WEBVTT 00:00:00.780 --> 00:00:08.619 Jonah chapter 1 verse 17. To begin, I'm just 00:00:08.619 --> 00:00:12.980 going to read one verse. And the reason for this 00:00:12.980 --> 00:00:16.859 is, depending on your translation, you actually 00:00:16.859 --> 00:00:22.800 may have Jonah 1 -17 lumped in with chapter 2, 00:00:23.660 --> 00:00:26.679 because the Hebrew text gives it to us this way, 00:00:26.839 --> 00:00:30.839 that 1 -17 is actually 2 -1. the Hebrew Bible. 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:33.759 So we're just going to focus on this one verse 00:00:33.759 --> 00:00:37.820 today, but we'll draw in other scripture as we 00:00:37.820 --> 00:00:42.500 go. And what you'll see here is something that 00:00:42.500 --> 00:00:44.979 we all know about the book of Jonah. It's kind 00:00:44.979 --> 00:00:47.060 of the moment that people have been waiting for. 00:00:47.119 --> 00:00:49.740 For if you were to describe other books of the 00:00:49.740 --> 00:00:52.159 Bible, you would certainly have to cover the 00:00:52.159 --> 00:00:53.780 highlights that people have heard before. If 00:00:53.780 --> 00:00:55.640 you're covering Exodus, you would talk about 00:00:55.640 --> 00:00:58.619 the plagues. and the people of Israel getting 00:00:58.619 --> 00:01:01.840 out of there. If you're talking about Daniel, 00:01:01.859 --> 00:01:05.019 no doubt you'd probably draw in the lion's den. 00:01:05.060 --> 00:01:08.340 Well, when you come to Jonah, you got to mention 00:01:08.340 --> 00:01:11.400 the big old fish, don't you? And so let's hear 00:01:11.400 --> 00:01:18.459 this from Jonah 1 .17. And the Lord appointed 00:01:18.459 --> 00:01:24.680 a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was 00:01:24.680 --> 00:01:28.689 in the belly of the fish. Three days and three 00:01:28.689 --> 00:01:34.069 nights. This is God's holy word. Let's pray Father 00:01:34.069 --> 00:01:37.109 we do once again come before you and thank you 00:01:37.109 --> 00:01:41.109 for the book of Jonah I asked Lord that you would 00:01:41.109 --> 00:01:43.810 open up our hearts and our minds to hear from 00:01:43.810 --> 00:01:47.510 you and to see your incredible Mercy these things 00:01:47.510 --> 00:01:53.909 we ask in Christ's name. Amen The book of Jonah 00:01:54.540 --> 00:01:58.760 as we have seen, is a book of unexpected twists 00:01:58.760 --> 00:02:03.120 and turns, isn't it? You remember how the story 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:08.360 begins. It's unexpected that a prophet of God 00:02:08.360 --> 00:02:11.819 would be told not to just prophesy out against 00:02:11.819 --> 00:02:16.000 a foreign nation, but that a prophet of God would 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:18.539 be told to go to that foreign nation, a nation 00:02:18.539 --> 00:02:23.400 that was known as cruel. and idolaters, a place 00:02:23.400 --> 00:02:26.800 of violence, right? He was told to go to Nineveh. 00:02:27.120 --> 00:02:30.780 That's a little unexpected. It's also perhaps 00:02:30.780 --> 00:02:33.539 unexpected that the same prophet would say no 00:02:33.539 --> 00:02:36.800 to that call, turn right around and go the opposite 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:40.259 direction and flee from the presence of God. 00:02:40.979 --> 00:02:45.539 It's unexpected that the prophet of God would 00:02:45.539 --> 00:02:48.800 be the one who asked to be told to pray. The 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:51.280 sailors on board the ship are praying. They're 00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:53.879 crying out to other gods. And finally, Captain 00:02:53.879 --> 00:02:57.000 comes to Jonah and says, hey, get up. Call upon 00:02:57.000 --> 00:03:01.319 your God. So Jonah, the prophet of God, is instructed 00:03:01.319 --> 00:03:05.199 to pray for these reasons and for many more. 00:03:05.740 --> 00:03:08.919 The book of Jonah is a bit unexpected, isn't 00:03:08.919 --> 00:03:13.419 it? Well, here's another twist. That as those 00:03:13.419 --> 00:03:17.020 sailors pick the prophet up and throw him into 00:03:17.020 --> 00:03:22.009 the sea, Yahweh is not done with Jonah, is he? 00:03:22.629 --> 00:03:25.530 He's not done with him. I mentioned a couple 00:03:25.530 --> 00:03:30.449 of weeks ago that children's Bible that I have 00:03:30.449 --> 00:03:35.289 that's got the picture of Jonah in it. Jonah 00:03:35.289 --> 00:03:39.389 is depicted as sinking deep down into the water. 00:03:39.469 --> 00:03:43.069 He's got seaweed all wrapped around him, right? 00:03:43.629 --> 00:03:47.250 Jonah is, he's got a big old fish in the background. 00:03:47.289 --> 00:03:50.330 That's the picture that I can remember from my 00:03:50.330 --> 00:03:54.710 childhood. And because, maybe because it's so 00:03:54.710 --> 00:03:57.710 gross to think about being inside the belly of 00:03:57.710 --> 00:04:02.250 a fish, I always thought that the fish was the 00:04:02.250 --> 00:04:06.569 punishment for Jonah. Perhaps you think that 00:04:06.569 --> 00:04:09.150 as well. And indeed, I think there is an element 00:04:09.150 --> 00:04:15.830 of truth there. But this great fish, is actually 00:04:15.830 --> 00:04:18.829 a picture of God's mercy, isn't it? Because without 00:04:18.829 --> 00:04:22.790 the fish, where is Jonah? He's on the bottom 00:04:22.790 --> 00:04:26.250 of the sea, isn't he? And so what does the Lord 00:04:26.250 --> 00:04:30.750 do here in verse 17? The Lord appoints this great 00:04:30.750 --> 00:04:34.250 fish, doesn't he? This word appointed can be 00:04:34.250 --> 00:04:37.269 translated in different ways. Your Bible may 00:04:37.269 --> 00:04:41.290 have the word sent. It may have the word prepared. 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:44.600 It may have the word provided, all of this to 00:04:44.600 --> 00:04:49.980 convey that the Lord is behind the action, this 00:04:49.980 --> 00:04:53.740 divinely appointed fish. And this is not the 00:04:53.740 --> 00:04:56.279 only place where we see this word appointed. 00:04:56.360 --> 00:04:59.100 If you flip over to Micah, or not Micah, we're 00:04:59.100 --> 00:05:04.910 still in Jonah. Jonah chapter four. Look in Jonah 00:05:04.910 --> 00:05:09.129 4 6 through 8 because you see this same word 00:05:09.129 --> 00:05:14.230 repeated in three consecutive verses Jonah 4 00:05:14.230 --> 00:05:17.689 6 through 8 now the Lord did what? Appointed 00:05:17.689 --> 00:05:21.829 a plant and made it come up over Jonah that it 00:05:21.829 --> 00:05:24.490 might be shade over his head to save him from 00:05:24.490 --> 00:05:28.149 his Discomfort so Jonah was exceedingly glad 00:05:28.149 --> 00:05:31.629 because of the plant But when dawn came up the 00:05:31.629 --> 00:05:34.389 next day what to God appoint it says he appointed 00:05:34.389 --> 00:05:38.750 a worm that attacked the plant so that it withered 00:05:38.750 --> 00:05:41.769 verse 8 when the Sun rose God appointed what 00:05:41.769 --> 00:05:45.329 a Scorching East wind and the Sun beat down on 00:05:45.329 --> 00:05:49.730 the head of Jonah so that he was faint you see 00:05:49.730 --> 00:05:54.310 all of this action is attributed to the Lord 00:05:54.310 --> 00:06:00.079 isn't it and so this is not a case of A great 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:03.279 fish being in the right place at the right time. 00:06:03.480 --> 00:06:09.220 No, the Lord has him right there. This is not 00:06:09.220 --> 00:06:12.920 left up to chance, is it? Matter of fact, I think 00:06:12.920 --> 00:06:16.000 R .C. Sproul used to say, chance is nothing. 00:06:16.199 --> 00:06:20.439 Chance is nothing whatsoever, but God's sovereignty 00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:25.120 is everything. And so the Lord appoints this 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:32.029 fish. Now, what was the fish? Well, you can see 00:06:32.029 --> 00:06:37.290 it there. The fish was to swallow up Jonah. Now 00:06:37.290 --> 00:06:41.069 let me say something about this fish. Sinclair 00:06:41.069 --> 00:06:45.250 Ferguson once said, this must be the most criticized 00:06:45.250 --> 00:06:51.569 fish that ever swam the Mediterranean. Because 00:06:51.569 --> 00:06:55.110 people doubt this story, don't you? Maybe you 00:06:55.110 --> 00:06:58.019 even come to this story and you're like, Hey, 00:06:58.060 --> 00:07:03.259 what's really going on here? Friends, we should 00:07:03.259 --> 00:07:06.600 not doubt this story. This is not a fictitious 00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:11.040 story. This is a historical story. But people 00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:16.100 dismiss it because they just can't possibly believe 00:07:16.100 --> 00:07:20.860 this. But if we dismiss this story, if we dismiss 00:07:20.860 --> 00:07:24.519 this episode, what would we do? with the other 00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:28.100 supernatural spiritual stories that we find all 00:07:28.100 --> 00:07:33.980 throughout scripture. What would we do with Elisha? 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:37.519 Do you remember when Elisha raises the boy who 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:40.480 is dead? I don't hear anybody explaining that 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:43.000 away, maybe because they don't know the story. 00:07:44.600 --> 00:07:48.199 What about Balaam's donkey? Do you remember when 00:07:48.199 --> 00:07:51.959 God speaks through the donkey has this donkey 00:07:51.959 --> 00:07:56.959 speak? Does anybody explain that away? What about 00:07:56.959 --> 00:08:01.139 Jonah's friends in the fiery furnace, right? 00:08:01.579 --> 00:08:05.699 And they come out of that furnace unsinged. Do 00:08:05.699 --> 00:08:09.839 we explain away that story? We'd better not. 00:08:10.579 --> 00:08:12.980 Because if we start doing that, if we start going 00:08:12.980 --> 00:08:15.459 down that road, what do we do when we get to 00:08:15.459 --> 00:08:19.459 the virgin birth? What do we do when we get to 00:08:19.459 --> 00:08:23.879 Jesus' miracles? What do we do with the resurrection 00:08:23.879 --> 00:08:28.279 of Jesus and his ascension in his return? Friends 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:32.799 the miraculous thing about miracles is they are 00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:38.940 miraculous Let us not forget what we are reading 00:08:38.940 --> 00:08:44.860 We are reading a book breathed out by the Holy 00:08:44.860 --> 00:08:50.639 Spirit God has given us his trustworthy word 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:54.899 And God's ways are higher than our ways. God 00:08:54.899 --> 00:08:57.779 is the creator. He's the omniscient one, the 00:08:57.779 --> 00:09:01.940 omnipresent one, the omnipotent one. And so we 00:09:01.940 --> 00:09:05.539 would be wise to receive this book, this episode 00:09:05.539 --> 00:09:08.919 that is written as a narrative. We would be wise 00:09:08.919 --> 00:09:13.720 to receive it as such. Now, some pastors and 00:09:13.720 --> 00:09:16.580 some theologians and scholars and teachers like 00:09:16.580 --> 00:09:20.200 to point out that there are other episodes of 00:09:20.200 --> 00:09:24.299 people being swallowed by gigantic fish or whales 00:09:24.299 --> 00:09:28.200 or sharks or whatever it might be. The problem 00:09:28.200 --> 00:09:31.039 there is that for every instance of someone saying 00:09:31.039 --> 00:09:33.659 that, there's somebody saying, no, that didn't 00:09:33.659 --> 00:09:36.940 happen. But just because we cannot validate those 00:09:36.940 --> 00:09:40.059 examples does not mean we invalidate this one. 00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:45.820 For this one is true to its core. I'm going to 00:09:45.820 --> 00:09:50.220 show you why. in just a couple of minutes. I 00:09:50.220 --> 00:09:53.039 don't want to spend too much time on this fish, 00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:57.419 but I do think we should take note of how the 00:09:57.419 --> 00:10:04.460 fish is described. Look there in verse 17. The 00:10:04.460 --> 00:10:09.080 Lord appoints what kind of fish. In the ESV we 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:11.919 see it's a great fish. This is in keeping with 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:14.799 the rest of the book of Jonah. We see the word 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:19.360 for great used several times. The city of Nineveh 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:23.860 was described as a great city. The storm that 00:10:23.860 --> 00:10:27.639 the Lord brings up is a great storm. The fear 00:10:27.639 --> 00:10:30.720 of the sailors is described as a great fear. 00:10:30.919 --> 00:10:34.259 And so here, once again, we see this word for 00:10:34.259 --> 00:10:38.580 greatness, friends. This might not be an ordinary 00:10:38.580 --> 00:10:41.659 fish. Matter of fact, the word that is used for 00:10:41.659 --> 00:10:45.179 fish here is a general word for fish. And our 00:10:45.179 --> 00:10:49.960 designations for what makes a fish might be different 00:10:49.960 --> 00:10:53.440 from what Jonah and others said about fish. So 00:10:53.440 --> 00:10:56.700 this could be a whale. This could be a shark. 00:10:57.139 --> 00:10:59.360 Depending on how you read, this could be a gigantic 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:01.480 sea monster. I think it's probably best to just 00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:05.419 go with fish here. But this is a great fish. 00:11:06.640 --> 00:11:09.460 meaning it could be referring to its incredible 00:11:09.460 --> 00:11:13.740 size. Now, as I said, I grew up thinking the 00:11:13.740 --> 00:11:17.039 fish was Jonah's punishment, and as I said, that 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:21.539 might be partly true for the act of swallowing 00:11:21.539 --> 00:11:24.159 within the Old Testament especially, though some 00:11:24.159 --> 00:11:27.879 of the New Testament often implies divine judgment. 00:11:28.700 --> 00:11:31.299 But I think there might be a way that we might 00:11:31.299 --> 00:11:34.860 explain it a little better than punishment. I 00:11:34.860 --> 00:11:38.399 think the fish here is used for the purpose of 00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:43.019 correcting. Because God does not immediately 00:11:43.019 --> 00:11:45.899 deliver Jonah to shore. Jonah doesn't hop on 00:11:45.899 --> 00:11:47.860 the back of the fish and surf all the way to 00:11:47.860 --> 00:11:50.139 the shore, does he? He's in there for three days 00:11:50.139 --> 00:11:53.480 and three nights. And so this is a means of correction, 00:11:53.799 --> 00:11:56.620 which we will see, Lord willing, next time as 00:11:56.620 --> 00:11:59.840 we examine Jonah's prayer. But certainly we must 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:03.570 also say this, the fish is a vehicle. through 00:12:03.570 --> 00:12:09.230 which God shows his mercy. And so the fish has 00:12:09.230 --> 00:12:12.990 a dual purpose, doesn't it? I like how one commentator 00:12:12.990 --> 00:12:17.830 says this, the great fish that Yahweh graciously 00:12:17.830 --> 00:12:21.690 provided for Jonah's transportation is parallel 00:12:21.690 --> 00:12:25.110 to the ship that Jonah paid for out of his own 00:12:25.110 --> 00:12:28.809 pocket. The ship carried Jonah close to the grave. 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:33.039 while the fish carry Jonah back to dry land and 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:36.840 life. And friends, this is this dual purpose. 00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:39.200 I think it's in keeping with the rest of scripture 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:42.659 because doesn't God sometimes take his people 00:12:42.659 --> 00:12:45.740 through the difficult things to accomplish his 00:12:45.740 --> 00:12:49.080 purposes. God takes his people through the slavery 00:12:49.080 --> 00:12:52.639 to to get them out of it. God takes his people 00:12:52.639 --> 00:12:54.960 through the wilderness to get them to the promised 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:58.879 land. God takes them through the exile to bring 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:04.379 them home. God corrects his people. Do you know 00:13:04.379 --> 00:13:07.580 what that's like? Have you ever found yourself 00:13:07.580 --> 00:13:11.700 in a season of correction, a season of growth 00:13:11.700 --> 00:13:15.220 in Christ? The Lord does this at times and we 00:13:15.220 --> 00:13:18.799 might not understand it in the moment. We may 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:20.960 have to look back on it and see what the Lord 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:24.360 was doing, but the Lord is shaping us. after 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:28.379 the image of his son. And so I think this is 00:13:28.379 --> 00:13:32.220 what God is doing with Jonah as well. He is correcting 00:13:32.220 --> 00:13:35.820 him. Jonah is learning something about himself 00:13:35.820 --> 00:13:39.840 and about the mercy of God inside the belly of 00:13:39.840 --> 00:13:44.600 this fish. This also tells us here that God is 00:13:44.600 --> 00:13:48.320 not being vindictive, is he? God is not up in 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:52.179 the heavenly places messing with Jonah. No, God 00:13:52.179 --> 00:13:55.580 divinely appoints the fish for correction and 00:13:55.580 --> 00:13:59.639 for our salvation for Jonah and in doing so directs 00:13:59.639 --> 00:14:03.960 Jonah back to his mission. We might even say 00:14:03.960 --> 00:14:07.379 the Lord is giving Jonah a taste of the medicine 00:14:07.379 --> 00:14:10.960 that awaits Nineveh if the people of Nineveh 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:13.480 don't repent and so we'll see next time that 00:14:13.480 --> 00:14:16.940 Jonah is humbled here. He had some learning to 00:14:16.940 --> 00:14:22.759 do about the mercy and the power of God. And 00:14:22.759 --> 00:14:25.440 so he's in the belly of the fish for three days 00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:29.500 and three nights. Does this three -day motif 00:14:29.500 --> 00:14:34.399 sound familiar to you at all? We should see heads 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:38.059 nodding here, shouldn't we? For naturally we 00:14:38.059 --> 00:14:42.799 are to think of Jesus here. But that's not the 00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:46.379 only case. The three -day motif is not limited 00:14:46.379 --> 00:14:49.970 to just Jonah and Jesus. Let me give you a few 00:14:49.970 --> 00:14:53.330 other examples. Do you remember perhaps Genesis 00:14:53.330 --> 00:14:58.070 chapter 22? Do you remember Abraham and Isaac? 00:14:58.889 --> 00:15:01.509 Of course you do, and the sacrifice, the near 00:15:01.509 --> 00:15:06.110 sacrifice of Isaac. For a while Abraham and Isaac 00:15:06.110 --> 00:15:09.149 are journeying with other people, but then the 00:15:09.149 --> 00:15:12.330 text says the two of them go off alone for three 00:15:12.330 --> 00:15:17.409 days. There. Isaac is nearly sacrificed, isn't 00:15:17.409 --> 00:15:20.629 he? But the Lord does provide that ramp. And 00:15:20.629 --> 00:15:24.970 so Isaac escapes death. What about Exodus 15? 00:15:25.850 --> 00:15:28.809 The Israelites, after they get out of Egypt, 00:15:29.490 --> 00:15:31.870 and they're in the wilderness, and they are wandering, 00:15:31.950 --> 00:15:36.009 and they go for three days without water, and 00:15:36.009 --> 00:15:39.629 then the Lord provides for them. What about 2 00:15:39.629 --> 00:15:43.509 Kings chapter 20? Hezekiah, King Hezekiah nearly 00:15:43.509 --> 00:15:48.090 dies. but he prays the Lord hears him and heals 00:15:48.090 --> 00:15:52.350 him and on the third day on the third day Hezekiah 00:15:52.350 --> 00:15:55.450 is back in the temple what about Hosea chapter 00:15:55.450 --> 00:15:58.690 6 Hosea being a contemporary of Jonah chapter 00:15:58.690 --> 00:16:03.590 6 1 through 2 it says come let us return to the 00:16:03.590 --> 00:16:08.190 Lord for he has torn us that he may heal us he 00:16:08.190 --> 00:16:12.100 has struck us down and he will bind us up After 00:16:12.100 --> 00:16:15.419 two days, he will revive us on the third day. 00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:20.240 He will raise us up that we may live before him. 00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:23.659 There are so many episodes and instances of this 00:16:23.659 --> 00:16:27.940 third day motif. There's one that's even greater 00:16:27.940 --> 00:16:30.720 than the third day. You remember Jesus raising 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:35.100 Lazarus. Lazarus was raised on the fourth day. 00:16:35.639 --> 00:16:39.519 Why? Because the scripture really wants us to 00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:42.480 know and Jesus wanted the people to know at the 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:46.379 time that Lazarus was really dead wasn't he? 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:49.200 He was not merely sleeping as a matter of fact 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:52.919 one commentator says here in ancient Near Eastern 00:16:52.919 --> 00:16:57.200 culture a Person was not officially declared 00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:02.860 dead until the third day And so with that in 00:17:02.860 --> 00:17:08.809 mind Let's turn Let's go to Matthew chapter 12. 00:17:11.430 --> 00:17:15.529 Go to Matthew chapter 12. You could also see 00:17:15.529 --> 00:17:19.170 this in Matthew chapter 16 and the parallel account 00:17:19.170 --> 00:17:26.430 in Luke chapter 11. Matthew 12, beginning in 00:17:26.430 --> 00:17:31.829 verse 38. This is important, so please listen 00:17:31.829 --> 00:17:36.649 for this reading of God's word for you. Then 00:17:36.649 --> 00:17:39.710 some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, 00:17:39.829 --> 00:17:43.809 him being Jesus, saying, Teacher, we wish to 00:17:43.809 --> 00:17:48.049 see a sign from you. But he answered them. An 00:17:48.049 --> 00:17:51.730 evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, 00:17:52.109 --> 00:17:55.410 but no sign will be given to it except the sign 00:17:55.410 --> 00:17:59.910 of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three 00:17:59.910 --> 00:18:02.789 days and three nights in the heart of the earth, 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:05.299 or so, just as Jonah was three days and three 00:18:05.299 --> 00:18:08.180 nights in the belly of the great fish, so will 00:18:08.180 --> 00:18:11.500 the Son of Man be three days and three nights 00:18:11.500 --> 00:18:14.740 in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh 00:18:14.740 --> 00:18:17.480 will rise up at the judgment with this generation 00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:21.160 and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching 00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:24.799 of Jonah. And behold, something greater than 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:30.740 Jonah is here. What is Jesus doing here and sharing 00:18:30.740 --> 00:18:36.680 this? with these Jewish leaders. Jesus is pointing 00:18:36.680 --> 00:18:40.339 us towards Jonah in saying the story of Jonah 00:18:40.339 --> 00:18:44.380 previews the death and the resurrection of our 00:18:44.380 --> 00:18:49.759 Savior. It's true then that Jesus is authenticating 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:53.420 the story of Jonah. Jesus wouldn't use a fictitious 00:18:53.420 --> 00:18:57.019 story to talk about the reality of his death 00:18:57.019 --> 00:19:01.920 and his resurrection. You can see from that text 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:04.960 what's happening there. The Jewish leaders demand 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:08.819 a sign of Jesus, don't they? Which is an incredible 00:19:08.819 --> 00:19:11.720 thing to say considering this is what Jesus has 00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:14.480 been doing the whole time. Do we not see Jesus' 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:17.900 miracles throughout the Gospels? But they say 00:19:17.900 --> 00:19:22.000 essentially, prove yourself, Jesus. Look at how 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:26.920 Jesus responds. He says an evil and adulterous 00:19:26.920 --> 00:19:30.660 generation seeks this kind of sign. Can you imagine 00:19:30.660 --> 00:19:34.400 how the scribes and the Pharisees would have 00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:37.299 felt hearing that they are lumped in with an 00:19:37.299 --> 00:19:41.400 evil and adulterous generation? And imagine how 00:19:41.400 --> 00:19:44.759 they would have felt when Jesus says that the 00:19:44.759 --> 00:19:48.220 people of Nineveh would rise up to condemn them. 00:19:48.599 --> 00:19:51.000 Why? Because we know this and we're gonna see 00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:53.730 this as we keep going through Jonah. that the 00:19:53.730 --> 00:19:58.730 entire city of Nineveh repents, don't they? Imagine 00:19:58.730 --> 00:20:02.190 how this would sound to these Jewish religious 00:20:02.190 --> 00:20:07.509 leaders to hear about cruel Nineveh. How cruel 00:20:07.509 --> 00:20:10.890 Nineveh would condemn these pious Jewish leaders. 00:20:11.410 --> 00:20:14.789 How could Jesus give praise to the Gentiles of 00:20:14.789 --> 00:20:17.130 Nineveh? And then lastly, the thing that Jesus 00:20:17.130 --> 00:20:25.069 says, hey, there is one greater than Jonah. You 00:20:25.069 --> 00:20:28.450 see, there's lots of connections here between 00:20:28.450 --> 00:20:32.109 Jesus and Jonah. I think we can even go deeper 00:20:32.109 --> 00:20:35.490 than what I have said. Let's ask ourselves, how 00:20:35.490 --> 00:20:38.730 accurate is the sign of Jonah? Well, firstly, 00:20:38.910 --> 00:20:41.250 before we go any deeper, let us make sure we 00:20:41.250 --> 00:20:45.549 do not associate Jonah's rebellion with Jesus 00:20:45.549 --> 00:20:48.769 in any way. For as Jonah ran from the call of 00:20:48.769 --> 00:20:54.259 God, Jesus ran to it, right? But I do think that 00:20:54.259 --> 00:20:56.519 there are further associations between Jonah 00:20:56.519 --> 00:21:00.339 and Jesus. And so just three points here. Don't 00:21:00.339 --> 00:21:02.500 worry, I'm not just getting started on my sermon. 00:21:03.019 --> 00:21:05.279 But three points, three points of connection 00:21:05.279 --> 00:21:09.220 here. The extent of the sign of Jonah, the instrument 00:21:09.220 --> 00:21:12.000 of the sign of Jonah, and the accomplishment 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:17.599 of the sign of Jonah. Jonah, as we have said, 00:21:17.700 --> 00:21:20.640 was fleeing from God. He was fleeing from what 00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:26.690 God was calling him. And we mention how it seems 00:21:26.690 --> 00:21:30.630 the text is showing us again and again the downward 00:21:30.630 --> 00:21:35.210 descent of Jonah. For Jonah went down to Joppa. 00:21:35.690 --> 00:21:38.789 Jonah went down into the belly of the ship as 00:21:38.789 --> 00:21:42.970 it were. And Jonah here, he's at the fullness 00:21:42.970 --> 00:21:47.549 of his descent. Some people would say that Jonah 00:21:47.549 --> 00:21:50.109 dies in the belly of the fish. I'm not sure I'm 00:21:50.109 --> 00:21:52.950 willing to say that, but we'll see more of this 00:21:52.950 --> 00:21:56.109 next time. But at the very least, we could say 00:21:56.109 --> 00:22:02.109 Jonah is in effect buried alive. But the extent 00:22:02.109 --> 00:22:05.470 of the sign here is that Jesus really did die, 00:22:05.630 --> 00:22:09.329 didn't he? He really did die. He was really buried. 00:22:09.369 --> 00:22:13.380 He was really put in the tomb. and the soldiers 00:22:13.380 --> 00:22:16.059 were placed outside of the tomb because if Jesus 00:22:16.059 --> 00:22:20.380 is raised, then everything he said would be true. 00:22:20.579 --> 00:22:24.960 And we know that Jesus really was raised, friends, 00:22:25.079 --> 00:22:31.700 that Jesus died for you and for me. That's the 00:22:31.700 --> 00:22:33.740 extent of the sign. What about the instrument 00:22:33.740 --> 00:22:36.559 of the sign? Well, for Jonah, the instrument 00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:39.400 is this fish. But as I said, this fish seems 00:22:39.400 --> 00:22:42.539 to have a dual purpose. the purpose of correcting 00:22:42.539 --> 00:22:46.920 and the purpose of mercy. It's the same way with 00:22:46.920 --> 00:22:49.519 Jesus, isn't it? It's the same way with Jesus 00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:52.900 in the cross. The cross was a terrible instrument 00:22:52.900 --> 00:22:57.119 of punishment and of wrath, but it's also the 00:22:57.119 --> 00:23:02.819 instrument of our salvation. Our sins were imputed 00:23:02.819 --> 00:23:06.339 to Jesus on the cross and the full weight of 00:23:06.339 --> 00:23:10.460 the wrath of God came Upon him such that Jesus 00:23:10.460 --> 00:23:14.759 cried out my God my God. Why have you forsaken 00:23:14.759 --> 00:23:19.819 me? It was an instrument of wrath, wasn't it? 00:23:20.200 --> 00:23:22.799 But we also have a cross on the wall behind me. 00:23:22.859 --> 00:23:26.740 We sing the hymn the old rugged cross Why do 00:23:26.740 --> 00:23:29.740 we cling to the old rugged cross because it's 00:23:29.740 --> 00:23:33.420 not just an instrument of wrath The cross is 00:23:33.420 --> 00:23:37.880 an instrument of salvation like the fish was 00:23:37.880 --> 00:23:41.480 appointed for Jonah. So the cross was appointed 00:23:41.480 --> 00:23:44.359 for Christ and for all of those who would believe 00:23:44.359 --> 00:23:48.000 in him. Paul wrote this and said, Christ redeemed 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:51.759 us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse 00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:54.819 for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone 00:23:54.819 --> 00:23:59.900 who is hanged on a tree. Referring back to Deuteronomy. 00:24:00.220 --> 00:24:02.160 I like how one of the church fathers put it. 00:24:02.200 --> 00:24:05.500 Kirill of Jerusalem said Jonah was cast into 00:24:05.500 --> 00:24:08.880 the belly of a great fish. but Christ of his 00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:12.720 own will descended to the abode of the invisible 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:17.099 fish of death. He went down of his own will to 00:24:17.099 --> 00:24:19.779 make death disgorge those it had swallowed up 00:24:19.779 --> 00:24:22.700 according to scripture. I shall deliver them 00:24:22.700 --> 00:24:25.819 from the power of the nether world and I shall 00:24:25.819 --> 00:24:29.680 redeem them from death. That is what Jesus does 00:24:29.680 --> 00:24:33.339 for us. He redeems us from what we deserve. And 00:24:33.339 --> 00:24:35.839 so lastly, let's talk about the accomplishment 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:38.740 of the sign. What does the cross accomplish for 00:24:38.740 --> 00:24:41.440 us? What does the life and the death of Jesus 00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:45.740 accomplish for us? Well, you remember I mentioned 00:24:45.740 --> 00:24:48.740 last Sunday that as Jonah is thrown overboard, 00:24:49.539 --> 00:24:52.900 this is like a sacrifice of Jesus or of Jonah, 00:24:53.240 --> 00:24:56.960 right? Who is saved in that instance? We know 00:24:56.960 --> 00:25:00.940 immediately the sea became still and it became 00:25:00.940 --> 00:25:05.769 calm. And so the sailors were saved. So it is 00:25:05.769 --> 00:25:08.470 with Jesus. Listen to this quote from Rick Phillips. 00:25:09.390 --> 00:25:12.390 Just as Jonah's death in the deep removed the 00:25:12.390 --> 00:25:16.150 storm from the sailors above, so Jesus' cross 00:25:16.150 --> 00:25:20.450 removes the wrath of God from our sins. Jesus' 00:25:20.750 --> 00:25:24.690 death was substitutionary. By it, he accomplished 00:25:24.690 --> 00:25:29.549 salvation for all who would trust in him. Friends, 00:25:29.569 --> 00:25:33.809 I want you to know this. God always had a plan 00:25:33.809 --> 00:25:38.390 to save you He always had a plan to save the 00:25:38.390 --> 00:25:43.630 elect But his justice had to be satisfied because 00:25:43.630 --> 00:25:47.809 he is a just God and so Jesus faced the wrath 00:25:47.809 --> 00:25:52.349 for us Jesus faced all of it. So today if you 00:25:52.349 --> 00:25:57.109 are in Christ You are safe in him. You are safe. 00:25:57.109 --> 00:25:59.950 You are protected from the wrath of God But today 00:25:59.950 --> 00:26:03.079 if you hear my voice If you have heard the scripture 00:26:03.079 --> 00:26:05.720 and if you have not repented and if you have 00:26:05.720 --> 00:26:09.019 not trusted in Jesus, you are facing the wrath 00:26:09.019 --> 00:26:12.579 yourself. You are doing what Jonah was doing. 00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:15.259 You are attempting to run from the presence of 00:26:15.259 --> 00:26:19.119 God. It's been said, no one goes to hell against 00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:25.319 their own wishes. Jonah. He thought that he wanted 00:26:25.319 --> 00:26:30.549 to run from God until he got to this place. where 00:26:30.549 --> 00:26:36.670 he was experiencing death apart from God. He 00:26:36.670 --> 00:26:39.250 got what he wished, but when he got it, it turns 00:26:39.250 --> 00:26:45.589 out this is not what he wanted. Friends, don't 00:26:45.589 --> 00:26:48.990 write Jonah off as a book of fiction, and do 00:26:48.990 --> 00:26:51.769 not write off the very word of God as fiction. 00:26:52.240 --> 00:26:55.900 The book of Jonah points you to the one who died, 00:26:56.259 --> 00:26:58.980 to the one who was raised for rebellious sinful 00:26:58.980 --> 00:27:02.779 people. The book of Jonah is for all of us Jonas 00:27:02.779 --> 00:27:07.380 out there. But God is merciful to all who repent 00:27:07.380 --> 00:27:11.559 and believe. When we were running from God, God 00:27:11.559 --> 00:27:18.799 sent his son to deliver us. Friends today, don't 00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:23.779 be like the Pharisees. Don't be like the scribes. 00:27:24.359 --> 00:27:27.440 Jesus has done us one better than give us a sign. 00:27:28.220 --> 00:27:31.460 He has given us himself. Let's pray.