ONLY THE JONAH-SIGN

“The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus to test Him by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven. He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’, and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Then He left them and went away.” (Matthew 16:1-4 NIV)

Jesus had yet another exchange with the Pharisees. For the umpteenth time they were on His case about signs, not because they wanted to believe in Him but because they were looking for reasons not to believe in Him.

His response was abrupt, as though He had had enough of their nonsense. “You guys know how to read the weather,” He said, “but you have no clue how to read the signs of the times. The only sign you’ll get is the Jonah-sign.” with that He turned on His heel and walked away.” (Matthew 16:4 The Message)

What is the Jonah-sign?

I used to think that the Jonah-sign was the resurrection of Jesus. Just as Jonah was in the fish’s belly for three days and three nights, so Jesus came back from the dead after three days. But then I asked myself, “What was the point of that?”

I have since come to believe that the Jonah-sign was the mercy of God. God caused Jonah to be flung into the sea and swallowed by the fish because He really wanted him to go to Nineveh to deliver His message. He could have wiped Jonah out for his disobedience but in His mercy He spared him and gave him a second chance to warn the Ninevites in case they repented.

Why did God give the people of Nineveh forty days before He rained down judgment on the city? Was it not because He was giving them time to change their minds and turn away from their wickedness? The fact that He forgave them when they repented is proof of His mercy. Jonah knew that God was merciful. That’s the reason he fled in the opposite direction because he hated Nineveh for the evil it had done to his people and wanted God to destroy them.

In the same way, God reveals His mercy to us because He sent Jesus to die and to rise again so that we can be forgiven and freed from our sins to live a new life. We do not deserve God’s rescue plan. We deserve the same justice that Nineveh did, but God, in mercy, reached out and rescued us because mercy is who He is.

But, like Nineveh, we must respond or perish, believe Him, or take the consequences.

How great is our God! How great is His mercy! (LAC)