Through the Bible: JonahSample

A Tale of Two Unwritten Repentances

For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

Matthew 12:40-41 (ESV)

And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.

Jonah 3:5 (ESV)

The book of Jonah began with a calling and ended with a question of motives. After Jonah’s rebirth through repentance and baptism from the depths of the sea, he received a second chance to testify to Gentiles who were considered his enemies. His old self died hard. The sign of his “resurrection” was so striking that the unbelieving Gentiles believed, repented, fasted and prayed; their downfall was spared.

This short book contains a number of "great" experiences, but the focus is on God’s great compassion. If God rescued the disobedient Jonah from the depths of the sea for the sake of the Ninevites, how much more should we consider Jesus’ obedience on the cross and His resurrection from the depths of the earth for the sake of all mankind. Or that He commissioned His disciples to preach the Good News to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8)?

Prayer

Abba, sorry for our pride and prejudice towards people, for our caring more for matters of this life that hinder the sharing of Your goodness and Gospel. We earnestly pray for those still in need of salvation, for them to experience the Power of Your Resurrection. Thank You, Abba.