February 10, 2025 | Be God's Family
Jesus Speaks About the Sign of Jonah
Scripture: Matthew 12:38-45(NIV)
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Devotional
The Pharisees, scribes and other contemporaries of Jesus were witnesses to many miracles of Jesus, but many remained skeptical about who Jesus said He was. The skeptics asked Jesus to prove that He was sent from God. They demanded a sign from Jesus to help their unbelief, but in reality they wanted more ammunition to use against Him.
They demanded a “sign”. So Jesus gave them a “sign” which would point to the truth of who He was. Surely the Pharisees knew the story of Jonah so perhaps they could understand the parallel of Jonah in the belly of the fish and the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus.
The sign of Jonah is a foreshadowing of how God would work. Jonah would spend 3 days in the heart of the “belly of the fish” leading to the Ninevites changing their hearts toward God. This is a metaphor for the future crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Again, the timing of three days. Day one on Friday, the crucifixion. Day two lying in the heart of the earth. Day three the resurrection with the purpose of repentance and belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
The parallels of “belly of fish” with “heart of the earth” are intentional. When you read Jonah, there is a lot of “down” imagery–”down” to Joppa, “down” into the ship, “down” into the sea, “down” into the fish, “down” into the depths. Then Jonah repents and starts going “up” again. Jesus was buried “down” in the earth before going “up” again.
The people of Nineveh finally did understand and received the message from Jonah to repent and to turn their hearts back to God. Jesus hoped the same for the Pharisees and other non-believers. But unfortunately, even this “sign” would not be enough to make Jesus' hard-hearted contemporaries believe. This evil generation had been left spiritually empty. It should have been spiritually filled with Jesus, but they rejected Him. Jesus had hoped that, as the people of Nineveh repented, the Pharisees would experience the same. Jesus still hopes this for us today.
Who explained to you the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus? Was this easy for you to believe and accept?
Poem
My Portion, My Cup, My Boundary
Psalm 16
Need I grab
Jealous
Greedy
For what I believe I am entitled?
No!
Lord,
Allow me to sit
Patient
Waiting
For my portion
Need I fill
Spend
Hoard
To quench the thirsting of my soul?
No!
Lord,
Allow me to trust
Patient
Waiting
For my cup
Need I fight
Defend
Arm
To maintain what I believe I own?
No!
Lord,
Allow me to open my hand
Patient
Waiting
For my boundary
