Mark 8:11-12 (NKJV) The Pharisees Seek a Sign
(Matt. 16:1–4)
11 Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. 12 But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”
V11 “Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.” The Pharisees hated Jesus because 1) Jesus exposed their hypocrisy, 2) He exposed their elevation of their laws over God’s laws, 3) and envy for His popularity and ability. So, they seek to destroy Him because our sin nature has the idea of when there is a problem, kill it. That attitude has severe consequences as the Pharisees now know and experience. The sole reason for disputing is to trap Jesus in some way then have an excuse to kill Him.
V12 “But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.” The Greek word for sigh is (G389) ἀναστενάζω anastenazō, which means to take a deep breath and let it out with some force, a sigh. In English, the word has “emit a long, deep, audible breath expressing sadness, relief, tiredness, or a similar feeling” (Apple Dictionary). Jesus is expressing frustration at their attitude, for He has shown many signs. A sign is a proof of authenticity. Most people just refuse to believe even though they know they should. See John 4:48, John 5:39-40, and Romans 1:18.
We learn:
- About foolish questions.
- About evil motivations.
Questions:
- What is our attitude?
- What do we require as proof?