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A word —

I. ENIGMATICAL, conveying one thing to unbelief and another to faith. Under the figure of a destroyed and rebuilded temple Christ announced that His death, brought about by them and His resurrection effected by Himself, would legitimize His recent action and demonstrate who He was. The same sign was subsequently given in Galilee (Matthew 12:40).

II. MISUNDERSTOOD.

1. By the Pharisees through —

(1) Slavish adherence to the letter of Scripture (2 Corinthians 3:6).

(2) Spiritual blindness occasioned by hypocrisy (Mark 3:25; Romans 11:25).

(3) Positive aversion, arising from inward moral corruption (John 3:20; John 8:43, 44).

2. By the disciples. They had begun to see the light, but, like men with eyes only just opened, they were unable to discern accurately the objects the light revealed (Mark 8:24).

III. MEMORABLE. Hid away, this word was never afterwards lost. It recurred after the Resurrection illuminated by the fact to which it pointed, and thus helped to seal their faith (Acts 4:10; Acts 26:23; Romans 1:4; Romans 4:25; 1 Peter 1:3). Lessons:

1. The complete ability of Christ to justify all His ways to God and man. Christ's readiness to furnish a "sign."

2. The irrefragable certainty of Christ's death and resurrection, attested by the knowledge and experience of His disciples.

3. The veiled secret of Holy Scripture; the testimony of Jesus.

4. The blessedness of faith, however immature.

(T. Whitelaw, D. D.)

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KJV: Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?

WEB: The Jews therefore answered him, "What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?"