Christ and Kingdom Controversy 2

Jesus has addressed the first controversial comment in Luke 11:15 about Jesus being a “Son of Satan” (last week's sermon), now he addresses the request of those unbelievers in the crowd who want to see a “sign” from heaven (v. 16).

Jesus knows the unbelieving thoughts of the people in the crowd (v. 17) and realizes that they want a sign that they wish to assign to Jesus in order to “prove” he is who he says he is. In line with the prophets of the Old Covenant and consistent with their revelation (Luke 24:24ff) Jesus tells this “evil generation” of unbelieving Israelites that they will be given a sign, but the sign will be a sign given from God and that it will be the sign of Jonah.

Jesus continues to teach the “evil generation” by telling them of their darkness (11:33-36) and rebuking them severely for their mere external outward religious practices that do not come from a regenerated heart given by God alone (11:37-54). At the end of the passage, the teachers of Israel (the visible church of Jesus' time) are “lying in wait” to catch Jesus saying something that they could use against him in order to rid the world of him (11:53-54). As the Kingdom looms nearer Jerusalem in the Person and Work of Christ, so the controversy and opposition against it (HIM!) increases (11:29-54).