their power, wealth, and popularity instead of rightfully giving all honor, worship, and devotion to the one true God.
We cannot rely on our senses when it comes to judging what is real or fake.
In his book God in the Dock, British scholar C. S. Lewis observes,
Any event which is claimed as a miracle is, in the last resort, an experience received from the senses; and the senses are not infallible. We can always say we have been the victims of an illusion; if we disbelieve in the supernatural this is what we always shall say. (p. 8)
Even with seemingly insurmountable evidence right before our very eyes, we can still claim, and rightly so at times, that we are being “deepfaked” in some way. Like the Pharisees, people may acknowledge the event occurred while denying the source of its existence.
Christ’s resurrection from the dead is the greatest and only sign anyone needs.
Don’t be falsely led to believe that “seeing is believing.” The entire Christian faith rests on the historical resurrection of Christ Jesus from the dead, which no one has been able to refute. The vast amount of evidence supporting the claims of the Bible needs to be taken seriously because the future of our eternal souls is at stake. There any many outstanding apologetics books available on the historical reliability of the Bible and the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus specifically, including Craig L. Blomberg’s Can We Still Believe the Bible?: An Evangelical Engagement with Contemporary Questions and Douglas Groothuis’s Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith.
God has given us everything we need to know about him and salvation in Christ alone in general revelation (creation) and special revelation (Scripture). Take time to read the Bible and understand God’s unfolding story from Genesis to Revelation and his plan of salvation in Christ. Don’t just believe what others say; instead, study the evidence for yourself. Jesus says,
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
If you haven’t done so already, bow the knee and receive Jesus Christ as your Savior today, for lasting joy and peace with God is found in him alone. And be sure to share the good news of the gospel as God gives you the opportunity.
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Recommended:
The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way by Michael Horton