Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. Matthew 12:38
On December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza murdered his mother and then went to the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where he shot and killed 20 school children and six adults before killing himself. Some of the angry comments from people after the tragedy were directed at God, for, according to them, allowing such a terrible thing to happen. They declared that if there was a God, He would have prevented such a tragedy from happening. They asked where was God when the shooting took place. That’s actually an easy question to answer; the Americans have tossed God out of the classroom. How can they expect God to protect their children in a place where He is not allowed to be mentioned? Like the Pharisees and scribes, the world today refuses to accept a God Who does not perform parlour tricks according to their wishes.
The religious leaders demanded a sign. What could they possibly have needed to see, in addition to the dozens of people who Jesus had healed before their eyes? What could they possibly expected to hear, beyond the powerful presentaton of the Gospel from the very Word of God? They wanted a sign, and the fulfilment of all signs and prophecies was standing before them. In reality, they wanted to reject and dismiss Him, not see a sign. The world around us today is also not interested in seeing a sign, they want only an excuse for not recognizing His deity and lordship. Proof of all that He is and has done is as close as their nearest Bible, which they refuse to read or acknowledge, or allow to be in their schools.
Within the covers of each Bible is the record of the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every sign that man could possibly require is recorded there. So is the record of God’s dealings with rebellious and backsliding humanity since the expulsion from Eden. So is the record of God’s provision of a way for man to return to his God through the offerings and sacrifices, through the ordinances of the law of Moses, through the care and provision of God through the centuries of the Old Testament. Within the covers of the Book is all the proof required of God’s loving kindness to sinners in the face of rejection, rebellion, and reproach. Those who read the Word of God with a willingness to receive its message are never disappointed in what they discover. Those who reject the Word of God and are unwilling to receive its message are always disappointed in what they discover.
We who have received the saviour do not require any further sign than what we find in His Word. Those who reject the Saviour need not look for any further sign than what they could find in His Word. -Jim MacIntosh