Matthew 16:1-4 1And after the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test him, they asked for a sign from heaven. 2In answering them, he said, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and darkening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” And leaving them, he departed.
Jesus again confronts the Pharisees and Sadducees for their lack of faith. This is the first time the Sadducees have been mentioned in Matthew in relation to Jesus’ ministry. John the Baptist confronted them in 3:7. Matthew mentions the Sadducees more than any other New Testament writer. These two groups represent the growing opposition to Jesus among the Jewish ruling class. They usually had different political and religious views but here have joined forces against Jesus. They come specifically to test (a purpose participle) Jesus by asking for a sign from heaven. What were they looking for? Their attempts to test Jesus to show him as a failure and fraud. This was a power play so they could hold their influence over the people. Heaven implies something spectacular, divine, and beyond human ability.
Jesus does a word play on the word heaven (ouranos), which can also be translated from the Greek as sky. He points out the irony of their question because they already can read the signs of the sky. If they can see how the weather is going to be based on a few clouds, why could they not see the signs of God’s kingdom in Jesus’ ministry?
This is the second time Jesus’ enemies have asked for a sign (see 12:38-40). In between these two incidents, many miracle stories have been told, things that were clearly beyond human ability. Anyone with open eyes should have recognized God’s presence with Jesus. These Jewish leaders represent the hardened hearts Jesus described in 13:11-17.
These Jewish leaders also represent an evil and adulterous generation. They were evil because they had rejected God’s call to repentance first preached by John the Baptist and now exemplified in Jesus’ ministry. They were adulterous because they professed to be God’s holy people but had neglected the more important elements of the law. Jesus will add further proof of his assessment when he arrives in Jerusalem (see chapter 23). At this point, the attach of these Jews was like a poison that could cause the disciples to fall away.
The only sign Jesus will give is the sign of Jonah. The sign of Jonah is mentioned five times in Matthew. In 12:38-41, the key idea is on how Jonah was in the belly of a fish for three days. Jesus does not explain anymore here, but the implied reference is to his resurrection. This will be the greatest sign from heaven of all time. Will they accept this great sign and believe? Even now, Jesus extends an offer of faith to them, but they refuse to believe. In response to this opposition, Jesus left for the other side of the lake.
This is the sad response those who reject Jesus should expect. He presents the opportunity to believe in him but people are like the Pharisees and Sadducees and are more interested in their humanistic interpretations of religion and spirituality. The signs of the times are clear to read for those with the eyes of faith.
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