Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 He said to them in reply, “An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 40 Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41 At the judgment, the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and there is something greater than Jonah here. 42 At the judgment the queen of the south will arise with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and there is something greater than Solomon here.
The scribes and Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign to prove His authority. They have already witnessed His miracles, including His healings and exorcisms, yet they refuse to accept them as evidence that God is working through Him (Matthew 12:9–14, 22–24). Instead, they demand a sign that they themselves are willing to accept.
Jesus answers by calling them “an evil and unfaithful generation” (v. 39). The word unfaithful literally means “adulterous,” recalling the Old Testament image of Israel's covenant with God as a marriage. Throughout the time of the prophets, turning away from God was described as spiritual adultery because it broke the covenant relationship He had established with His people (Jeremiah 3:6–10; Hosea 2:4–22). Jesus' words also recall the Israelites in the wilderness who witnessed God's mighty works yet repeatedly refused to trust Him (Numbers 14:11, 22–23; Psalm 95:8–11).
Jesus tells them that only one sign will be given: “the sign of Jonah the prophet” (v. 39). Jonah spent three days and three nights in the great fish before God delivered him and sent him to continue his mission (Jonah 1:17; 2:10; 3:1–3). Jesus reveals that Jonah's experience reaches its fulfillment in Him. Just as Jonah emerged after three days, so Jesus will die, be buried, and rise again on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). His Death and Resurrection become the definitive sign for all generations that He is the promised Messiah and the Son of God. In raising His Son from the dead, the Father publicly confirms that Jesus is the divine Son and that His authority comes from God (Acts 2:32–36; Romans 1:3–4).
The sign of Jonah also includes Jonah’s preaching. When Jonah proclaimed God’s message to the people of Nineveh, they repented (Jonah 3:1–10). Jesus also calls people to repentance, yet many in His own generation refuse to listen, even though someone greater than Jonah stands before them (Matthew 4:17; 12:41). Jonah was God’s prophet; Jesus is God’s eternal Son, who perfectly reveals the Father (Matthew 11:27; John 1:1–3, 14, 18).
Jesus then points to two Gentile examples from the Old Testament. The people of Nineveh repented when Jonah preached to them, and the Queen of the South traveled a great distance to hear the wisdom of Solomon (Jonah 3:1–10; 1 Kings 10:1–10). They responded in faith to the limited revelation God gave through Jonah and Solomon. How much more should those who encountered Jesus have responded in faith to Him, since He is greater than Jonah and greater than Solomon (vv. 41–42). Yet many in “this generation” refused to believe.
Their response also foreshadows the spread of the Gospel beyond Israel. Many Gentiles would come to believe in Christ, while many among His own people would reject Him (John 1:11–12; Acts 13:46–48). The Gospel would be proclaimed to all nations, and people from every nation would be invited to believe in Him (Matthew 28:19–20). These examples also show that people are accountable for how they respond to the revelation God has given them (Matthew 11:20–24; Luke 12:47–48).
This Gospel invites us to examine our own response to Christ. It is easy to think that faith would be stronger if only God gave us more signs. Jesus reminds us that God has already given humanity the greatest sign—the Death and Resurrection of His Son. Through His Death and Resurrection, Christ has revealed who He is and has opened the way to salvation (Acts 4:10–12; 1 Peter 3:18). The question is not whether God has spoken, but whether we are willing to receive His Son with humility, repentance, and faith.
Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Yourself through Your Son. Help us to recognize the sign You have given in His Death and Resurrection, to trust Him with sincere faith, and to follow Him each day. May our hearts remain open to Your truth and obedient to Your will. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Matthew 12:38–42 and notes.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. Notes on Matthew 12:38–42; chart “Jesus and the Old Testament,” pp. 28–29.
- Casciaro, José María, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. Notes on Matthew 12:38–45, p. 90.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. p. 754–755, para. 81.
- Aguilar Chiu, José Enrique, et al., eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. p. 933.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, OP, and Donald Senior, CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. 3rd fully revised ed. London: T&T Clark, 2022. p. 1197.
- Curtis Mitch and Edward Sri. The Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture: The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010. pp. 171–173.
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