Becoming a Sign
“For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation.”
Given especially to confirm, corroborate, or authenticate, a sign (in Greek σημεῖον, transliterated sémeion) emphasizes its end purpose, thereby exalting the one who gives it.6
In reading today’s passage, I asked myself what those surrounding Jesus were trying to corroborate. How many more signs did they need? If they were truly paying attention, seeing and listening to him—the sign, the Messiah, Emmanuel, “God with us,” the one who stood before their very eyes—surely they would have been convinced that no other proof was needed to authenticate the presence of God’s own Son!
From the announcement of his birth to his miraculous conception, from the proclamation of John the Baptist to the wonders Jesus performed, from the authority with which he spoke to the fulfilment of God’s Word through the prophets, everything pointed to a single truth: this was the Son of Man. Yet those around him kept asking for more.
Jesus’s answer was simple: “No sign will be given…except the sign of Jonah.” Another Old Testament example comes to mind: the queen of Sheba witnessed for herself that the reports of King Solomon’s wisdom and prosperity were true. In 1 Kings 10:1- 13, King Solomon became a sign of God’s blessing to the queen.
The people of Nineveh were doomed to destruction because their wickedness had come to God’s attention. Jonah 3:4 records God’s message given through Jonah: “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” The people heard that message, believed God, repented, and proclaimed a fast. Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites.
Today’s generation is still asking for signs. Maybe the pressure to lead others towards belief and repentance feels like too much for some to carry. However, we can rest assured that one who is greater than us, Jesus, bears the necessary evidence of victory in his own body. We proclaim Christ. He is our message. God has commissioned his Church to be a sign to the world.
God, may our prayers, witness, proclamation, and service to others become the sign that points others to believe, repent, and declare that Christ is Lord. Amen.
IVÁN SANTIAGO
Master of Arts in Theology, Ecology, and Food Justice
Waco, Texas
6 “Strong’s Greek: 4592. Σημεῖον (Sémeion) -- Sign, Miracle, Token, Indication,” n.d., https://biblehub.com/greek/4592.htm.