The One Great Sign

As I looked out through my window this morning, I saw the morning sky: it was red. I thought of an old saying, “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky in morning, sailor take warning.” Then I remembered Jesus’ comments about that phenomenon. The account is found in Matthew 16:1-4

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.

We hear about “the signs of the times.” Usually this is a reference to the end of days. When the time was right for Jesus to comment on this, he said we need to pay attention to one sign: his resurrection from the dead. Everyone knew about Jonah, the prophet who was swallowed by a great fish, then released at the appropriate time. Jesus refers to that experience of the prophet to predict his own death, burial and resurrection.
The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is the one great redemptive event of human history. It is the fulfillment of John 3:16, which boldly declares to us all: “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” This is the good news of God’s love and salvation in one verse. The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15, defines the “gospel” as the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. This is the one great sign that God loves us and will save us if we only believe.