Matthew 16:1

Pharisees. [The Demand for a Sign, Matt. 16:1-12=Mark 8:11-12. Major comment: Matthew. See Retirement from Public Ministry; The Ministry of Our Lord.] There were at least two occasions on which Jesus discussed the demand for “a sign from heaven.” The first was in connection with the Sermon by the Sea, probably in the autumn of A.D. 29 (see on ch. 12:22, 38, 39). That of ch. 16:1-4 occurred about nine months or so later, probably in the early summer of A.D. 30. For incidents immediately preceding this, the second occasion on which a sign was demanded, see on ch. 15:21, 32.

With the Sadducees. Now, for the first time, the Sadducees united with the Pharisees in an attempt to silence Jesus. A few weeks previous to this Jesus had departed from Galilee to avoid these carping critics (see on ch. 15:21). Now, almost the moment He again sets foot on Galilean soil, they renew their attack upon Him.

Tempting. Gr. peirazo (see on ch. 4:1). Having earlier confronted Jesus with this very question, they no doubt surmised what His answer was likely to be (see on ch. 12:38). He would refuse, and this refusal they probably intended to present to the people as evidence that His claims to Messiahship were false. They were putting Jesus to the test, even as Satan had done in the wilderness (see on ch. 4:7), not with a sincere desire to see something that would convince them, but rather with the hope that He would fail to do so, and thus give them an opportunity to denounce Him and deny His claims. Obviously, Jesus had power to work such miracles, but He consistently declined to do so (see on chs. 4:3-11; 7:6). He could, but refused, because it would be inconsistent with principle to do so (see DA 366).

Sign. See p. 208.

From heaven. See on ch. 12:38, 39. By this time Jesus had performed all kinds of miracles, including demonstrations of power over disease, demons, death, and the forces of nature. Every miracle had been His answer to genuine need (DA 366). The fact that every miracle resulted in blessing to humanity was, in fact, the best possible evidence of the divine power by which all His miracles were accomplished. But the Pharisees and Sadducees wanted “a sign from heaven,” and denied that the many miracles Jesus had wrought were satisfactory evidence of the divine origin of His mission. Apparently they sought a sign entirely removed from the realm of human control, such as thunder out of season (see on 1 Sam. 12:17), or fire from heaven (see on 2 Kings 1:10), or the sun standing still (see on Joshua 10:12), and were ready to affirm that unless Jesus did so He was not even as great as the ancient prophets, such as Samuel or Elijah. Though they knew of the angel’s announcement to the shepherds of Bethlehem (Luke 2:8-14), of the star that brought the wise men to Jerusalem (Matt. 2:1-6), and of the descending dove and the voice from heaven (eh. 3:16, 17) — all of them miracles that could be classed as “signs from heaven” — they refused to acknowledge these direct evidences that Jesus was the Son of God (see on eh. 13:13-16). They were without knowledge because they chose to reject light (see on Hosea 4:6).