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.
Part 1 - In the Belly of the Whale (Jonah 1-2)
Here we tackle two mysteries of the Christian faith that have puzzled Christians throughout the ages. Jesus and Paul clearly stated that the resurrection of Jesus on the third day was in fulfillment of prophecy. But where in the Old Testament can we find such prophecy? Also, if Jesus died on Friday afternoon and was raised on Sunday morning, he would have been in the grave less than 48 hours. How does one get “three days and three nights” (as Jesus said in Matthew 12) out of that? In this lesson we explore the Eastern-style allegorical prophecy hidden in the story of Jonah, and utilize insights from early Christians, to provide fascinating, faith-building answers to both questions.