The Sign Of Jonah

Terry Siverd
02/21/16 - Sun AM

Series: Man Overboard: Jonah In Jeopardy

THE SIGN OF JONAH

Pt#5 / Man Overboard: Jonah In Jeopardy

Sermon Outline By Terry Siverd

Cortland Church of Christ / February 21, 2016

This morning I want to draw an important connection between the last verse of Jonah chapter one (1:17)

And the last verse of Jonah chapter two (2:10).

In Jonah 1:17 the text states,

And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish for three days and three nights.

Jonah 2:10 states,

Then the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah up on to the dry ground.

The obvious connection here is that the Lord is directing the whale (great fish or sea monster).

But there is a less noticable connection that is far greater to consider.

This “three days and three nights in the belly of the whale” serves to foreshadow the entombment of Jesus.

But nestled in this concept is some very profound theology that strikes as the very heart of Christianity.

The Jonah that went into the sea and into the belly of the sea monster came out of this ordeal A CHANGED MAN.

God’s intention was that the salvation of one Hebrew sinner would produce the salvation of many Ninevite sinners.

“It was the restoration of Jonah which was the means of the revival in Nineveh”.

(Sinclair Ferguson, Man Overboard, pg.51)

Jesus gives his stamp of approval as to the authenticity of this story of Jonah.

In Matthew 12:39f, Jesus spoke these words:

An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;

for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be three days

 and three nights in the heart of the earth.  The men of Nineveh shall stand up with this generation at the judgment, and

shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold something greater than Jonah is here.

Jesus spoke similar words (with a slightly different emphasis) in Lk.11:29:

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 to this generation…

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.

During our recent time in the mountains I did some prep reading for this series.

Anthony Barbera has written a very thought-provoking “novel” titled, Jonah In The Time of Kings.

It’s a work that is often categorized as “historical fiction”. 

The writer takes the liberty to speculate as to details, but it’s a reading-between-the-lines based on sound research.

(read select portions from Barbera’s chapter 15 - - “On The Beach – Joppa Israel”, pgs.85-88). 

Next Sunday we will wade into chapter three of the book of Jonah.

In Jonah 3:4, we are given a summary of the message Jonah delivered.  In many/most of our English translations

Jonah’s message is communicated with just eight words:  Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.

We’re quite certain these eight words are but a condensation of all that Jonah actually spoke.

After all, have you ever known a preacher to have such a short sermon?

When we study chapter three we will explore some extenuating circumstances that may have

contributed to the favorable reception or response that was given to Jonah’s very dire warning.

But for now, for this morning, I want us to focus on the words of Jesus from Lk.11:30 - -

Jonah became a SIGN to the Ninevites.

What might this mean?

Jonah’s message was not just eight simple words.

Surely his message would have included his own immediate “history” - - his whale story, in particular.

Jonah himself became exhibit A concerning both the JUDGMENT and MERCY of Jehovah God.

I have no doubt that Jonah detailed his story to the Ninevites - - about how he ran from God.

And about how God brought upon him speedy (and just) recompense for his disobedience.

It is quite likely that Jonah’s flesh bore evidences of his extreme experience - - time spent in the belly of the whale.

His skin pigment was probably bleached and scarred and forever altered - - perhaps permanently damaged.

Jonah’s circumstance remind us of the words of the apostle Paul in Gal.6:17 - -

I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.

Jonah’s “walking flesh” was not only a witness to what God can do in bringing judgment upon us,

but it was also a demonstration of the grace and mercy of Jehovah God.

Here again, we are reminded of Paul’s words concerning himself recorded in 1Tim.1:16 - -

For this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost (of sinners), Jesus Christ might

 demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

There is a power that is resident in The Word of God that not only shapes us but also supplies us and sustains us.

In 2Tim.3:16-17 Paul writes,

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness,

that the man of God may be adequate (completely or thoroughly  furnished), equipped for every good work.

In considering these words of truth and in remembering Jonah’s earlier state of mind, it might be helpful to ask,

“What would have happened if Jonah had immediately gone to Nineveh?”

The Jonah who ran from God in his attempt to run from preaching to Nineveh was not ready to preach.

Jonah yet desperately needed a profound lesson on the fuller meaning of God’s abundant GRACE.

Had Jonah not been transformed by his time in the deep, it’s likely that little good would have transpired in Nineveh.

As Sinclair Ferguson notes (Man Overboard, pg.51f), “Jonah needed to broken, melted, moulded, and

filled with the love of God for the lost before he would be of any use to God in this field of service.”

By means of his own disobedience, Jonah is given a preview of words that Paul would pen 800+ years later.

Jonah ran from God because he could not fathom how the wicked Ninevites could be objects of God’s grace.

In Jonah’s thinking, they were simply too wicked to be on the receiving end of God’s mercy and grace.

In Rom.5:20, Paul writes these “outrageous” words, spoken primarily to rebellious Jews of the first century - -

The Law came in that the transgression might increase;  but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.

In the belly of the whale, Jonah came face to face with his own sinfulness and subsequently his own need for grace.

This epiphany (awakening) is what served to prepare Jonah to preach God’s grace to Nineveh.

One of the important sub-topics in the story of Jonah is this - - God brings LIFE out of DEATH.

That was “the sign of Jonah” for the first-century people.

Enfleshed in a man called Jesus was the very epitome of humility and death to self.

That death to self is what would result in life and salvation for all who would believe in Him.

There was much “fruit” to be had in preaching to the people of Nineveh.  But that fruit would only come

from a prior death - - in this instance, the death of a selfish and myopic prophet called Jonah.

Listen to the words of Jesus from Jn.12:24 - -  Truly, truly, I say to you,

unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

These words of Jesus rightly be referred to as, THE JONAH PRINCIPLE.

“If it dies, it bears much fruit.”

Jonah had to die spiritually, before there would be a positive harvest among the Assyrians in Nineveh.

One final closing thought, and it’s not just some colorful postscript throw in for good measure.

Rather, it strikes at the very heart of this story of Jonah and our own personal stories as followers of Jesus.

We all are privileged to take part in sharing the gospel.  In many respects, the fields remain white unto harvest.

In staying with this harvest theme, let me leave one final verse with us - - Ps.126:6 - -

He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.

It was out of Jonah’s inner death that life was born in Nineveh.

All of us have some weeping to do.  And all of us have some serious dying to do.

No one among us has “fully arrived”.  All of us have changes to be made as God continues to shape & hone us daily.

There is no gain but by a loss: 

You cannot save but by a cross.

The corn of wheat, to multiply,

Must fall into the ground and die.

Wherever you ripe fields behold,

Waving to God their sheaves of gold,

Be sure some corn of wheat has died,

Some soul has there been crucified;

Someone has wrestled, wept and prayed,

And fought hell’s legions undismayed.