9/24/23 The Sign of Jonah

standing right back up stay standing Luke 11 29-32 is our passage for today and this is what we are going to read before we dismiss our kids so Luke 11 29 through 32. when the crowds were increasing he began to say this generation is an evil generation it seeks for a sign but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah for as Jonah became assigned to the people of Nineveh so will the son of man be to this generation the queen of the South will rise up at the Judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them for she came from the ends of the Earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and behold something greater than Solomon is here the men of Nineveh will rise up at the Judgment with this generation and condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Jonah and behold something greater than Jonah is here you can be seated and at this time we're also going to dismiss our kids that are four and up they can head out to their classroom kids four and up head out to your classroom all right now I know I just read that passage and as I read that passage you're like that's a lot of stuff that sounds weird and um and doesn't seem like it connects with one another and so that's my job is to connect that for you um over the the next time that we have here together and one of the ways that I'm going to do this is just kind of walking through the passage and so if you've if you've been with us over the last few weeks as we've kind of unpacked Luke 11 what we're seeing here is is Jesus is kind of around a crowd and last week there was this unclean spirit that came and and he um was casting out these unclean spirits and one left this person and then later another seven evil spirits came back and and so we were kind of diving into what was going on in that horror film of a passage and what we really ended up finding was the Simplicity that there were exorcisms happening that really weren't true exorcisms by Jesus but the only thing that actually secures a person when evil goes out of them or sin goes out of them is if Christ comes to dwell within that person and we saw that by him saying blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it who hear the word of God who get saved who trust in him believe in him and and joyfully obey him for the rest of their life like that is part of the process of what happens when we get a new heart we get a new identity that new heart that new identity loves the Lord wants to serve the Lord wants to be all about the Lord and that's just proof that God has done a work in your life that he actually does indwell you and that he lives with inside of you and so that was one of the things that we were talking about over the last couple of weeks and in this setting there is a group of people that are all surrounded Jesus and as they are around Jesus they are still trying to test him so even seeing him perform some Miracles even seeing him give some teaching and some clarity on what he is doing there are still Skeptics in the crowd who are seeking to try and test Jesus they're just not really sure what's going on with him and so they want to if he's not the Son of God which they don't believe he is then they want to stump him in order to find some type of accusation against him and just let's be rid of him let's get him out of the way he's causing too much disruption in their system of belief in their system of religion and their system of society and so they want to be done with Jesus and so this is what is kind of happening in this scene and in this situation when the crowds were increasing around him it says he began to say to them this generation is an evil generation and he also says it seeks for a sign now Luke records this interaction from one point of view as though Jesus is the one kind of initiating this interaction as the crowd is coming around but as we look at the cross-reference the parallel passage of what we're seeing in Luke when we look in Matthew 12 38 it Matthew kind of Records it a little bit differently one of the reasons why it's recorded a little differently is you got to remember Luke was not there at the actual representation of when Jesus was with the crowd Matthew would have been there because Matthew was one of the disciples Luke came much later than that Matthew being present records it this way then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him saying teacher we wish to see a sign from you so they were the ones who initiated this interaction with Jesus requesting a sign and so it appears that Jesus necessarily isn't the one initiating the conversation about a sign but rather the Pharisees who represent the religious community as their leaders they're supposed to be the ones looking for the Messiah they're the ones initiating this conversation about a sign all right they they want more from Jesus one if you are the Messiah we want more from you you're not providing for us enough you're not providing for us what we think the Messiah the true Messiah would actually bring and present to us and so we want more and that's kind of their way of saying you are not enough you're not what we were looking for and so we're just going to keep requesting more from you so that it eventually shows that you actually can't provide what it is that we're longing for what we're looking for but this is what prompts Jesus's rebuke of them what was it um a big or why was it a big deal for them to request a sign let's just talk about what a sign is to begin with because the Pharisees and their followers this generation they're wanting Jesus to do something miraculous that would eventually convince them that he actually is the messiah and that really is all signs and wonders and miracles are meant to do is actually provide substance or some type of of interaction or truth regarding like it it provides proof that what they're saying is actually true so if I say I can heal someone let me show you that I can heal someone if I say I can forgive sins let me show you that I can actually forgive sins let me match what it is that I'm providing in a truth via a sign and a miracle the reality is is that Jesus has already provided any and every miracle that they would need in order to be convinced that he is the messiah I mean just as we have walked through Luke we know that Jesus has turned water into wine we know that he's already healed illnesses and diseases he's even brought back people who were dead brought them back to life he's cast out demons he told a storm to stop I mean he's he's exercised his authority over creation over illness over death he's he's shown power already and yet for them it's still not enough the Pharisees think they are sort of a panel of judges on Israel's Got Talent and they're saying these acts that you're showing us we just don't think it's going to be enough to get you to the end we want more from you like dance Jesus that's what we really want we want you to show us more but in their heart and in their mind they actually really don't want more from him they already have their minds made up they're just trying to reveal him they're trying to reveal him in who they believe he is which is a blasphemer a false prophet not the true Son of God and so that's why Jesus says to them this generation is an evil generation and in Matthew 12 39 refers to them as an evil and adulterous generation Jesus is essentially calling the people of Israel Wicked and cheaters of their husband who is God this is who he's saying they are I mean this is not a secret sense of friendly response to the people who are demanding more out of him he he's not trying to win them over and see guys just follow me here for a moment all right I know you've seen me turn water into wine maybe it wasn't the brand that you liked so let me do something different for you maybe it was red and you prefer white and so let me help you out here I'll turn it into white wine like he doesn't do that he's not trying to please them by itching their ears or scratching whatever it is that they think that they want he's not going to give them that but instead he actually responds in the most gracious way that he could possibly respond to this evil generation is he does give them what they actually need not what they want but what they actually need no sign will be given except the sign of Jonah the sign of Jonah and you're like what's the sign of Jonah glad you asked we're going to talk about it fresh Jonah became assigned to the people of Nineveh so will the son of man be to this generation so he's now he's he's pulling an analogy here he's pulling in illustration he's teaching and now he's giving them an illustration I'm going to give you a sign you're requesting a sign I'm going to give you a sign the sign I'm going to give you is the sign of Jonah Jonah was assigned to the people of Nineveh I am a sign to you and I want to connect these dots for you that's what Jesus is saying here so what in world what in the world is this sign of Jonah well Jesus says there will only be one sign that he will give the people and it will be this one so we need to do some work on that the parallel passage of Matthew actually helps us here with this one Matthew 12 39 puts it this way but he answered them and evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign no sign will be given to them except for the sign of the prophet Jonah all right same language there as Luke but Matthew then gives the explanation of what this sign of Jonah actually is look at the next verse verse 40.

for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish so will the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth so let's recall the story of Jonah for a moment Tim Keller refers to Jonah as the prodigal Prophet because of his running and his Rebellion from God's calling on his life but here's the gist God tells Jonah that he wants him to go preach repentance to the people of Nineveh well Nineveh is a huge City a great city as it talks about it says that to walk from one side of the city to the other side of the city is a three days journey it's a huge City it's also a gentile city which just means non-jew Jonah is a prophet to who the Jews Jonah loves the Jews loves his people loves the people of God wants to give the Lord's message to the people of God when God calls him to take the message outside of the people of God Jonah's not having it Jonah doesn't want to do that what Jonah actually does is he ignores God's calling on his life to take the word of God to the people of Nineveh and teach them preach to them share with them what Jonah does is he goes down to the port and he jumps in his ship and he starts heading towards tarshish and tarshish is as far geographically a way that you can get to Nineveh I mean he is completely on the opposite side of of where God wants him to go now you're thinking if Jesus is supposed to be the sign of Jonah that doesn't sound like a very good Jesus right like Jesus isn't running from us he's pursuing us and this is something that happens very beautifully in the story is Jonah not only represents Jesus as you'll see here in a moment but he also represents us he represents us in our Rebellion in our running of God calling us to himself God creates a way for the whole story to change for the whole story to change and in his way in his Providence he sends an Uber an Uber fish to Jonah and he picks him up it's also right after Jonah actually kind of has a bit of a confession on the ship because this huge storm comes that God sins because again he's not letting Jonah continue to run and rebel he sends a storm Jonah confesses to these other Sailors again he's just a great dude confesses to these Sailors hey uh you should probably throw me overboard because I'm the reason why this is all happening and so they kind of cursed Jonah why would you do this to us your God's now Angry so they throw him overboard Jonah's willing to die again to not go share this gospel not go share this message think about that in terms of Jesus willing to die in order for this message to be shared it's redeeming this work here Jonah upon his death thinks he's dying and yet here comes a miraculous fish that swallows him up on the edge of death and it says in Jonah that he spends three days and three nights in the belly of this fish before it vomits him up on the shores of Nineveh he had no reason to go there didn't want to get there God figured it out God made a way to get him there and Jonah then has this just miraculous I mean just he prays I mean just in the belly of the fish he prays and he just seeks out for God to restore to forgive and then when he gets there it says he goes a Day's Journey Into Nineveh and he does exactly what God asked him to do preach to the people and call them to repent now we still know at the end of the story Jonah does that the city repents the king gives orders declares the whole thing he says like whatever he says we don't want God to send wrath to us so let's stop in our evil ways that stop in our Gentile ways and let's turn to the Lord Jonah then goes out of the city and he's like well I'm not frustrated because they actually did what you said they were going to do I didn't want this to happen God's still flipping that script where there's a time where Jesus also comes to us Jew and Gentile in order to preach some news to us that we need to repent and turn of our ways and trust him but is willing to actually go to the cross and take all of the sins from us that we deserve and what do we deserve because of our sins death for three days and three nights Jesus then enters into the Earth the grave he dies in our place and on the third day he's delivered up which actually then provides for us the same type of Salvation that it provided for Nineveh for Nineveh and so what Jesus is doing here with these prophets or with these these these people that are around him the Pharisees is he's giving them this story that again is not going to be a a good story for them because they're also like Jonah to this point even theologians and commentators that they believe that this was Jesus actually giving authoritative um testimony to the book of Juna Jonah because up to this point they would not have included it because they believed it was a myth that was just made up in order for Gentiles to be brought into the family into the fold Pharisees don't want any of that so for Jesus to reference Jonah they're thinking uh no so he provides some credibility to that Jonah preached God's Wrath and called for repentance Jesus preaches God's Wrath and calls for repentance Jonah was assigned to the ninevites by being delivered up from the belly of a fish that sign is one of the reasons why they believe God they see this miraculous sign of him coming to them and explaining to them yeah I just I just spent an awful Journey three days and three nights I was in um you're not going to believe this a fish like I was in the belly of a fish for three days and three nights and it just vomited me onto your Shores and now I'm here to tell you a message because apparently God's not going to let me off the hook of this one so I need to tell you that you need to repent and they're thinking well if that's the sign like if that's the miracle that God created in order for you to bring this message to us then we need to believe the message and they do they repent and they believe Jesus then becomes that actual sign and miracle for all of humanity that when he goes into the grave for three days and three nights again I mean it's not that hard to believe if you've ever been like gigging in Tennessee and you're like I don't know what that is um it's where like they're like you'll walk in these creeks and these and you'll just try to find catfish and you the way that you find them is that you actually like stick your arm underneath these Banks and you just hope that eventually they'll like latch onto it but the way that they latch on to it is they just swallow your arm and so you like bring them out and you're just slinging catfish around and some of them are quite large um and so for me knowing that there's like okay maybe there's a possibility that you can get swallowed by a huge fish but I don't know that you would survive it for three days in three nights if that actually happened barring God doing a miracle a miracle and for Jonah it was a miracle but what is the greater Miracle is that Jonah didn't die Jesus did Jesus did he actually died he was dead for three days and three nights in the belly of the Earth and the greatest miracle that we are ever going to see is the resurrection from receiving and taking on the penalty and wrath of God like it's one thing for Lazarus to die and then Jesus bring them back to life it's another thing to actually receive the wrath of God die because of the sins of the world and then resurrect back to life why because God's Wrath was actually satisfied his torture his punishment his wrath that he poured out on Jesus Jesus being the perfect sacrifice it actually satisfied God so that you and I don't have to experience that we don't have to experience that that's the greatest miracle and that's the only thing that Jesus when he's looking out at this crowd and these people and they're bringing him they're saying hey we want you to do some more miracles we want you to dance we want you to fly we want you to do all these different things we need more out of you he's saying the only thing that's ever actually going to provide change for you is if you believe that I'm going to die I'm going to be dead for three days and three nights for your sins that's going to satisfy the wrath of God towards your sins and if you believe that when you see me raised three days later you'll know that God is satisfied with it and I can therefore Grant to you the exact same thing Resurrection from your deadness in your sins and have then eternal life with God forever that's the miracle that's the interpretation of this sign of Jonah and that's what he's trying to tell them this is the only thing that I can give you it's it nothing else if I turn more water into wine if I if I heal more diseases if I cast out more demons none of those things are actually going to allow you to believe that I am the son of God anybody can trick people into believing different things along those lines the only thing that will actually allow you to believe is is when you see that I fulfill the sign of Jonah that I am the greater Jonah the sign itself the resurrection of Jesus either leads one to repentance and faith or because they don't have ears to hear it and eyes to see it leads them to outright rebellion and disbelief there's no indifference in the middle there's none the passage then takes an interesting turn a little bit where it says the queen of the South will rise up at the Judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them for she came from the ends of the Earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and behold something greater than Solomon is here this is another similar reference to the Old Testament like what Jesus is doing to reference Jonah where he's giving them a little bit more to understand a little bit more to understand regarding the sign of Jonah and that he's a miracle that he's going to die and come back but also allowing them to be able to see that the the the the wisdom that they're trusting in their greatest King who they believe is the most wealthiest and the smartest Solomon himself Jesus wants to tap into that a little bit he wants to help them see that that you coming to your senses is not going to be enough if it's only based on what Solomon provided for you and so this is the story of what happens here First Corinthians 10 1-10 is where he pulls from this example of the queen of the South and that's not just like Dolly Parton okay that's you know that that might be what I understand um but that's not who is being referenced in the scriptures here her actual name is is she's the Queen of Sheba from First Kings 10.

and again Jesus here is just doubling down on making them angry he's he's like all right you know me talking about Nineveh probably made you a little bit angry me not giving you any more signs and wonders probably going to make you a little bit angry let me talk about a gentile woman who's also pagan like three for three these are things that you hate as Jews First Kings 10 1-10 this is the story of this Queen of Sheba when the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord she came to test him with hard questions she came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue which are basically like officials and um political leaders and kind of a board of advisors around her she came with camels bearing spices and very much gold and precious stones and when she came to Solomon she told him all that was on her mind and Solomon answered all her questions there was nothing hidden from the King that he could not explain to her and when the Queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon the house that he had built the food of his table the seating of his officials the attendance of his servants their clothing his cup bears his burnt offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord there was no more breath in her that doesn't mean she died that means that like it took her breath away and she said to the king the report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it and behold the half was not told me your wisdom and your Prosperity it surpasses the report that I heard happy are your men happy are your servants who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom blessed be the Lord your God who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel because of the Lord or because the Lord loved Israel forever he has made you King that you may execute Justice and righteousness then she gave the king 120 talents of gold and a very great quantity of spices and precious stones never again such an abundance of spices as these that the Queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon the Queen of Sheba has never experienced wisdom of this magnitude wisdom and a way of living that actually led to prosperity and happiness the Queen of Sheba was very wealthy in her own right she was very wealthy she had again like I said her own officials she had anything and everything that she needed but yet she was still longing for something more and so when she heard this report of of a man and a people who were living in lavish wealth and prosperity and happiness she began to inquire regarding it she wanted to learn more I mean we we all go there that's that's why the American dream is what it is is because we are all longing for more we're all wanting more we're and God designed us that way that's a good thing it's actually a good thing that we want more it's just whether we find satisfaction in Creator versus creation that's Romans 1.

that's why the whole I mean you can dumb down the entire system of humanity the reason why there's Wars the reasons why there's people who are longing for careers to continue to flourish and build businesses and and have children I mean everything is because we want more and we were designed for more when we're not finding the satisfaction in our God and our creator then we're going to try and find it in all of everything else we're going to look for it in creation we're going to look for it in our relationships and they're not going to be God we're going to look for it in our money and our our wealth and our possessions and we're not going to find it there because those things moth and rust destroy they go away they're not there they don't support they don't actually satisfy we just keep going in the LIE We Believe from Satan is that all we need is more of what we already have and that's why in America we have so many storage units and buildings around here because we just keep believing it we keep diving into it the Queen of Sheba has everything that she needs and yet wants more and the beauty of this is that she comes from as it says in our text the ends of the Earth seeking the truest wisdom possible now think about that in regards to our Great Commission and acts 1 8.

that we then take the gospel and bring it to the ends of the Earth the ends of the Earth will know they will either come or we will take it to them but God will get his glory God will get his glory she comes from the ends of the Earth because she's in some way has come to her senses as the Lord has LED and she's come to Solomon and she's she's tasted of what actually satisfies this wisdom that comes from God and I just love that as she is observing the people around Solomon again Solomon's not wise because of Solomon he's wise because he asked God for it and God gave it to him God gave him this wisdom that he then Allah is able to lead and able to Steward the people and possessions and life around him and the relationships in such a way that as she is observing it she's saying look how happy they are how happy they are and we gotta we give happiness a hard time sometimes do we not and when we give it a hard time we then just believe that as Believers we should just walk around sad all the time but if we're satisfied in the Lord and we're worshiping him regardless of our circumstances not only is that joyful but at the same time like who can I mean what we read in Psalms Whom Shall I Fear I don't care if you try to take my life I'm happy in the Lord like that's why I look like John Piper like he's all about your happiness as long as it's found in the Lord if you're finding happiness in your circumstances or creation or anything else then you're going to be robbed of happiness because you can walk out of this room today and a bird can change your happiness right you can pull out of here and another car can take away your happiness because well I had a place to be and you just took that from me I was a nice shirt you just took that from me but if we're looking for our happiness in the Lord and nothing else then we start laughing at matters like that because we're happy in the Lord and that's what she's observing of these these men these people that are that are experiencing the wisdom of Solomon but Jesus then tells these people around him this wicked generation I'm greater than that I'm greater than that Solomon had all the wealth in the world and he had all the wisdom in the world but you got to remember it was just what was in the world and it was not the wisdom and possessions of Heaven and Earth he does not possess everything that Jesus is bringing to the table and then inviting us to be coheirs of so not only do we have the sign of Jonah of how Jesus is actually going to provide salvation for them through his death and Resurrection but then we also are seeing inheritance here that Solomon had all the wisdom and wealth that a person could possibly ask for and yet Jesus is saying for those who believe that I am the sign of Jonah they also get more than that they get the greater Solomon too you get the Greater King and you get the greater inheritance that comes from your king as well and then to kind of you know close it out here in verse 32.

he brings it back to the men of Nineveh he says they will rise up at the Judgment with this generation and they're going to condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Jonah and behold something greater than him is here something greater than him is here what he's saying there is if this people if they don't see that Jesus is the greater Jonah and the greater Solomon then when we get to judgment the people of Nineveh the men of Nineveh are going to rise up just like the Queen of Sheba the queen of the South is going to rise up against this generation they're going to come to you and they're going to say how foolish were you to see what you saw right in front of you and you did not believe it we believed it off of the Shadows of him Jonah was just a shadow of Christ to come Solomon is a shadow of Christ to come that's why when you read through the book of Hebrews it refers to the prophets of old as Shadows of Jesus as Promises of the true Messiah who is to come they're going to meet them at judgment and they're going to say how foolish man we believed based on a promise of what was to come you had them right in front of you you got them right in front of you the men of Nineveh were not privileged to be under the Bloodlines of the 12 tribes of Israel and yet God loved them and sent his word and wisdom to them and they received it turned from their Wicked Ways and worship the true God to bring this all together I think sometimes we we create our own give us a sign do we not the calling for signs and wonders to wow us just won't work I remember I had a friend one time who was a pastor and he was contemplating like whether or not he was going to continue on and in Ministry in a real difficult situation and he was just sitting down at a coffee table and uh I don't know why there's there was an ashtray uh maybe a smoking cigar who knows whatever um neither here nor there but he asked for God for a sign and he said Lord if you want me to continue doing this then I want you to make this ashtray rise and how many of us have prayed those dumb things like you know for me it's like shooting stars I'll like go outside and it's at night time back when I lived in the country and I'd go outside and I'd look up and I'd see stars I'd be like Lord if I'm supposed to do this you know shoot me a star right now I know it's you're very capable of you just and he would never do it but but back to my friend he's sitting on his couch and he says Lord if I'm supposed to do this just lift this ashtray and then out of nowhere his two-year-old walks into the room picks it up and sets it down and then walks back out that's like I mean God doesn't do things for me that way but that's a sign all right that's you know Here's your sign but I think sometimes we put a little bit too much onus in that we want the Miracles we want God to wow us we want him to dance for us we want him to show up in those ways we need to remember he's already given us the greatest son that we need he sent his son Jesus Christ through a miraculous birth he lived a miraculous life he did a miraculous things through healings we have all eyewitness testimonies that's what this is that's why when you read anything about Lee Strobel he was a he was an attorney he wanted to he wanted to debunk Christianity he wanted to be able to say just like anyone else that Jesus is not the real Jesus he's not the real Messiah and so as an attorney he said I'm going to debunk the whole thing using my skill set as an attorney and as he started diving in and looking at scripture and looking at the eyewitness testimonies and and truly trying to objectively use it as a case study he ended up writing the book the Case for Christ which he ends up saying even though I try to debunk it the thing the very thing I try to disprove I now believe to be true I now believe it to be true and we believe Jesus is gracious and he will give even when we don't deserve it and he tells these Pharisees I'm going to give you this one more sign that I'm going to die and I'm going to resurrect three days later and that's the only sign you need that's the only sign you need and then the queen of the South Gentile woman Pagan all three identifications hated by the Jews yet she showed more desire and eagerness to learn from Solomon the wisest and richest king in Israel history the Jews of Jesus day were with him witnessing his power in teaching and yet do not believe but they continue to grow in their skepticism and hatred of him but the Queen of Sheba she wanted what was best and she sought for it at Great expense and she found it in the wisdom of Solomon one whom the Pharisees would agree is the greatest and wisest of all and Jesus tells them I'm better than that I'm better than that she was willing to sell all of her possessions and give to Solomon at this wisdom she received man how does that in like is that not what happens with us when we receive salvation and we're willing to give our lives to you we're willing to give our possessions we're willing to contribute whatever we need in order to continue to see this gospel now get to the ends of the Earth and then finally Jesus references these men of Nineveh one more time he says this Gentile in Wicked City actually repented at the preaching of Jonah I want to read it for you Jonah 3 6-10 the word reached the king of Nineveh and he arose from his throne removed his robe covered himself with sackcloth and sat and Ashes just a sign of lamenting just the evil and just lamenting just the bad choices and the wickedness like he's sitting in his shame and guilt because he now has eyes to see the way that he was leading living and leading his people and he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his Nobles let neither man nor Beast heard nor flock taste anything let them not feed or drink water but let man and Beast be covered with sackcloth and let them call out mightily to God let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands who knows God may turn and he may relent and he may turn from his Fierce anger so that we may not perish I mean think about just John 3 16 in that regard when God saw what they did how they turned from their evil way God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them and he did not do it man does that then lead us to be happy people to be happy people let me ask an honest question when we when we hear those truths of what God is doing for us let me ask an honest question when people experience you do they experience happy people people who are grateful thankful self-describing is blessed and I'm not talking about whether or not you're like a hype person I'm not talking about personality here personalities are all over the place I get that I'm just referring to people who have received forgiveness and therefore no longer live with shame or guilt regarding the mistakes and sins that they're committed continue to commit will commit I'm referring to people who have been adopted as Sons and Daughters of the true God and father of Jesus and therefore we no longer worry about where our needs are going to come from because we have access to the pantry of God I'm referring to people who have been commissioned with the Gospel of Jesus and therefore know what their purpose in this life is sure build businesses start families travel do those things but do it all for the spread of the gospel and the glory of God I'm referring to people who are no longer bound by the shackles of sin in the enemy's Chokehold over our lives because Jesus is the stronger one he came in and he freed us from its bondage and now we can dance through this life knowing that money has no hold on us relationships have no weight on us immorality has no effects on us rather we can be radically generous because we have witnessed the radical generosity of God in giving us the greatest son of all Jesus Jesus John Piper says standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon and contemplating your own greatness is pathological at such moments we are made for a magnificent joy that comes from outside of ourselves the Pharisees in this story unhappily say look at us we happily say look at Jesus look at Jesus look at the sign that is Jesus father we thank you so much for this beautiful truth that you have given us today we don't need any miraculous signs because we have seen what you have done in sending your son he was born through a miraculous Mirth he lived a miraculous Life by never sinning and then he went and he became a miracle on a cross by exchanging his righteousness for our sin and then he died by the wrath of God and he spent three days and three nights in the belly of the Earth until your wrath was satisfied and once you were happy and pleased with his sacrifice you brought him back to life and he triumphed over death sin and Evil and he is now granting that same miracle to anyone and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord brings their sin to him and he says I've already paid for it you can now be forgiven follow me trust me believe me we thank you for that opportunity and we will worship you we happily worship you you're so good you're so good to us it's in your name we pray amen