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Notice a "common cause" often finds strange "bed fellows". Here were two opposing groups, one, the Pharisees who believed in life after death and the other, the Sadducees, who did not. They teamed up in their opposition to Jesus.
They came to Jesus and asked Him to show them a "sign" from Heaven". They were certainly aware of the many miracles that Jesus had done up to this point but they wanted a sign from heaven. They still lived in the old dispensation. They remembered the Glory of God that shown on the face of Moses, they remembered the column of fire and the pillow of cloud that led them for 40 years, they remembered fire and lightening from heaven, to them these were the "signs of God". But were they really sincere in their request or were they only trying to tempt Him? No, they were not sincere and yes they were trying to trap Him. If they could get Him to give them a sign from heaven they would say that He was in league with the Prince of the power of the air, the Devil.
How does Jesus reply to their request? He observes that they have the ability to read the natural signs of nature but seem to be unable to read the signs of the times. What did He mean by this? They were adapt at forecasting weather and the seasons but they totally missed the coming of the Messiah and all the forecasted signs of His coming that had been fulfilled in the last 33 years by Christ.
Notice He refers to them as an "evil and adulterous generation" because they only gave "lip service" to God. He tells them that the only sign that He will give them is the "sign of Jonah". What was the sign of Jonah? The resurrection and the preaching to the Gentiles. As Jonah was in the belly of the whale 3 days, so shall the Son of Man be. As Jonah was convinced to go preach to the Gentiles in Nineveh, so shall the Disciples be. Them Jesus departed from them and left them wondering what He meant.
Now it would seem that when the Disciples left Capernaum where Jesus had fed the four thousand, they had failed to bring with them any of the seven baskets of food that was left over and they were discussing this amongst themselves. Jesus, aware of what they were discussing, calls them men of little faith and warns them to beware of the "leaven" of the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Bread, He could provide, now He was providing instruction. Finally they understood that He was not telling them to beware the leaven that was in the bread but rather beware the teachings of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
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