Our Lord prophesied His own resurrection, that for three days and nights He would be in the heart of the earth, and rise the third day. Was this not far more wonderful than -the sudden reappearance of Jonah, believed to be dead, but miraculously preserved in order to give God's message? But our Lord was crucified. He actually died. He was buried. The men who were plotting His death must have known that His resurrection, if it took place, would be the most signal proof by God of His complete satisfaction with all that our Lord died to accomplish. No wonder, when He did die, and the third day of His burial came, the morning of His resurrection, the news of that great event filled the hearts of the scribes and high priests with a terrible fear. If they crucified our Lord, and God raised Him from the dead, there was a clear and solemn issue between guilty man and a Holy God. The resurrection of our Lord was an ocular demonstration that God will judge the living and the dead, (Acts 17:3131Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31)). You and I, whether we like it or not, will have to give account as to how we stand in relation to that resurrection. Thank God, for believers on the Lord Jesus Christ His resurrection is the great proof of their acceptance before God.
Our Lord is risen, alive, living in the power of an endless life, fullest proof indeed of His claims as to His Person, and of the character of His atoning work on the cross. Men will do well to pay heed to His message. If the men of Nineveh paid heed to the preaching of Jonas, we can say with a wealth of meaning, of comfort for the believer on the Lord Jesus Christ; of solemn warning, than which nothing can be stronger, of coming and eternal judgment to the unbeliever, "BEHOLD A GREATER THAN JONAS IS HERE."