Sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, “Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
(Mark 8:12)
Why did Jesus sigh so deeply down in His spirit? We sigh out of fatigue, sadness, and sometimes relief. The context of this passage removes relief as an option, so we are left with fatigue or sadness.
He had many reasons to be tired. The crowds always wanted His attention, and the more signs He performed, the more they requested. He worked long days and with an unwavering attention to people He knew would reject Him in the end. The Pharisees coming to Him with arguments instead of respect could easily bring weariness to the ever-serving Shepherd’s heart.
He also had much to be sad about. The Son of God was walking in the midst of His creation, and yet they squabbled with Him and tested Him constantly. Jesus loves people, but people often don’t love Him back. That would make all of us sad, too. His love was rejected, and His character was slandered.
I don’t know whether it was sorrow or fatigue which led to such a big sigh from our Lord, but I do know this… He sighed and then moved on to the next souls He could help. His fatigue nor His sorrow stopped Him from doing His Father’s work. He loved us through the long hours and the tears. What love our Savior has for us! What a joy to know He cares so deeply.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites