fellow christians...what does this verse mean to you?

Question

matthew 12:38-42

The Scribes and Pharisees Ask for a Sign
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

Could this be talking about now-a-days? and how does the rest of the verse relate to the beginning of the verse?

Answer 1

Jesus was predicting His own death, burial and resurrection by paralleling it to the story of Jonah. The latter may refer to the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. The reason I say this is because Jesus says the words "this generation".......
A biblical generation consists of 40 years......and approximately 40 years after His resurrection, the temple was destroyed.
Just a thought......

Answer 2

Isaiah 7:10-13

If anybody should know "The Sign" it must and should be the scribes, pharisees and the teachers of the law. And yet they were asking "The Sign", who is standing in front and speaking to them live for a "sign". If anyone should get it it should be them. If you are a general and wanted something done would you not first instruct your lieutenants and captains ? And they carry out the instruction. But here not only the "lietenants and captains" did not carry it out they question the identity of the "general".

Contrast this verse with Isaiah 7:10-13

The men of Nineveh and Queen of the south were not the chosen race. The scribes and pharisees were Jews which were the chosen race. The chosen race to bring the gospel to the world. But here they are so far from the truth that they could not see "The Truth" standing in front of them. So end of the day, the men of nineveh and queen of the south will ask them "How come you dont get it ? Even we believed ! Men of nineveh heard Jonah call for repentance and repented. Queen of the South came to hear Wisdom [.....eg Proverbs....] and now Wisdom was standing there live and yet they will not heed it and not repent.

So "The Sign.", "The Truth", and "Wisdom" - Jesus Christ the Son of God - Son of man resign to their hardness of heart, [paraphrase], said " Is it you want to see me dead then you will believe ?" Yes its true I need to be sacrified but I would be much more delighted if you guys had acknowledged Me and knew the scriptures."

Answer 3

The Pharisees are asking Jesus for a sign because they refuse to believe or accept Jesus as the promised Messiah. Instead of giving them another sign (he gave so many miracles prior to his conversation with the Pharisees) he used Jonah as an example. Jonah was in the belly of the fish for 3 days (practically dead) and Jesus was dead for 3 days. Jonah preached to Nineveh and they repented. Yet, Jesus himself, in the midst of the Pharisees, a prophet GREATER than Jonah refuse to repent and accept that Jesus is the promised Messiah. The queen of the South, represents the Queen of Sheba who visited King Solomon. Jesus is the Greater Solomon.

Jesus’ point to this conversation with the Pharisees was that no matter how many signs he gives the Pharisees, they will still not believe he is the Messiah. He used Jonah as an example. People listened to him but Jesus himself, being greater than Jonah, will not be accepted by the people. Hope this makes sense.

Answer 4

The officials asked for a sign, and He tells them that no sign but that of Jonah will be given. Jonah spent three days in the belly of a fish, just as Jesus spent time in the tomb. However, Jonah was spit back out, and Jesus was resurrected. The sign that Jesus would give them was His own resurrection.

The queen of the South, or Sheba, came to visit Solomon to ask how he was so successful. She sought His wisdom, rather than his money. She came from far away to hear the words of the mortal, but now one had come who was not merely human, and thus far wiser than Solomon, and He was Jesus.

Basically, Jesus was telling the people that they should be coming to Him for wisdom, and not for signs.

Answer 5

Queen of the south (Sheba) listened to the words of Solomon.
Men of Ninevah listened to the words of Jonah.
Pharisees would not listen to the words of Jesus - Almighty God.
Just as the men of the earth are not listening to God's word today.

Jesus was 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth taking the keys of hades and hell from Satan and arose victorious with the patriarchs and old testament saints.

In the great white throne judgement the men of Ninevah and the Queen of Sheba (south) will judge against (condemn) the Pharisees that rejected Jesus when He walked the earth and went to the Cross.

Answer 6

Although many of the Bible verses in the Old Testament refer to this generation, this particular one is a prophecy of the first advent of Christ, His ministry, His crucifiction - and also the fact that Nineveh would be utimately go back to its sinful ways after repenting and being saved the first time.

Answer 7

As far as His comparisons, He was comparing the Pharisee priests who considered themselves righteous to older civilizations who had seen God's judgments that Jesus considered to be less guilty of sin against God. You have to remember that Jesus compared the Pharisee priests as to a brood of vipers and also said that their father was the Devil..
As far as the time being near., it seems like it is getting a lot closer. Doesn't it.

Answer 8

The Bible is the Living Word.. yes it also speaks of our day.

ZCT- On the THIRD day he rose...
If it was actually three days and three nights in the grave.. this means that Jesus was hung on the cross on Wednesday and rose on Sunday...if it means idiomatically... minimal then He was hung on Friday and rose on Sunday which was the third day...

Answer 9

Jesus believed in the literal truth of the fish story in Jonah. He predicts that he will be "in the heart of the earth" for three days and three nights. If by this he meant that he would be in the tomb for three days and three nights, then either he was mistaken or the gospels are in error. Because according to the gospels (this is one of the few things they all seem to agree on), Jesus was in the tomb for only one day and two nights.

Answer 10

The sign of jonah refers to Jesus who was dead for 3 days and then risen (thus Jonah was 'dead' in the fish for 3 days and returned). The second half is more complicated, but refers to those reviled for believing in the resurection of Jesus. the Queen of the south....not sure. been to long since i studied that.