Luke 7:31

7:31 “To what then should I compare the people ¹  of this generation, and what are they like?

Luke 17:25

17:25 But first he must ²  suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

Luke 11:29

The Sign of Jonah

11:29 As ³  the crowds were increasing, Jesus ⁴  began to say, “This generation is a wicked generation; it looks for a sign, ⁵  but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. ⁶ 

[7:31]  ¹ tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"). The comparison that follows in vv. 32-34 describes “this generation,” not Jesus and John.

[17:25]  ² sn The Son of Man’s suffering and rejection by this generation is another “it is necessary” type of event in God’s plan (Luke 4:43; 24:7, 26, 44) and the fifth passion prediction in Luke’s account (9:22, 44; 12:50; 13:32-33; for the last, see 18:32-33).

[11:29]  ³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[11:29]  ⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:29]  ⁵ sn The mention of a sign alludes back to Luke 11:16. Given what Jesus had done, nothing would be good enough. This leads to the rebuke that follows.

[11:29]  ⁶ sn As the following comparisons to Solomon and Jonah show, in the present context the sign of Jonah is not an allusion to Jonah being three days in the belly of the fish, but to Jesus’ teaching about wisdom and repentance.