25 Feb 26 | Sign of Jonah
Jesus refuses spectacular proof and instead presents Himself — rejected, crucified, and raised — as the definitive sign.
The Gospel: Luke 11:29-32
While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them,
“This generation is an evil generation;
it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it,
except the sign of Jonah.
Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites,
so will the Son of Man be to this generation.
At the judgment
the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation
and she will condemn them,
because she came from the ends of the earth
to hear the wisdom of Solomon,
and there is something greater than Solomon here.
At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation
and condemn it,
because at the preaching of Jonah they repented,
and there is something greater than Jonah here.”
Today’s Focus
In the face of mounting tension, Jesus refuses to perform on demand. The crowd seeks a sign from heaven — unmistakable proof — yet Jesus points them not to spectacle, but to Himself. By invoking Jonah and Solomon, He reveals that something greater stands before them: greater than a prophet, greater than a king of wisdom. The true sign will not be cosmic display, but His death and vindication. The warning is sobering — those who responded to partial revelation will stand in judgment over those who reject fullness. The issue is not evidence, but receptivity.
In the Margins
This passage follows escalating tension between Jesus and His opponents. The crowd’s request for a “sign” is not curiosity but testing. In Second Temple Judaism, signs from heaven were often associated with apocalyptic validation (cf. Daniel 7; later Jewish apocalyptic literature). Signs “from heaven” were associated with unmistakable divine validation. Their demand implies that Jesus’ prior works were deemed insufficient.
Jesus’ response echoes Israel’s wilderness failures. In Exodus 17:2 and Deuteronomy 6:16, Israel “tested” the Lord by demanding proof of His presence. Calling this “an evil generation” places His contemporaries within that same covenant pattern of hardened resistance. The issue is not lack of evidence, Jesus has performed numerous miracles already, yet the crowds demand more.
Jesus responds that the only sign they will get is that of Jonah. When we look at the book of Jonah, he is a prophet sent to the Gentiles. In Luke’s presentation, Jonah himself became a sign through his preaching that led to repentance. Nineveh, a pagan city, responds immediately to Jonah’s preaching. Jesus is claiming the same pattern and identifies His own presence and proclamation as the greater sign. Like Jonah, He calls to repentance. Like Jonah, He will pass through apparent death. Unlike Jonah, He is greater than the prophet. The “sign” is not spectacle but the event of His death and vindication.
Jesus actually claims to be greater than Jonah and Solomon. These are profound statements. Solomon represented Davidic kingship, wisdom, and recognition (1 Kings 10). Here, Jesus claims that He is greater than all of this, showing His role is greater than that of a prophet or King of wisdom.
The Queen of the South is Sheba. She traveled from afar to hear Solomon’s wisdom. She responded with reverence and recognition. Both her and the Ninevites were Gentiles. This is significant, especially in second Temple Jewish thought. They expected Israel to be vindicated at judgment and Gentiles to be judged for idolatry. Jesus warns that Gentiles who responded to partial revelation will rise in judgment against those who reject greater revelation.
This Gospel teaches us a lot. We know that miracles alone do not produce faith. We have heard of or known people who received a miracle and either didn’t recognize it as such or demanded more. Here we have Jesus reminding us, even today, that we are not to demand things from the Lord – and also, that our faith means so much. Jesus is enough and we have to remember this always. It is not the signs that we should love, it is the passion, it is the mercy. We have a God that loves us more than anything and all He wants in return is our love and obedience.
Reflection Question
Do I approach God seeking proof and reassurance or am I willing to trust the sign already given in Christ?
A Small Invitation
If this reflection helped you, consider sharing it with someone who may be carrying more than they were meant to.