The Sign of Jonah. ( Matthew 12: 38-45

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The Sign of Jonah, Further Proof. ( Matthew 12:38-45) 

Introduction.

Over the years as I have talked to people about the Lord, I have people say to me on occasion, I want proof. When I hear that my usual response is to talk to about prophecy, about how the OT made lots of prediction about the Messiah and how Jesus Christ fulfilled those prophecies. That had a reasonable amount of success probably about up to around 20 years ago when most people had some degree of biblical literacy, but now days a great many people know nothing about the Bible and so they often now say, I want more proof than that. So what should we do when that happens? Do you think there is a right answer that will persuade most of the people most of the times, or maybe just some of the people some of the time. Well, that very thing happened to Jesus himself and let me show you what Jesus said.

38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here

(Matthew 12: 38-41)

I. The Request for a Sign

II. Jesus Responds

III. The Sign of Jonah

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

(Matthew 12: 40-41)

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Transcript

The Sign of Jonah, Further Proof. ( Matthew 12:38-45) 

Introduction.

Over the years as I have talked to people about the Lord, I have people say to me on occasion, I want proof. When I hear that my usual response is to talk to about prophecy, about how the OT made lots of prediction about the Messiah and how Jesus Christ fulfilled those prophecies. That had a reasonable amount of success probably about up to around 20 years ago when most people had some degree of biblical literacy, but now days a great many people know nothing about the Bible and so they often now say, I want more proof than that. So what should we do when that happens?

Have you ever talked to people about the Lord, and they weren’t convicted? Today that probably the same thing as just me asking to have you ever talked to someone about the Lord. The standard response nowadays is, I’m not convinced. So, what should you do? Do you think there is a right answer that will persuade most of the people most of the times, or maybe just some of the people some of the time. Well, that very thing happened to Jesus himself and let me show you what Jesus said. TWMT.

38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here

(Matthew 12: 38-41)

I              The Request for a Sign

This passage begins with the request from the scribes and the Pharisees they simply say give us a sign. That’s tantamount to saying I want more proof. Jesus responds to that and then he gives them the results of what’s really happening. I want us to begin by looking at their request and then we’ll see what he gave in a response the request is stated. In verse 38 they said teacher we want to see a sign from you. To appreciate that statement you need to remember what’s transpired in the Gospel of Matthew up to this point. As you’ll recall those of you who’ve listened to me so far as we’ve gone paragraph by paragraph verse by verse through this book, Jesus has done many miracles prior to this as a matter of fact in just chapters eight and nine of the Gospel of Matthew we are given one miracle right after another. 

The point is that prior to this there has been a lot of miraculous supernatural things going on ,in fact this whole discussion comes out of something that happened in this chapter where he once again cast out a demon and the pharisee said we don’t accept that as an act of God. So they say to him give us a sign, that’s like saying give us more proof we want something else. In light of all that’s transpired in the Gospel of Matthew it’s apparent that that’s what is going on after all this happened you can’t but ask what else could they possibly want. What did they want him to do, I mean when he had raised somebody from the dead what else could you possibly be asking for, but that is precisely what is going on here?

When people say to me, I want more proof, I can’t say this but since this was spoken, we have record of Jesus doing a lot more he died on the cross and personally arose from the dead. The apostles under the influence of the Holy Spirit gave us the New Testament and we have 2000 years of the work of the Lord on the earth in terms of what’s going on right now. One thing you can see is that the Lord is changing people’s lives, he is changing sinners into Saints. Not perfect people but people who know the Lord and their lives are radically changed because of their encounter with Christ. He’s doing stuff, he’s working today, and people see it and they still say I want more proof. 

II             Jesus Responds

All right that’s the request, in verse 38, what is his response that’s going to take us to the us beginning in verse 39, where he answered,  “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! 

Let’s just pause right there, he calls them an evil and adulterous generation, he’s not talking about the adultery in the sense of sexual immorality, he is saying you are evil in the sense that God and he, by his actions and teaching, have already given them plenty of evidence. I’ve given you plenty of opportunity and you still haven’t got what he’s telling and showing them, which is unbelievable. To call them an adulterous generation spiritually is something the Old Testament did many times, it is full of those kinds of accusations. God chose Israel and they became idolatrous, and they are then charged with being spiritually adulterous meaning they were unfaithful to the God that had called out of the world to be in a special relationship with him. So what Jesus means by this is that you are faithless you have not believed the message that’s been delivered to you over and over again.

If you just read this chapter, he cast out a demon and they said he did it by the power of the devil and not by the power of the Holy Spirit. So he continues he says in verse 39 no sign will be given to you except the sign of the prophet Jonah, so what does that mean. Look he says, I’m done giving you signs I’m not giving you anymore but there is one there is one I’ll tell you about, the sign of the prophet Jonah.

III            The Sign of Jonah

So, what is the sign of the prophet Jonah.

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

(Matthew 12: 40)

What he’s doing is he’s using the story of Jonah as an illustration, you may remember the story God told Jonah to go preach at Nineveh, who at that time was the arch enemy of Israel . They were also known for being a cruel people so Jonah went in the opposite direction. But God said that look you didn’t accept the message I want you to go so he shall we say used a little persuasion by causing the storm to come up in the middle sea around the boat that Jonah was trying to get away in. The crew recognised that Jonah was the cause of their problems, so they threw him overboard and giant fish swallowed him whole. He was in that fish for three days and three nights and then the fish couldn’t stomach either and throws him ashore and finally Jonah goes to Nineveh and preaches there. Jesus is saying just like Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, I am going to be what he says is in the heart of the earth which is a reference to the three days and three nights after he dies on the cross but I’m going to come back again. Simply put this is saying the one sign I will give you is of the resurrection I’m going to die I’m going to be 3 days and three nights and I am going to come back from the dead.

The details of the story aren’t important at this time, and I will hopefully look at this story in great details sometime in the future when we get to study the actual book of Jonah itself. The point is it’s an illustration, Jesus is using it as a sign of his resurrection. So Jesus is saying I’m done giving you signs I have already giving you plenty, you don’t need any more signs in order to make a decision about me. But here is just one more, I’m going to give you, yes, the resurrection.

Whole books have been written on the resurrection but basically Jesus was died and taken down from the cross by the Romans who put seal on the tomb and guards around it.  God came down supernaturally removed the stone during the night,  the historical record tells us when they went inside the tomb it was empty. His grave clothes laying on the slab, you know they wrapped the body in those times, it was as if the body had evaporated through the grave clothes. There are also witness account of him appearing to people after these events, on one occasion he appeared to 500 people at once. Jesus came back from the dead and Jesus says hetre, you want more proof, alright I’m going to give you that in the future by my resurrection.

The Roman Caesars are all dead, Mohammed is dead, Karl Marx is dead, Buddha is dead. You can name these religious leader one by one they all eventually die and stay there, but the unique claim of Christianity is that Jesus died and then conquered death. He spoke again and threw his beloved disciple John when he said and I quote the revelation, “I am he that lives and dies and was dead and behold I am alive forevermore,  and have the keys of hell and death”. Revelation chapter 1, a deep crowning proof of Christianity is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let me tell you everything is pinned on that, so much so is that the apostle Paul says, “if Jesus Christ did not come back from the dead then our faith is in vain”.

The whole point here is these people haven’t believed anything he said they haven’t believed any evidence he’s given they haven’t accepted any proof that he’s offered they have rejected all of it that’s why he calls them a an evil and adulterous and faithless generation. What he does next he’s responded to their request he’s now going to give them the result of their unbelief. Verse 41.

The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.

(Matthew 12: 41)

So he responds to their request and says I’ll give you a sign, it’s my resurrection and I’ll also tell you the result if you reject that what’s left for you. He uses a couple of illustrations again he talks about the men of Nineveh who heard Jonah preach and they got it they repented. Jonah chapter 4 says that when he preached they believe  So they changed their mindset and they trusted the Lord. What Jesus is saying is they had Jonah, but you have . The found grace because they responded to Jonah but today someone greater than Jonah is here, remember Jonah was a sinful rebellious servant, and they still found the forgiveness of God by listening to him.  Jesus is the sinless son of God; they had Jonah and they listened to him  and they got it. You’ve listened to the son of God himself and you didn’t get it. Jonah didn’t work any miracles and Jesus has worked dozens and scores and no doubt hundreds of miracles and you didn’t get it. Jonah was a minor prophet, but Jesus is the Messiah himself and they got, and you didn’t. So he’s saying even the people of Nineveh will stand in judgement of you because they are greater than you because of the message that Jonah gave them.

He then gives another illustration verse 42, but we will look at that next time.