Insolomonsporch's Blog

The Sign of Jonah

“…behold, Someone more and greater than Jonah is here!”  Amp. Mt 12:41

Our Lord Jesus Christ’s life is a life of redemption.  Everything He touches and is given dominion over – He redeems.

The sign of Jonah demonstrates this.  Scripture says Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.  Jonah was in this fish because he disobeyed.  As God’s prophet sent to Nineveh, he was running away from that assignment.  He knew the Ninevites would respond and repent.  He did not want that.  He preferred their destruction.  Yet the Lord clearly identifies His heart in Mt 12:7: I desire mercy rather than sacrifice!

Enter the Redeemer – Who spends three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.  He enters the earth by way of obedience to His contract with the Father to redeem all mankind, to suffer on the cross, and to die for our sins.  But symbolically here, He is also over-writing the disobedience and rebellion of Jonah (whose name by the way means “Dove”).  From Mt 11:29 Jesus has been setting up parallels for our understanding.  There He speaks about His yoke – how we should take it upon ourselves and learn of Him.  At this point, we might be tempted to think of this yoke strictly in physical terms – a yoke of force perhaps.  However, that perception would be inaccurate.  I think Jesus is speaking more of His own heart and His way (check out Jer 6:16).  His way is obedience to the Father in everything!  It is His food, which is the “joy” set before Him. It sustained Him through every sacrifice.  It is also what He speaks of in John 17:13 as the reason for His joy/delight/enjoyment/and gladness.  He conveys to us that the heart of His way is obedience — but its manifestation and source is love! This is the yoke that is easy, and the burden that is light.  This is a way that prefers mercy, not sacrifice – certainly NOT the sacrifice of Ninevites or any other ites for that matter.  He has already made THE sacrifice!

What we witness here is Jesus’ redemption of a type, a shadow, and of a reality.  Just like only good fruit comes from a good tree, and good things can only come from the good within the inner man, now the Lord has made a way for good to be able to come out of the heart of the earth.  He has created a new choice – for good.

Perhaps it may seem a small thing, but it reveals the extent to which our Redeemer has redeemed and made it possible for you and me to know Him.  He has indeed moved heaven and earth, that nothing should obstruct our chance to be His!  Be-loved!