TEXT: Jonah 1:17-2:10 (Cf. Matthew 16:1-4)

SUBJECT: Christ in the Old Testament #33: Sign of Jonah

This morning, with the Lord’s help, we’ll proceed in our study of Christ in the Old Testament.

The story of Jonah is an exciting one. People who have never read the Bible know of the preacher who was swallowed by a fish and got out alive. Though I’ve got nothing against fairy tales, I wonder why believing parents need them. The Book of Jonah is far more riveting than Little Red Riding Hood. And, unlike the bedtime story, it really happened!

Jonah’s story is more than exciting, however. It is also realistic. There’s nothing heroic in the man. Jonah obeys God only when he has to, and even then, he does it with a bad attitude. We cannot approve of his selfish and stubborn ways, of course, but we sure recognize them—in others and in ourselves, too.

Thus, no story in the Bible is more colorful than Jonah’s. And that’s where the danger lies. We become preoccupied with the story’s drama or with the prophet’s character. But we mustn’t do that. The story of Jonah is not about a runaway preacher or a hungry fish or a penitent city.

It’s about Jesus Christ.

We know that because He said so. At least twice, He cited the story of Jonah, and applied it to himself.

Most scholars take Jonah for a myth. Standing up to unbelief, Christians have argued that it is a history. And, of course, they’re right. It is history. But that’s not all it is. The story of Jonah is, first of all, a prophecy. It points to…

"One greater than Jonah".

We’ll get to that soon, but first, the story.

There once was a preacher in Israel whose name was Jonah. One day, the Word of the LORD came to him saying,

But Jonah didn’t do that. Instead, he went down to Joppa and got on a boat sailing for Tarshish. There, he hoped to escape both his duty and "the presence of the LORD". To make his sin easier, he went down into the hull and fell asleep.

It wasn’t long, though, until something happened: a big storm blew up and threatened to sink the boat. The sailors called on their gods for help, but they didn’t get any. Finally, someone remembered Jonah was down below, and woke him up, hoping maybe his God could get them out of the fix they were in!

The preacher got up and explained to them that though the LORD could help them, he was in no condition to ask for help since he was running away from God.

This terrified the sailors!

Jonah told them that they’d be saved, only he if were tossed overboard. The sailors didn’t want to do that, but after taking down the sails and rowing for shore, they had no choice.

They prayed for mercy and threw Jonah into the drink. The second he hit the water, the storm ended. The sailors

As for Jonah? He didn’t die—as he hoped to, it seems. He was swallowed by a fish. He stayed in its belly for "three days and three nights". During that time, Jonah cried out for mercy.

And got it. The fish beached itself, it seems, vomited, and out came the preacher. Jonah was not a changed man—he was not! But he had taken a vow inside the fish and he would keep its letter, if not its spirit.

He went to Nineveh, cried out against it, and saw the whole city repent. From the king to the cow, everyone fasted and sat in sackcloth and ashes.

God saw their sorrow and rescinded their judgment.

Everyone rejoiced in His mercy that day. Except for one man…

Nineveh was Israel’s arch-enemy. Jonah wanted the Lord to Nuke ‘em till they glow. That’s why he ran away in the first place. He wasn’t afraid of the Ninevah’s wrath, but of God’s grace!

If he preached the Word there, they might repent. And if they did, the LORD would spare them for sure! And he didn’t want that.

The LORD wonders if

Jonah says it is right.

He’d sit outside the city, hoping God would change His mind and wipe out the city.

The problem is, it was summer time. And the heat made Jonah even madder. Until a plant grew up one night and gave him a little shade. This made him really happy. Until the afternoon heat wilted it. Then he was so mad he wanted to die.

Again, the LORD asked him if it was right for him to be so angry. And, again the prophet said it was. Well, if that’s true, if it’s right for Jonah to wish a plant were still alive, then what’s wrong with God wishing a city were still alive?

If a plant was important to Jonah, then a city with 120,000 people and much cattle in it is important to God.

That’s the story.

Many good things can be learned from Jonah’s story. Here are a few of them:

1. We miss a lot of trouble by obeying God the first time. Delayed obedience is disobedience. And that’s never good…or good for us.
2. We see the power and grace of God. How wonderful He is to use a man like Jonah to convert a city to Christ. It gives us hope in our witnessing. We’ve told people about the Lord, but our example has not lived up to our words. We wonder if God can still use us. How can my children take me seriously when I’m so short-tempered? A good example backs up the Gospel, but God’s grace does not depend on it. If the LORD can use Jonah, He can use anybody. Even you.
3. We see the petty selfishness to which we’re all too prone. Look at Jonah! He’s more concerned for personal comfort than for the eternal destiny of 120,000 people. He’d rather have his shade than their salvation. Think of the little things we spend our money on. Hamburgers that don’t taste good, videos we don’t like, new shoes we don’t need. If that money were put into missions how much good might come of it? It’s not the big things that keep us from supporting the cause of Christ, but the little things that gobble up our money.

These are good lessons to learn from the Book of Jonah. But they’re not what it’s there for. The Message of Jonah is not about flawed saints or needy sinners, but about Jesus Christ.

THE SIGN OF JONAH

The Lord explains this to us in the Gospels. Four references are made to Jonah. The one clearest to me is the one I read at the beginning of the sermon, that is Matthew 16:1-4.

The Pharisees and Sadducees come to our Lord demanding a "sign" or proof that He is the Messiah. They even specify where the sign has to be—in "heaven".

This makes the Lord mad because the men are not sincere. They’re "tempting" Him. How does He know that?

For one thing, a ‘sign from heaven" has already been given—twice. Pagan astrologers spotted the first thirty years before, and came asking, "Where is He who is born king of the Jews?"

The other "sign from heaven" occurred at His baptism. He was baptized in a public place, with thousands to witness the wonders that attended it. When He came out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended on Him in the visible form of a dove, and God spoke from heaven identifying Him for anyone who had ears to hear.

What further proof did they need?

They didn’t need any, of course, but the Lord gave them a lot more. In recent months, He had done many things worthy of the Messiah. He had healed the sick, cleansed the leper, cast out devils, raised the dead, and preached the Gospel. These too were signs. If they wouldn’t take His Word for it,

In short, the leaders of Israel were more concerned about forecasting the weather than they were about recognizing the Savior.

Therefore, He would give them no further signs of that nature. For them, there would be no more displays of his power and glory.

But He would give them another sign. It would be

What is that sign? Most people say it’s the resurrection. Just as Jonah got out the fish’s belly after "three days and three nights", so the Lord would escape His tomb.

That is a true doctrine, of course, but not the one taught here. Or in its parallel passages. The Lord says nothing about Jonah getting out of the fish’s belly, but rather, of his going into it!

The sign of Jonah, therefore, is not the prophet’s salvation, but rather, his humiliation.

That means: The distinguishing mark of God’s servant is not his great glory, but his terrible suffering.

This is true of Jonah. What does a man look like after three days in the guts of a fish? What does he smell like? The sufferings of Jonah struck the Ninevites with awe. And gave His Word a power and authenticity no mere gift could confer upon it.

It’s also true of the Prophets. They are honored in death. Monuments were raised to them in Israel. But what about when they were alive? Were they loaded down with honors? No, it was suffering that filled their lives.

It’s also true of the Apostles. Today, they are revered all over the world. But when they lived, they were "offscouring and the gazing stock of the world".

Preeminently, this is true of Jesus. If His miracles don’t convince you of His Lordship. Or His teaching. Or His example. Then let His sufferings make you know that He is

If Darkness hates Light, then who is the Light but the One Whom Darkness hates most?

Did any man ever suffer as the Lord did? Is anyone more hated than He? Is anyone more rejected? Is anyone more ridiculed? Is there any way to kill a man more painfully than by crucifixion?

On the Day of Judgment, the men of Nineveh will be far better off than the nicest, kindest, and most generous unbeliever. They repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold,

The sufferings of our Lord tell us something about unbelievers. They tell us that men are sinners. Thieves and prostitutes are sinners. Adults and children are sinners. Pastors and teachers are sinners. We know that because they all joined in crucifying Jesus Christ.

Man is not good, he’s bad. He needs more than education, he needs a New Birth. In light of the cross,

The sufferings of our Lord tell us something about believers. They tell us that problems are good for us. They mature us, for one thing. Our Lord was always sinless, of course, but suffering did Him good. Hebrews 5:8 says even He "learned obedience through the things He suffered".

If problems did Him good, just imagine how much good they can do us. They humble us—and that’s always good. They focus our attention on the things that matter most. They stimulate prayer. They make us feel our dependence on God. They let us know how bad sin is. They draw us to the Lord and the heaven He has for us.

Not only are problems good for us, they’re also good for our witness. Jonah was a better preacher after being in the belly of the fish than he was before.

Problems make our witness better in at least four ways:

1. They give us sympathy for the sinner. The sinner is all messed up. The believer who has had his share of suffering knows what that means. He becomes slower to judge and quicker to feel for the sinner.
2. They break our pride. Nothing hinders witnessing more than self-confidence. The cocky believer will win more arguments than souls. But bring some trouble into his life and he’ll witness with "reverence and fear".
3. They make us feel the power of God. The Lord is not to be trifled with! He can do things—great and terrible things! We read this in the Bible, but it often takes first-hand experience to feel the truth. Paul said,

"Knowing the terror of the Lord,

we persuade me".

4. They make us feel the grace of God. The Lord who put Jonah into the fish’s belly also got him out of it! The Lord who has bailed us out so many times in the past can also save the sinner from his guilt, misery, and confusion. But how can we know that unless we have problems?

This is one of the Bible’s most common and important themes: Out of death comes life. From Jonah’s "death" Nineveh lives. From our Lord’s death, the world lives. And in dying to ourselves, we will see others come to life.

The sign of Jonah has been given. Now, it’s time for us to act on it. In faith and obedience.

God bring it to pass. For Christ’s sake. Amen.