February 4, 2023
Signs, Signs, Everywhere the Signs
“The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
John 2: 18-19 (NASB)
I remember a song back from 1971 called “Signs.” It was recorded by a Canadian rock group called the Five Man Electrical Band.[1] The song was written by Les Emmerson when he was road-tripping on Route 66 in California, and noticed the beautiful scenery was obscured by many billboards.[2] Funny how you remember songs from so long ago. In this era, a lot of young people were questioning life’s purpose and direction in general. They even began to question how signs interfered with their lives as in this song. A chorus from the song says, “Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?” Although the Five Man Electrical Band might have been saying that signs interfered with their lives in this song, people still look to them today. Signs are sought every day as people weigh life and its implications. They are looking for something about the road ahead, but is it enough?
People were looking for signs as well in this passage. The Jews. God’s people. The people who were taught from a very early age to look for signs of a Messiah coming. We read a few days ago about a sign miracle at the wedding in Cana. Now the Jews (or Sanhedrin) were looking for some sign of Jesus authority in the purging in the temple. They wanted to know where He received His authority to respond as He did. Their real intent though was to challenge Him. Jesus’ reply was another future sign that they missed again. He knew their heart and would not fall into their verbal trap. We have to ask ourselves a question here; What is God at this point? Is He reduced to a simple performer or magician? Can He be manipulated to their needs? The answer is absolutely not. Their problem was they were not even listening. Their hearts had grown indifferent toward God, and they missed His rebuke. They even missed God Himself, and He was standing in front of them. Still seeking for signs.
Signs give us a view ahead of the road. Signs do not warn of present danger. They warn of potential or future danger. In life, I imagine that if you were to take a road trip you would look at more than just the signs on the road. It would be a pretty uninteresting trip staring at them the whole time. A sign is a tiny piece of the trip. What lies ahead, behind, and around is far more interesting. It also makes the trip much more enjoyable. Believe me, I have traveled nearly all my life in one form or another and the signs sure weren’t the highlight of the trip. The destination was. Sure, it was important to get to our destination, but it wasn’t worth looking at the entire trip.
I would caution anyone who looks to signs all the time in their Christian life. Signs can be good at times, but if you spend too much time on them, you will miss the trip of this life. Jesus is here and He is given you all you need for this life. You have, His Word, and His Holy Spirit, His church, and so many other things. Don’t waste your whole life looking for signs and miss the trip God has set in motion for you!
[1] https://genius.com/Five-man-electrical-band-signs-lyrics
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signs_(Five_Man_Electrical_Band_song)