Many Christians dismiss the Book of Jonah as a cute children’s story involving a whale, or as the account of a second-rate prophet. However, Jesus saw it differently. In Matthew 12, He said that the only sign that would be given to that generation would be “the sign of Jonah”. Jesus went on to state that He was an even greater preacher of righteousness than Jonah had been. In this two-part series, we seek to understand Jonah as Jesus did, mining treasures to inspire our faith in the Word of God and to bring unbelievers to saving faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus on the third day.
Many Christians dismiss the Book of Jonah as a cute children’s story involving a whale, or as the account of a second-rate prophet. However, Jesus saw it differently. In Matthew 12, He said that the only sign that would be given to that generation would be “the sign of Jonah”. Jesus went on to state
After being delivered from the belly of the whale, Jonah heeds God's call to go to the wicked city of Nineveh. His preaching produces radical repentance. In this story are many important lessons for us, including the nature of our merciful Father, the soft hearts of the Ninevites (despite their wicked lifestyles), and the power
With Jonah, as with many other heroes of faith in Scripture, we can learn much from his weaknesses as well as from his strengths. While Jonah was a powerful preacher and strong on justice, he was utterly lacking in mercy toward the repentant Ninevites. Here we can better appreciate the mercy and kindness of the