While still more people gathered in the crowd, he said to them, “This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” Luke 11:29 NABRE
Jesus is healing and commanding demons to come out of people. Those witnessing all He is doing challenge Him for a sign that He is from heaven. Jesus remarks that “this generation” is evil, perhaps comparing them to the generation that did not have faith in God while in the desert, even after all God had done for them. Jesus may simply be challenging any generation that requires a sign to have faith in God. Requiring a sign is coercing information for faith, seeking proof not having faith. Jesus goes on to explain there will be no sign except the sign of Jonah. Jonah is sent by God to Nineveh to inform them that God is going to destroy them for their wickedness. Jonah is a reluctant prophet and in an attempt to get out of delivering bad news tries to run in the opposite direction. His attempt to flee has him spend three days and nights in the belly of the whale before he is spit up on the shore and finally delivers the message God sends him to deliver. This is a comparison to the three days and nights Jesus spends in the tomb after his death until His resurrection. Or the sign could simply be the people of Nineveh who do repent and God shows mercy to them.
Jesus like Jonah is preaching a message of repentance as the people of Nineveh did when Jonah prophesized their demise. Being an evil generation is not necessarily the end, but without being influenced by the message of Jesus there is a risk of being condemned without repentance. We need to take the teachings of Jesus seriously, and change sinfulness to Godliness.
Do you require a sign to have proof for faith? Are you offended to be an evil generation?
Jesus like Jonah is preaching a message of repentance as the people of Nineveh did when Jonah prophesized their demise. Jesus message must influence us or there is a risk, without repentance, we condemned ourselves. Click To Tweet#bible #godisgreat #jesus #christianity #dailybibleverse @youversion #BeAnEncourager #sign #repent #Luke #everybodyalways #god #jesuschrist #jesussaves #godisgood #dailydevotion #biblestudy #scripture #bibleverse #verseoftheday #cross #last #Matthew #loveeachother #godisgreat #thisVineyard #youversion #everythingalways