The Jews wanted Jesus to do something sensational to prove that He really was the anointed one of God.
In the year 45 A.D. a man named Theudas arose claiming to be the Messiah. He persuaded people to follow him out to the Jordan with the promise that he would part the river and lead them through it to the other side. He failed to make true on what he promised. Unfortunately, that was the kind of sensational action, the sign that the people wanted Jesus to deliver.
In the Old Testament Jonah had been God’s sign to Nineveh and they failed to recognize him.
The Jewish people had been given special privileges, but unfortunately too often they did not live up to and respond to the special status that had been given to them. Privilege and responsibility go hand in hand.
When Jesus walked among the people unfortunately a number of them did not recognize him as the Messiah because they were expecting someone very different.
Remember the saying in scripture, “much will be asked of him, to whom much has been given.” No person can tell when the day or hour will come, when eternity will invade our time. Like so many of us life is filled with loose ends. There are things undone and half done, things put off, things not even attempted.
I am sure when the time comes, we would all like the Lord to find us with our work completed. At that moment we would like to know that we are at peace with our fellow men and women, and with our God.