the Church, gathered

Summary

In the verses just preceding our passage from Matthew, Jesus told his disciples to watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The disciples were confused by that, at first, they thought Jesus was talking about bread. But they soon figured it out. Those Pharisees and Sadducees were the religious leaders of that day. They differed in what they emphasized, but they agreed on this one thing: Jesus still had to prove himself to them.

So they asked him for a sign from heaven. Keep in mind, that Jesus had just healed numerous people and had fed thousands with seven loaves of bread. But that wasn’t enough. They needed more, because their desire for biblical seriousness and cultural relevance had made it so they no longer recognized The One who was right in their midst. “Prove it to us, Jesus,” they are saying, “prove it to us that you are who everyone says you are.”