THE SIGN OF JONAH – THE SIGN OF LIFE!

By Dr. Eric C. Stumpf, Senior Pastor

St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church – Munster, IN

4 April 2010 + Easter (Jonah Lenten Series) +

Jonah 2:10-3:10 & Mt 12:38-41

                 Prayer: O Risen Lord, my Prophet, Priest, and King, accept this morning the praise we bring because You revealed to us the sign of salvation in Your resurrection to life and our coming resurrection to eternal life.  Amen.

                 Christ is risen!

February 17^th we began a series on the Old Testament Jonah.  It seemed appropriate since his message was one of repentance to a corrupt, morally depraved, murderous, heathen nation called Assyria.  The message was in tune with Lent which is a season of contrition, although most of us would be uncomfortable with think we are as bad as the Assyrians notorious sinners.  Never mind we live in a nation that endorses abortion, gambling to fund government responsibilities, the common use of divorce, fornication, and infidelity, the common practice of robbing the poor to sustain the rich, moral depravity as the new norm, and generally turning a blind eye to vice.

                Jonah, however, also carries a great Easter message central to salvation, i.e., God’s mercy and forgiveness is given by grace through faith.

Jonah

                Jonah is indeed an unusual prophet who lived about 800 years before Jesus’ birth and about 60 years before the total destruction of the northern tribes of Israel by the Assyrians.  Jonah and his countrymen had good reason to fear the growing threat of Assyria.  One day God calls His prophet to go to Assyria and preach repentance.  Sounds like a good plan, but Jonah would have none of it.  He hops the first ship going in the opposite direction to evade God.  Why?  Jonah fears that God will bring the Assyrians to repent through Jonah and then forgive them.  What Jonah wants was their destruction for all their evil.

                Jonah thought he got away, but a mid-sea storm of terrible dimensions stops him and the ship.  He tells the sailors it is his fault and in order to save themselves they need to throw him overboard.  At first the sailors resist throwing this man of God overboard, but they see no other way.  As soon as Jonah hits the water, the storm ceases and the sailors are saved.  As Jonah sinks in the depths – Jonah probably did not take swimming lessons at the local YMCA – he knows he is going to his death.  But God’s mercy intervenes.  He provides a great fish to swallow Jonah – “You call this a rescue? – and he is saved from drowning.  But now he is in a place of repentance, like a naughty child told to take a time out and sit in the corner.  Jonah calls out for mercy and God saves him.  Jonah concluded his prayer for help with “Salvation belongs to Yahweh.” (2:9b)

                Jonah is spewed out onto land after three days.  He is called again to do what he was commanded to do, preach to the men of Nineveh of Assyria.  He goes and preaches the worst sermon, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown,” by worldly standards.  But the results are nothing short of remarkable.  The whole nation, from king down to peasant, repented.  Both man and beast put on sackcloth and sit in ashes, a common custom demonstrating great grief – we see it even today when pictures of dead Iraqis are seen, say from a suicide bomber, and the family comes to identify them, they throw dust onto themselves as they wail and beat themselves.  The result of their repentance was God’s mercy did not destroy them, but spared them with forgiveness.  God is merciful but Jonah is angry at God for forgiving them – what a strange prophet!

The Sign of Jonah

                The Pharisees in Matthew wanted a sign because they did not believe Jesus was the Messiah, the promised Savior.  Yes, they saw his miracles, but explained them away as receiving help from Satan.  They rejected Jesus’ message because they believed salvation was by their own effort.  Jesus’ judgment on this murderous and adulterous generation was on their unfaithfulness to God.  They couldn’t see without faith.  Only the Sign of Jonah was given. 

What was the sign of Jonah?  What happened to Jonah happened to Jesus. 

First, Jonah sacrificed himself to save the sailors on the ship.  Second, he experience God’s divine judgment against sin.  Third, he descended to death.  Fourth, Jonah was interned in the inner part of the fish for three days.  And, fifth, Jonah was restored to proclaim God’s Word that led to repentance and forgiveness.

Jesus lived out this sign in his death and resurrection.  First, He became our substitute, taking the sins of the world upon Himself.  Second, He experience God’s divine judgment on sins and was forsaken, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  Third, Jesus died for our sins, he descended into death.  Fourth, He was interned in a tomb.  Fifth, He rose from the dead on the third day to proclaim salvation in His name through repentance and forgiveness. 

What Does This Mean For Us?

                Life teaches an important lesson.  Like many occupations it isn’t the knowing how that is the same as doing.  For example, if you wanted to be a photographer you could go to a school that teaches it.  You could read all sorts of books about photography.  You could go to exhibits and see the works of great and renowned photographers.  You could apprentice with a famous photographer.  But unless you actually pick up a camera and start shooting, trying to make a living as a photographer, have experience, both good and bad, to learn from, it is doubtful if you will ever be a photographer.

                God invites us beyond hearing the Word and into the sign of Jonah.  He invites us to be in fellowship with Him and experience the Savior in a special way.  Paul wrote about this in Romans 6: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.  Christ invites us through our baptism to die with him to sin, raise with him for forgiveness, and be empowered to walk with him in a new life.  We have much to rejoice and celebrate this Easter for all God has done for you and me.  Christ is risen!  Amen.

SDG