John Calvin Commentary John 2:18

"The Jews therefore answered and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?" — John 2:18 (ASV)

What sign do you show to us? When in such a large assembly no one laid hands on Christ, and none of the dealers in cattle or of the money-changers repelled him by violence, we may conclude that they were all stunned and struck with astonishment by the hand of God. And, therefore, if they had not been utterly blinded, this would have been a sufficiently evident miracle: that one man against a great multitude, an unarmed man against strong men, an unknown man against great rulers, attempted such a great achievement. For since they were far stronger, why did they not oppose him, if not because their hands were loosened and—as it were—broken?

Yet they have some ground for asking the question, for it is not for every person to suddenly make changes if something is faulty or displeasing in the temple of God. Indeed, all are free to condemn corruptions; but if a private individual takes action to remove them, he will be accused of rashness.

Since the custom of selling in the temple had been generally accepted, Christ attempted something new and uncommon. Therefore, they properly call on him to prove that he was sent by God. They base their argument on this principle: that in public administration, it is not lawful to make any change without an undoubted calling and command of God.

But they erred on another point: they refused to accept Christ's calling unless he performed a miracle. For it was not an invariable rule that the prophets and other ministers of God should perform miracles, and God did not limit himself to this necessity. Therefore, they do wrong in laying down a law for God by demanding a sign.

When the Evangelist says that the Jews asked him, he unquestionably means by that term the multitude who were standing there and, as it were, the whole body of the Church. It is as if he had said that it was not the speech of one or two persons, but of the people.