The Lord's words in Matthew 12:39-4039But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:39‑40) show plainly that He regarded Jonah's descent into the depths as a foreshadowing of His own impending death. “As Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” But how great the contrast between Jonah's experience, and that of our Lord! Our Lord tasted death in all its terrible reality as the righteous judgment of God against sin—your sin and mine, beloved reader. Not so Jonah. The perverse critics of the Lord asked again for a sign in Matthew 16, and again He referred them to the story of Jonah. But He rebuked their hypocrisy thus: “When it is evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, foul weather today, for the sky is red and lowering. Ye can discern the face of the sky: but can ye not discern the signs of the times?” It was indeed fair weather for the Jewish people at that moment, for the Sun was shining, brightly, in their midst; but foul weather was approaching—judgment from God for their evil unbelief. “He left them and departed”—significant words. The doom of the people was certain.
Jonah is an interesting type of Christ. He belonged to Galilee. Gath-Hepher was not far distant from Nazareth. The Jewish counselors were in error when they said to Nicodemus: “Search and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet” (John 7:5252They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. (John 7:52)); but probably they ignored Jonah because his mission was to Gentiles a thought abhorrent to their pride.
When Jonah bade the seamen cast him into the sea, he was apparently not afraid to die. Backslider though he was, he had not lost all confidence in God. Jehovah could do (and did) great things for His erring servant. Here we must contrast Jonah with our blessed Lord. Disobedience led the one into the depths; Obedience led the Other.
“Jonah was in the belly of the fish, three days and three nights.” God says so; let no-one doubt His word. In 1 Corinthians 15:44And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:4) we read that Christ was raised the third day according to the Scriptures! No Old Testament prophecy says this definitely. Hosea 6:22After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. (Hosea 6:2) may occur to our minds; but if Christ is intended there, the language is certainly vague. But He who knew all things from the beginning kept Jonah three days and three nights in the depths in order to present to us an expressive picture of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. The “third day” is found also in the story of Isaac the son who was raised from the dead “in a figure” (Heb. 11:1919Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. (Hebrews 11:19)), saw the place of his typical death and resurrection on the third day of his journey with his father (Gen. 22:44Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. (Genesis 22:4)).
Thus Jonah was “cast into the deep, in the midst of the seas” and was constrained to say, “All Thy billows and Thy waves passed over me.” His unfaithfulness brought him to this; nevertheless the fruit for others of all that he passed through was marvelous. The heathen mariners, who at first prayed every man to his god, were brought to know Jehovah; for Jonah, although in the path of disobedience, did not hesitate to say, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear Jehovah, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” The mariners forthwith cried to Jehovah, being reluctant to throw their troublesome passenger overboard; and when the storm abruptly ceased, it was so manifestly divine doing that “the men feared Jehovah exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto Jehovah, and made vows,” This looks like true conversion, for prayer in an hour of peril does not always yield results after the peril is past. How wonderfully God works in order to turn men's hearts to Himself. A storm at sea, an earthquake at midnight, and the quietness of a gospel meeting all serve His purpose. He works as seems good in His perfect wisdom.
But this was not all in Jonah's day. When the prophet emerged from his watery tomb, and at last went to Nineveh, his preaching brought the whole population, from the king downward, low before God, and the threatened overthrow was averted. Alas, for the contrast when Jonah's Lord preached in Jerusalem! No repentance was there, and He who will in due time sit upon the Great White Throne said, “the men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here!”
But as sure as Jonah's experience and preaching brought blessing and deliverance to many who were not of Israel, so our Lord's very real death and resurrection has brought salvation to millions everywhere. While still on earth, He maintained His position as Israel's Messiah, and refused the appeal of a woman of Tire who addressed Him as Son of David; and when He sent forth the twelve He bade them go not into the way of the Gentiles, nor enter into any city of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 10:5-65These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matthew 10:5‑6)). But, risen from the dead, “He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:1515And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15)). Israel's unbelief has caused “salvation to come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy” (Rom. 11:1111I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. (Romans 11:11)). The good news that Christ was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification have reached our ears and our hearts, and brought us into peace with God (Rom. 4:25; 5:125Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25)
1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)). “Blessed be God, our God!” Let us spread abroad the good news with all holy earnestness.