In verse 38, some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.”

You know, on the face of it, this might not seem like a terribly unreasonable request. Jesus has made some pretty bold statements, right? I mean, what gives Him the authority to say the things He’s said? After all, He who makes bold claims has the burden of proof.

The thing is, Jesus has already done many miracles, right? He’s healed many people of a whole host of diseases, He’s showed that He can control the weather, he turned water to wine. And there is no doubt that reports of His miracles were widely circulated, and some of the teachers and Pharisees were eye witnesses.

So what’s going on here?

They were demanding that He do something then and there. Of course, they did not believe that Jesus was God, but can you imagine demanding the creator of all that is that He perform like some dancing monkey?

God is God. Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. He is as much God as God the Father or God the Holy Spirit. Together they are One God, yet each distinct.

His response was, of course swift and piercing. They had seen all that they would need to if they were truly looking for God, but what they really wanted was to maintain the status quo. They didn’t like what Jesus had been teaching, and at this point all they wanted to do was eliminate Him. He was a threat to their authority and their way of life.

My prayer is that my heart remains open to His leading. If there is something that I need to change, I pray that I would always be willing to make whatever adjustments He wants me to.

What about you?