The Sign of Jonah

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The Sign of Jonah

After so many mind-boggling, obvious miracles  and eye-opening sermons,  most of the religious leaders  still refused to believe  that Jesus was the promised Savior.     So,  with all their arrogance and pretentious intelligence,  they set out  to test Jesus.     In Matthew 16:1-4,  we read,

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came up,  and testing Him asked Him  to show them a sign  from heaven.    

But He answered and said to them,  “When it is evening,  you say,  ‘It will be fair weather,  for the sky is red.’     And in the morning,  ‘There will be a storm today,  for the sky is red and threatening.’     Do you know how to discern the appearance  of the sky,  but cannot discern the signs  of the times?     An evil and adulterous generation seeks  after a sign;  and a sign will not be given it,  except the sign  of Jonah.”    

And He left them,  and went away.’

And that is how it still is today.     The miracles and life of Jesus  are recorded  in the Bible  and in other historical records.     Everybody knows  about the miracles.     We can’t perform one,  but Jesus can  and did.     But,  that bugs the arrogant intellectuals,  so they want another miracle  as a sign  that they should believe  in this Jesus.

Are we one  of those arrogant intellectuals?     Are we, also, demanding  yet another sign  from this Jesus?     Maybe we want Him  to make us rich,  successful,  healthy,  and famous.     Well,  He hasn’t done it yet — and so,  we think we’re smart  in figuring out  that He is not God,  our Savior.

But,  we’ve missed something.     Jesus did give one sign  of His Lordship.     It was  “the sign of Jonah”.     Just as Jonah was in the belly  of the whale,  so Jesus was buried  in the earth.     In Luke 11:29-32,  Jesus says,

This generation is a wicked generation;  it seeks  for a sign,  and yet no sign shall be given to it  but the sign  of Jonah.     For just as Jonah became a sign  to the Ninevites,  so shall the Son of Man be  to this generation.

The Queen of the South shall rise up  with the men  of this generation  at the judgment and condemn them,  because she came  from the ends of the earth  to hear the wisdom  of Solomon;  and behold,  something greater than Solomon is here.

The men of Nineveh shall stand up  with this generation  at the judgment  and condemn it,  because they repented  at the preaching of Jonah;  and behold,  something greater than Jonah is here.

“Something greater than Jonah is here.”     Yes,  it was a miraculous sign  when the whale spit up Jonah.     And,  it was a miracle that stubborn Jonah decided  he had better preach to those “no-good, evil Ninevites”.     But,  with his obedience,  those Ninevites decided  they had better repent.     And so,  that city was saved  from the wrath of God  for many years — until they fell back into  their old ways.     But,  at least there were some saved  in that time frame.     And that is God’s love  at work.

Much greater than that  was Jesus’ resurrection  from the dead  and His preaching for the next forty days.     There were many, many witnesses.

Are we going to let God’s love and salvation work  in our lives?     “Something greater than Jonah is here.”     Jesus rose  from the dead.     That is so much greater  than being spit up  by a whale.     The eternal truths of Jesus’ preaching  have saved untold numbers of people  from their sins.

Jesus left those who would not accepts the signs given  to them.     Do we really want Him  to leave us too?     Maybe we should take another look  at all of God’s word  and consider all the fulfilled prophecies.     Maybe we should ask the Lord  to open our hearts and minds  to His truths.

With open eyes,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  You have done all that is necessary  for us to confidently place our faith  in You.     Open up our hearts and minds  to a true understanding  and love.”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

 

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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