Matthew 12:38-39.
Then certain of the Scribes and Pharisees answered Him, saying, Master, we would see a sign from You. But He answered and said, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the Prophet Jonas.
Could then anything be more foolish than these men (not more impious only), who after so many miracles, as though none had been wrought, say, We would see a sign from You? With what intent then did they so speak? That they might lay hold of Him again. For since by His words He had stopped their mouths, once and twice and often, and had checked their shameless tongue, they come to His works again. At which also the evangelist marvelling again, said,
Then certain of the scribes answered Him, asking a sign.
Then, when? When they ought to be stooping before Him, to admire, to be amazed and give way, then they desist not from their wickedness.
And see their words too, teeming with flattery and dissimulation. For they thought to draw Him towards them in that way. And now they insult, now they flatter Him; now calling Him a demoniac, now again Master, both out of an evil mind, how contrary soever the words they speak.
Wherefore also He rebukes them severely. And when they were questioning Him roughly and insulting Him, He reasoned with them gently; when they were flattering; reproachfully, and with great severity; implying that He is superior to either passion, and is neither at the one time moved to anger, nor at the other softened by flattery. And see His reproach, that it is not merely hard words, but contains a demonstration of their wickedness. For what says He?
An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign. Now what He says is to this effect: What marvel if you behave so to me who have been hitherto unknown to you when even to the Father, of whom you have had so much experience, you have done the very same? Forsaking Him, you have run unto the devils, drawing to yourselves wicked lovers. With this Ezekiel too was continually upbraiding them.
Now by these sayings He signified Himself to be of one accord with His Father, and them to be doing nothing new; He was also unfolding their secrets, how with hypocrisy and as enemies they were making their demand. Therefore He called them an evil generation, because they have been always ungrateful towards their benefactors; because upon favors they become worse, which belongs to extreme wickedness.
And He called it adulterous, declaring both their former and their present unbelief; whereby He implies Himself again to be equal to the Father, if at least the not believing Him makes it adulterous.
- Then, after His reproach, what says He? There shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. Now is He striking the first note of the doctrine of His resurrection, and confirming it by the type.
What then? One may say; was no sign given it? None was given to it on asking. For not to bring in them did He work His signs (for He knew them to be hardened), but in order to amend others. Either then this may be said, or that they were not to receive such a sign as that was. For a sign did befall them, when by their own punishment they learned His power. Here then He speaks as threatening, and with this very meaning obscurely conveyed: as if He said, innumerable benefits have I showed forth, none of these has drawn you to me, neither were ye willing to adore my power. You shall know therefore my might by the contrary tokens, when you shall see your city cast down to the ground, the walls also dismantled, the temple become a ruin; when you shall be cast out both from your former citizenship and freedom, and shall again go about everywhere, houseless and in exile. (For all these things came to pass after the cross.) These things therefore shall be to you for great signs. And indeed it is an exceeding great sign, that their ills remain unchanged; that although ten thousand have attempted it, no one has been able to reverse the judgment once gone forth against them.
All this however He says not, but leaves it to after time to make it clear to them, but for the present He is making trial of the doctrine of His resurrection, which they were to come to know by the things which they should afterwards suffer.
For as Jonas, says He, was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Thus, He said not indeed openly that He should rise again, since they would have even laughed Him to scorn, but He intimated it in such manner, that they might believe Him to have foreknown it. For as to their being aware of it, they say to Pilate, That deceiver said, these are their words, while He was yet alive, After three days I will rise again; and yet we know His disciples were ignorant of this; even as they had been beforehand more void of understanding than these: wherefore also these became self-condemned.