Again, the progress across the lake of the now famous little vessel was noted by watchful eyes. So it was not long before Jesus was approached by the Pharisees who had provoked the earlier altercation after the discourse in the synagogue at Capernaum. Now they were joined by a group of Sadducees, the Jewish high-priestly party, who were becoming just as anxious as the Pharisees about the activities of Jesus. Doubtless the excited talk after the feeding of the five thousand, about making Jesus king of the Jews, had seriously disturbed them. And not then, only, for it is possible to infer (Mark 8:15) that Herod, who was guessing Jesus to be John the Baptist risen from the dead, was also behind this latest move. This is understandable, for Herod thought himself to be King of the Jews.
Adversity and fear make strange bedfellows. This was not to be the only time that such an unholy alliance would go into action against Jesus. Less than a year later all these vested interests were to join together to accomplish their evil work thoroughly (John 18:3; Matthew 27:62). The death of Jesus was to make Herod and Pilate into friends (Luke 23:12). Similarly in later days, Pharisees and Sadducees in Jerusalem were to gang up against Paul (Acts. 23:6-10); and likewise Epicureans and Stoics in Athens (17:18).
The present campaign consisted of pressing for a sign from heaven, and they did this “arguing with him” (Mark 8:11). The point appears to have been this: You, Jesus, claim to be the Messiah. But the Scriptures declare that Messiah’s day is to be heralded by the appearance of Elijah. Don’t tell us that John the Baptist was he, because we know that he wasn’t. Elijah’s ministry ended with a manifestation of the heavenly Glory, but John ended his with his head on the block. And the same argument applies to you, Jesus. If you are the successor of a prophetic forerunner, your great work will be ushered in, as Elisha’s was, by the manifestation of the Shekinah Glory, “the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof”. So, show us the same sign from heaven, so that we may know and believe.
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Author: Harry Whittaker
Keywords: Leaven of the Pharisees, leaven, Pharisees, sign of Jonah, sign of Jonah the prophet
Bible reference(s): Matt. 16:1-12, Mark 8:11-21
Source: Studies in the Gospels.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.