As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.  For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here.

What’s so wrong with a sign? The Bible over and over tells us to know what we believe and why we believe. It encourages us to not practice blind faith, but evidential faith. So what is Jesus saying here to the crowds?

Here’s the issue: Jesus had been giving them signs. He had been healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead and preaching the kingdom.

Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name (John 2:23).

Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?” (John 7:31)

Additionally he had been already performing many miracles as we see in the chapter in Luke just before this. Jesus himself said that if they didn’t believe, they should believe based on these miracles alone.

even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father (John 10:38)

But they still did not believe.

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes (Luke 10:13).

Jesus indeed HAD been giving them miracles, signs and wonders. Regardless, they refused to believe.

Perhaps they wanted a sign on demand. “Do a particular thing we ask.” But Jesus would not have done something like this. His signs, wonders and miracles were always meant to serve people, not to impress the masses.

Jesus tells them that the Queen of Sheba would condemn them because she had less evidence and yet sacrificed to go to Solomon bearing gifts. She wanted to hear his great wisdom. Yet someone far greater than Solomon was here.

And even wicked Nineveh. Those Assyrians who were famous for their torture of their enemies repented based on less than what the crowds of Jesus were now seeing and hearing.

The reality is that they were bent on unbelief. Nothing was going to convince them.

If a heart of an individual or the heart of a generation is fixated on not believing, nothing is going to change their hearts. If you don’t want to believe and you are stubborn to honesty examine the truth, nothing is going to convince you.

We see this even today.

People justify their unbelief. They justify their sin. They will do anything to justify themselves so they do not have to believe.

Jesus says the only sign that will be given them is the sign of Jonah. As Jesus said elsewhere, just as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish and in Sheol, yet was raised back to life. So Jesus would be raised to life. And that would be the sign of all signs – the resurrection.

For those who preach the gospel, it should be a good reminder that it isn’t up to us. Jesus faced this too.

But for those who persist in unbelief and in the stubbornness of their hearts to investigate the claims of the Christian faith and their own faith, let it be as a warning. A dire warning. Because Jesus has given us every reason and more to believe. It comes down to our hearts. And only we will be held responsible.