Seek a sign

A "sign" (Hebrew oth) in the Old Testament and Jewish literature signifies a token which guarantees the truthfulness of an utterance or the legitimacy of an action.

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The words of the prophets which could not be verified were frequently accompanied by a sign which authenticated the prophecy. In that context, a sign is a further prophecy that is to be fulfilled within a short period of time. Because miracles or "mighty deeds" are effective and extraordinary, they occupy a privileged place among the divine signs, but they are not always "signs" pointing to God's saving action. Jesus does miracles designated as signs of the coming of the Kingdom, but they are not considered to be signs by the Pharisees. When they see with their very eyes Jesus' mighty deeds, they conclude that these are of demonic agency and that Jesus is in league with Beelzebul, the prince of demons. In today's Gospel, they seek a sign from heaven. They demand that Jesus demonstrate the legitimacy of his actions. But what mighty deed can tr