In this brief dialog with the Pharisees that is included in our passage for this journal entry, Jesus makes a fascinating statement. While pushing back against the Pharisees request for a sign, Jesus says in the last part of verse 3, “Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?”
This got me thinking about how we look for signs around ourselves today. Are we quick to dismiss the signs God sends because we can easily understand them? Or are we quick to discount a miracle because God used a professional (such as a doctor) to be His hands working out a key part of the problem?
And then looking closer at what Jesus is saying, are we easily able to determine the weather from the appearance of the sky but are blind to the signs (trends) that are happening all around us from a spiritual perspective?
It would seem that from Jesus’ words, He sees more value in understanding the “signs of the times” than He does in discerning weather patterns. Both use a similar logical path of observing and predicting based on the evidence, but only when looking from a spiritual perspective on the events of the world are we then able to start understanding how God is moving during the times we live in.
The Pharisees were so intent on something spectacular that could only be done by God that they missed or ignored all the small signs that pointed to the same truth. Jesus wasn’t all that interested in performing great signs and wonders when He came the first time, and because of this, when He returns, chances are high that He won’t be all that interested in performing great signs and wonders on His next visit.
Instead, by understanding the times we are living, and by looking at life through a spiritual perspective, specifically looking for how God is working and moving, we are able to open our eyes to what He is doing during our lifetime – and before concluding this big idea, it is critical to mention that this is only successfully done by studying the Bible to help us understand God and what He is truly like.
This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!
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