Greatness: Matthew 14-20Sample

I love watching a good movie twice. The second time through, I can recognise the foreshadowing that is placed throughout the movie, and it can be surprising to see how many hints I missed in my first viewing.

In today’s passage, the Pharisees and Sadducees ask Jesus for a sign from heaven. Jesus responds, “No sign will be given to you except the sign of Jonah” (Matthew 16:4, ESV). The Pharisees and Sadducees have no idea what Jesus is talking about. Jesus then tells His disciples to “beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6, ESV), but they don’t understand what He means, looking for a literal interpretation.

Jesus is exasperated that both groups have missed the hints. The religious leaders ask Jesus for a sign to test Him, completely overlooking the miracles He had just performed that displayed His divine authority. They miss the foreshadowing in His words, where the “sign of Jonah” points to His death and resurrection. Likewise, the disciples miss the warning in Jesus’ words, thinking He is talking about actual bread, when He is warning them about the corrupt teachings of the Pharisees that can spread and grow like leaven in dough.

Sometimes God foreshadows things in our lives. We often can’t see them, or worse, we dismiss them because we don’t understand. Look back over significant times in your life. Can you recall moments where God was trying to speak a warning or show you that He was working? Maybe you were moved by the Spirit recently and dismissed it because you didn’t understand it. God speaks in various ways. Ask Him to help you understand, listen, and obey today.

Today, ponder this: God knows your full story, even the parts that have not happened yet. Ask Him to give you wisdom to see things foreshadowed, or to warn and protect you against things you don’t understand.