Text: Matthew 16:1–4

1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested Him by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven.

2 He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.'

3 You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Then Jesus left them and went away. [NIV]

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today I would like to begin with a simple but important question:

What kind of age are we living in?

People describe our era in many different ways.

Some call it the Information Age.
Others call it the Digital Age, the AI Age, or the Global Age.

But in recent years, geologists and environmental scientists have introduced another term:

The Anthropocene.

The Anthropocene refers to an age in which human activity has become powerful enough to significantly alter the Earth's systems.

Since the Industrial Revolution, humanity has achieved remarkable progress.

Science has advanced.
Economies have grown.
Life expectancy has increased.
Technology has made life more comfortable than ever before.

Yet this progress has come at a cost.

Climate change is accelerating.

Glaciers are melting.

Deserts are expanding.

Heat waves and floods are becoming more severe.

Countless species are disappearing.

Many scholars now describe our time as both the Anthropocene and the beginning of a Sixth Mass Extinction.

As Christians, however, we do not interpret history through science alone.

We interpret history through the Word of God.

In today's passage, Jesus asked the religious leaders:

"You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times."

This question was not only for the Pharisees and Sadducees.

It is also a question for us today.

Can we discern the signs of our time?

Point 1

Spiritual Blindness Prevents Us from Seeing the Signs of the Times

The Pharisees and Sadducees were among the most respected religious leaders of their day.

They knew the Scriptures.

They understood the Law.

They possessed religious authority.

Yet they failed to recognize the Messiah standing right before them.

Why?

Jesus called them:

"A wicked and adulterous generation."

This was not simply a statement about moral corruption.

It was a diagnosis of spiritual unfaithfulness.

They loved their religious systems more than God.

They loved power more than God.

They loved their traditions more than God.

As a result, they could not recognize God's work even when it was happening before their eyes.

The same danger exists today.

The church can become passionate about growth while neglecting God's creation.

We can invest great effort in maintaining church buildings while paying little attention to the world God created.

We can speak about saving souls while ignoring the groaning of creation.

The Apostle Paul writes:

"The whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time."

(Romans 8:22)

Today creation is groaning.

Forests are disappearing.

Rivers are polluted.

Living creatures are vanishing.

Yet the root problem is not environmental.

The root problem is spiritual.

The climate crisis is ultimately not just about carbon emissions.

It is about human greed.

Environmental destruction is not merely about industry.

It is about human pride and rebellion against God.

In Genesis 2:15 we read:

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."

God never appointed humanity to exploit creation.

He appointed us to steward it.

But humanity rejected its role as steward and attempted to take the place of the Creator.

That is the essence of sin.

And perhaps the Anthropocene is one of the clearest mirrors reflecting humanity's rebellion against God.

Point 2

The Signs of the Times Are God's Invitation to Repentance

Throughout Scripture, God uses signs to call people back to Himself.

The flood in Noah's day was a sign.

The destruction of Sodom was a sign.

The warnings of the prophets were signs.

God's purpose in giving signs is not merely to frighten people.

His purpose is to lead them to repentance.

Even God's warnings are expressions of His mercy.

Today, the crises we see around us may also serve as a divine wake-up call.

God may be asking humanity:

"Where are you going?"

"What have you devoted your life to?"

"What are you worshiping?"

"How are you treating the world I entrusted to your care?"

The signs of our time are not simply messages of doom.

They are invitations to repentance.

Repentance is more than feeling guilty.

Repentance means changing direction.

It means turning from self-centered living to God-centered living.

It means turning from greed to stewardship.

It means turning from endless consumption to gratitude.

It means returning to the Lord.

Point 3

The Sign of Jonah Is Our Only Hope

Jesus declared:

"No sign will be given except the sign of Jonah."

Why Jonah?

Because Jonah's message was simple:

Repent.

When Jonah preached to Nineveh, the people repented.

From the king to the common people, they humbled themselves before God.

And God showed mercy.

But Jesus is greater than Jonah.

Jonah announced judgment.

Jesus took judgment upon Himself.

Jonah spent three days in the belly of a fish.

Jesus spent three days in the tomb.

Jonah emerged alive.

Jesus rose from the dead in victory.

The ultimate answer to the crises of our world is not found in technology alone.

It is not found in politics alone.

It is not found in economics alone.

Our deepest need is spiritual renewal.

What humanity needs is a new heart.

What humanity needs is a new creation.

And that begins at the cross of Jesus Christ.

The cross reveals the seriousness of our sin.

The resurrection reveals the greatness of God's hope.

That is the message of the sign of Jonah.

Conclusion

How Will We Respond to the Signs of Our Time?

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today we are surrounded by signs.

Creation is groaning.

The environment is under stress.

Humanity is facing unprecedented challenges.

Yet there is one sign greater than all others.

The Cross.

And the Empty Tomb.

Today Jesus asks us:

"Can you not discern the signs of the times?"

This is not merely a question about the environment.

It is a question about our hearts.

It is a question about our faith.

It is a question about repentance.

God is calling us today.

Repent from indifference.

Repent from greed.

Repent from self-centered living.

Return to the Lord.

Embrace the sign of Jonah.

Embrace the crucified and risen Christ.

Then, even in the midst of the Anthropocene, we will not live in fear.

We will live in hope.

We will proclaim the Gospel.

We will care for God's creation.

We will walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.

And we will look forward to the day when God makes all things new.

May we become a church that discerns the signs of the times.

May we become a church that truly repents.

May we become a church that lives in the hope of the new heaven and the new earth.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.