←
Explanation for:
Matthew
16
:
1
And there came to him the Pharisees and Sadduccees tempting: and they asked him to shew them a sign from heaven.
9
more explanations
& daily audio-books
spoken by
– enjoy in Theosis App –
Start your
Bible-journey
with explanations
& daily audio-books
only 4$* per month
{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"What heavenly sign did they seek? To halt the sun, to restrain the moon, to summon lightning, to alter the atmosphere, or to perform some similar act."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Though the Pharisees and Sadducees had differing beliefs, they united in their opposition to Christ. They sought celestial signs, like halting the sun or moon, believing that manifestations on earth were executed through the influence of the devil and Beelzebub. The uninformed overlooked that Moses performed numerous wonders on earth while in Egypt, and the fire that descended from heaven upon Job’s possessions was also attributed to the adversary. Thus, it is clear that not every occurrence from heaven originates from God, and not every event on earth is the work of demons."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The term \\"asked\\" in this context refers to a request, similar to the instance noted in Matthew 15:23. They sought a heavenly miracle—something related to the sun, moon, or stars—testing Him not out of genuine belief but in an attempt to be captivated, as if by an illusionist. Additionally, as mentioned in the twelfth chapter, others too, tempted Him by requesting a sign from above, which reveals another layer of their motivations."},{"author-name":"Theophan the Recluse","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8983a6e0f4c3aecaae3fc_Theophan%20the%20Recluse.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The Pharisees and Sadducees demanded a sign from the Lord, yet they failed to recognize that the sign was already present before them. The Lord Himself embodied the sign; His teachings and miracles unmistakably revealed His identity, needing no further validation. He told the Jews, \\"The works that I do... they testify of Me\\" (John 10:25). The Lord challenged them, saying that they could interpret the weather but could not discern the signs of the times. Why was this the case? It was because they focused on the outward rather than delving inward. Without true concentration, attentiveness, and self-reflection, the works of God remain invisible and incomprehensible. This situation persists today. Christianity stands as a genuine sign of God for all to see, yet many who gaze upon it remain blind, wavering in their faith and ultimately straying. Their spiritual vision dimmed, they fail to perceive the divine mark upon it and instead seek miraculous signs from heaven, much like the Jews of old. However, such signs are neither granted nor to be expected, as those who seek them often do so only to be tempted rather than to follow in Christ’s footsteps. The journey begins with a single step, revealing its divine nature, leading one to God, and drawing Him closer. The Lord declared to the Jews, \\"No sign shall be given... except the sign of Jonah the prophet.\\" He anticipated the skepticism of future generations, providing this warning: \\"The sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn...\\" (Matthew 24:30)."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"\\"Pharisees and Sadducees\\": refer to the commentary on Matthew 3:7. \\"Testing Him, they sought a sign\\": their intent was not genuine belief but to deceive Him. Had they truly believed, they would not have sought a sign (Chrysostom). Their inquiry was disingenuous, which is why the Savior labeled them as hypocrites (Matt. 16:2). They feigned a desire to have faith in the Lord, all the while harboring skepticism in their hearts; they pretended to struggle with doubts about Jesus Christ, while in reality, they relished those doubts. Perhaps they aimed to ensnare Him, seeking a reason to slander Him. \\"A sign\\" (see the note on Matthew 12:38) \\"from heaven\\": they sought some remarkable, extraordinary event in the sky. The prophets of the Old Testament sometimes performed such wonders. For example, there was a miraculous thunder during Samuel's time (1 Sam. 12:16-18); Isaiah caused the sun's shadow to move back ten degrees (Is. 38:8); Moses received manna from heaven (Ex. 16:4, Jn. 6:31); and Joshua commanded the sun to stand still (Num. 10:12-14). The Pharisees and Sadducees demanded a heavenly sign from the Lord, likely anticipating that He could not provide one; if He were indeed the Messiah, they believed He would fulfill their request. \\"And they did not realize, O foolish ones, that Moses worked many signs on earth in Egypt; conversely, the fire that descended from heaven upon Job’s livestock and children was from the evil one; thus, it is clear that not everything descending from heaven is from God, nor is all that appears on earth of demonic origin” (Chrysostom). Regarding the surprising alliance of the typically opposing Pharisees and Sadducees in this matter and their call for a miraculous sign, Blessed Theophylact observes that, despite their doctrinal disagreements, they were united in their disbelief concerning Christ; they sought heavenly signs because they believed that earthly miracles performed by Him were due to demonic forces, associated with Beelzebub."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"As soon as the Lord Jesus Christ arrived on the shores of His beloved Galilee, He was confronted by the Pharisees, who were intent on temptation, accompanied by the Sadducees. They began to dispute with Him, and in their torment, they demanded a sign from heaven. Though the Pharisees and Sadducees held differing beliefs, they united in their scheme against Christ. They sought a miraculous sign from above, such as halting the sun or the moon, as noted by Blessed Theophylact. Their pretense of desiring faith and being burdened by doubt was merely a façade, as their true intention was to find a way to discredit the Divine Miracle Worker and bring shame upon Him in front of the crowd. Their reasoning was that, since Jesus performed all His miracles on earth, it followed that earthly phenomena must be attributed to the influence of demonic powers, as they believed the earth and sky were filled with such spirits. They challenged Him to perform a sign from the heavens, where demonic forces have no dominion—citing examples such as Joshua halting the sun (Joshua 10:13-14), Samuel producing unusual thunder (1 Samuel 12:16-18), Isaiah reversing the sun's shadow (Isaiah 38:8), and Moses receiving manna from heaven (Exodus 16:4). They presumed He would fail and thereby could boldly declare that He was not sent by God, but rather was in collusion with Beelzebub. What these hypocrites failed to recognize was that not everything descending from heaven is of God, nor is every event on earth the work of demonic forces; indeed, Moses performed numerous signs in Egypt, and the fire that consumed Job’s cattle originated from the devil. \\n\\nThough the challenge posed by His tempters might have rightfully stirred anger in the Lord, the compassionate Savior felt no wrath; instead, He grieved for them as one would for the unhealed sick, as noted by St. Chrysostom. 'And He, taking a deep breath,' lamenting the hard-heartedness of His challengers—who tempted Him similarly to how the devil had once attempted Him in the wilderness—posed the question to His disciples, 'For what purpose does this generation seek a sign?' (Mark 8:12). No sign would persuade them, and they would merely interpret any heavenly sign as an act of sorcery; thus, performing a miracle would be akin to casting pearls before swine."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Upon Jesus’ arrival on shore, the Pharisees and Sadducees, who had clearly gathered with the intent of confronting Him, promptly approached. Although these two groups had been adversaries, they found common ground in their opposition to Jesus. Despite being well aware of the miraculous works He had accomplished, they attributed these acts to demonic powers. They began to dispute with Him, insisting that He provide a divine sign from heaven. They framed their request as a genuine desire to believe in Him, contingent on receiving celestial confirmation of His Messiahship. However, their hypocrisy was evident; they were convinced that Jesus would not satisfy their demand for a heavenly sign, just as He had refrained from doing so previously. In their view, this would serve as justification to proclaim to the masses that Jesus, who could not offer a sign from heaven, did not qualify as the Messiah. Thus, they persisted in their request."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"When Jesus the Redeemer arrived on land, the Pharisees and Sadducees approached Him, who, despite their doctrinal differences, were united in their animosity toward the Holy Teacher. They began to dispute with Him, attempting to entrap Him by requesting a sign from heaven. This was reminiscent of a prior inquiry, to which the Lord had provided an extensive response (Matthew 12:38-42). Aware from Scripture that the prophets of old performed miraculous acts, such as Moses bringing down manna from heaven (Ex. 16:4), Joshua halting the sun (Hab. 10:12-14), Elijah calling down fire from heaven (2 Kings 1:10, 12), and Isaiah turning back the sun's shadow by several degrees (Is. 38:8), the Lord’s challengers, as noted by the blessed Theophylact, 'thought Him incapable of producing heavenly signs, believing instead that He could only perform earthly miracles through the power of Beelzebub.' In their willful ignorance, they either failed to recognize or misinterpreted the acts of Divine power, which Jesus Himself pointed to as the most evident testimony of His divine mission (John 5:36)."},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Upon arriving at the western shore of the sea, Jesus encountered the Pharisees and Sadducees, who approached Him to engage in a debate. These two groups, representing opposing factions, regarded Jesus as a shared threat to their authority and were united by their malice toward Him, leading them to conspire against Him. The specific nature of the contention between these groups and Christ is not detailed by the Evangelists. However, they concluded their argument by pressing Him for a sign from heaven—an extraordinary celestial event that would affirm His claims as the Messiah. In response, the Lord referenced the prophet Jonah, offering them a significant sign that they would understand in due time, highlighting that the signs of the times are evident to those who genuinely seek the truth. The extraordinary occurrences performed by Jesus, especially His miracles, serve as ample evidence for all (Matt. 11:3-5).\\n\\nMark's description of this event is notably briefer and omits the elements found in Matthew's account, including the reference to Jonah and the observation of the questioners' inability to discern the signs around them. However, Mark does capture a striking detail: Christ expressed a deep sigh before denying their request for a sign. He perceived the deceitfulness behind their inquiry and recognized that their hard-heartedness rendered them impervious to any signs that might lead them to salvation. His spirit was filled with compassion for those who were lost. The insidious inquiries from the Pharisees and Sadducees, who would later become instrumental in orchestrating Christ's suffering, may have led Him to reflect on the final days of His earthly ministry. Thus, the profound sigh of His divine nature foreshadowed the agonizing trials He was destined to endure, especially as He faced the impending anguish in Gethsemane."}]}
Support this project and get full access for only 4$/month
Commentarie text can’t be scrolled on PC at the moment. Please use your phone. We’re working on a fix.
