Tag Archives: Jonah

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – THE SIGN OF JONAH

Bible Study, ,

THE SIGN OF JONAH

“As the crowd swelled, He took a fresh tack: ‘The mood of this age is all wrong. Everybody’s looking for proof but you’re looking for the wrong kind. All you’re looking for is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles. But the only proof you’re going to get is the Jonah-proof given to the Ninevites, which looks like no proof at all. What Jonah was to Nineveh, the Son of Man is to this age.'”  Luke 11:29-31.

It seems that human nature has never changed. Jesus had issues with the people of His day because they had a lust for entertainment. To many of them, He was nothing but a great entertainer. They followed Him in droves to watch what He could do and to get what He could give but, when it came to the tough decision to identify with Him and take the flak for being a follower, they opted out because the price was too high.

Their excuse was that they wanted ‘proof’ but, no matter how much proof He gave them, they were always demanding more. What did they mean by ‘proof’? Proof of what? Jesus offered them one sign, which He called ‘the sign of Jonah.’ What was the sign of Jonah? Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of a fish because of his reluctance to offer Nineveh God’s mercy. God was merciful to him. He sent him to Nineveh a second time to warn them of His coming judgment because of their wickedness. Why did God want to warn them? Why not just dump judgment on them? Was it not because God was merciful? He wanted to give them an opportunity to repent.

And they did.

Jesus spent three days and nights in a grave because of God’s mercy to all mankind. He rose from the grave as a witness that He is who He said He is, the Son of God and that God is merciful to all who believe in Him. Because of Jesus’ suffering and death, God can offer mercy and forgiveness to every person who responds to His offer and receives Jesus as Lord. Faith in Jesus involves active participation in His life, following, imitating and obeying Him as Lord.

But nothing has changed. Whether it is secular or spiritual, people generally love to be spectators; sport, TV, pop festivals, no matter what form it takes, we sit on a seat somewhere, in front of the TV, in a sports stadium or a concert hall or even a pew in church and watch. Christian TV is big business. TV channels are mushrooming. Which are the most popular and lucrative – those that offer the most entertainment and the biggest rewards for ‘sowing into their ministry’?

Jesus’ solution is simple but radical. ‘Whoever does not take up his cross daily and follow me, cannot be my disciple.’ The Jonah-sign demands an active response of trust and obedience, getting up off the seat and following Jesus, right to the death of the self-life and into a life of self-giving for the sake of others.

A Greater Than Jonah is Here!

Christian Life, , ,

A GREATER THAN JONAH IS HERE

“‘On Judgment Day the Ninevites will stand up and give evidence that will condemn this generation because, when Jonah preached to them, they changed their lives. A far greater preacher than Jonah is here, and you squabble about ‘proofs’. On Judgment Day the Queen of Sheba will come forward and bring evidence that condemns this generation because she travelled from a far corner of the earth to listen to wise Solomon. Wisdom far greater than Solomon’s is right in front of you and you quibble about ‘evidence’.‘”Luke 11:31, 32 (The Message).

Jesus condemned the people of His generation because they refused to accept the evidence staring them in the face that His words, His works and His ways all testified to His identity as the Son of God. They preferred to keep following Him around and demanding signs because He was the latest person on the popularity polls.

Jesus  held up both the Ninevites and the Queen of Sheba  as examples of people with more discernment than the people of God in Israel. They had only one opportunity – the Ninevites were pagans, the cruellest nation on earth in their day – and God sent a prophet to warn them of the consequences of their ways. Their response was startling, considering Jonah’s five-word message! They repented to a man, and God spared them.

The Queen of Sheba came from far, probably from Africa; no jet airliner to transport her, not even a motorised vehicle on a tar road. But she made the effort to listen to a mere man because of his supernatural wisdom.

The people of Jesus’ day had the very Son of God with them, teaching them and demonstrating the kingdom of God with signs and wonders and they refused to believe Him.

But what of my generation? When I read magazines, watch TV, listen to the radio, I am aware that God is conspicuously absent. The only mention of God is the use of His name as an expletive. How blind are people today! The evidence of God’s presence is everywhere – “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” Psalm 19:1 (NIV).

Just like the Apostle Paul’s contemporaries, this generation stands guilty before God. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:18-20 (NIV).

No generation has had more opportunity to discover the truth about God than this one. His Word blankets the earth in both written and spoken form and yet…godlessness and wickedness are on the increase. What chance does this generation have if the people in Jesus’ day stood guilty and condemned before God because they refused to believe?