What would it mean if someone said to you 'the greatest sign I will perform is the sign of Jonah?'
I'm sure we'd all remember the bit where he's in the belly of a massive fish; at least that's the bit that stands out for me. Especially when he starts singing; it must have been quite a weird sensation for the fish. So we could assume the sign of Jonah would be a marvelous magic trick whereby the victim in question would disappear into the belly of a fish...only to emerge again after three days. Of course the book of Jonah's story has more in it than that. He hears clearly God's voice and clambers on to a boat going in as far the opposite direction as possible. He gets thrown out of the boat and nearly drowns (gets eaten, then thrown up on a beach) hears God's voice and tries to run away a second time, then finally gives in and does what he's told, only to be utterly disappointed with the results. So maybe the sign of Jonah is disappointment. Surely the conclusion to a story reference would be more applicable, not just a pretty extraordinary feature to the narrative. Just like the story of the prodigal son is because 042518. You work it out
Of course the prodigal son is probably a bad example. The familiarity of the story has made term prodigal to mean something utterly different from what it really is. We have this idea the a prodigal would mean someone who walks away from his family, but it doesn't mean that at all. I think in some senses the prodigal son referred to did not think through his words that carefully and perhaps what was said and taken to heart wasn't his basic motive. He was saying he wished his father dead by asking for his share of the inheritance, but I doubt he had thought that far. His living shows that, although the sign sent said 'I'm wishing you dead and getting out of here,' he wasn't bright enough to think about other people. He saw a large wealth, thought half would do him nicely and asked for it. And he went off to live as a prodigal. A prodigal meaning someone who lives lavishly.
Jesus was the one who was claiming his greatest sign would be one of Jonah. And yes (you may have already cottoned on to it) he did go into a tomb (belly) for 3 days before rising again. But was that really what He was referring to? Or, at least, was that the only thing He was referring to? Just as Jesus' life was about His death Jonah's life was about something major too. Jesus, by living established and accomplished many things. Maybe even more than that. His life had new teaching, astonishing claims, fights starting, questions asked, miracles occurring...could that be it? Who knows? I'd like to think I do, or I wouldn't speculate over here.
What miracles did He perform. Well; there was that water into wine moment, and the blind man - wait - men seeing, a couple of the lame walking, some leper cured, a woman cured of bleeding of some kind; then He fed 5000 on one occasion out of a small packed lunch, then fed 4000 on another occasion out of a smaller packed lunch; He calmed the sea, walked on it, told a fig tree to shrivel up and die and the tree didn't argue; He talked to a Samaritan, He went into the houses of prostitutes, and terrorists, Roman collaborators, and thieves, sinners in general in fact. The last set doesn't seem particularly miraculous does it. Maybe stepping out your comfort zone and taking some pepper spray with you just in case, but nothing magnificent.
Besides the fact that the various 'Jesus Critics' if His day weren't particularly happy with His choices, there was a man who wasn't afraid of divides of any nature. (After his resurrection even physical dividing walls didn't put Him off walking through them.) He came into Jewish culture to...'perform the sign of Jonah?'
What was that, really?
Jonah's mission wasn't to get swallowed up into the belly of a fish. His mission was to take the news of God's kingdom to the city of Nineveh which continued to disregard God's threats and go their own way. God stepped in, told Jonah to tell them to repent, and tried to sort the place out. God is concerned about the whole world, not just His own people, it appears. Jonah went into a fully disobedient, sinful city, that didn't know God, told them that if they didn't turn from their ways and worship God they would be destroyed and saw the whole community transform. Jonah wasn't happy, only because Nineveh were His people's enemies. That was the reason Jonah kept wanting to run away, but it wasn't worth his life, fortunately. He turned around in the end.
I'm not saying Jesus didn't come to die. He did. But the accomplishment of His death is one that removes those prejudices, and it's one that Jesus acted out while He was alive as an example of what was possible after His ascension. The idea of this reconciling spirit I discussed somewhat in a post about a month ago. The ultimate description is that Jesus died for a personal salvation and a corporate transformation. What on earth did you think the church was for. Nineveh, as a whole city, turned around. Imagine what could happen in your local community if Jesus was at the centre of it.
I'm sure we'd all remember the bit where he's in the belly of a massive fish; at least that's the bit that stands out for me. Especially when he starts singing; it must have been quite a weird sensation for the fish. So we could assume the sign of Jonah would be a marvelous magic trick whereby the victim in question would disappear into the belly of a fish...only to emerge again after three days. Of course the book of Jonah's story has more in it than that. He hears clearly God's voice and clambers on to a boat going in as far the opposite direction as possible. He gets thrown out of the boat and nearly drowns (gets eaten, then thrown up on a beach) hears God's voice and tries to run away a second time, then finally gives in and does what he's told, only to be utterly disappointed with the results. So maybe the sign of Jonah is disappointment. Surely the conclusion to a story reference would be more applicable, not just a pretty extraordinary feature to the narrative. Just like the story of the prodigal son is because 042518. You work it out
Of course the prodigal son is probably a bad example. The familiarity of the story has made term prodigal to mean something utterly different from what it really is. We have this idea the a prodigal would mean someone who walks away from his family, but it doesn't mean that at all. I think in some senses the prodigal son referred to did not think through his words that carefully and perhaps what was said and taken to heart wasn't his basic motive. He was saying he wished his father dead by asking for his share of the inheritance, but I doubt he had thought that far. His living shows that, although the sign sent said 'I'm wishing you dead and getting out of here,' he wasn't bright enough to think about other people. He saw a large wealth, thought half would do him nicely and asked for it. And he went off to live as a prodigal. A prodigal meaning someone who lives lavishly.
Jesus was the one who was claiming his greatest sign would be one of Jonah. And yes (you may have already cottoned on to it) he did go into a tomb (belly) for 3 days before rising again. But was that really what He was referring to? Or, at least, was that the only thing He was referring to? Just as Jesus' life was about His death Jonah's life was about something major too. Jesus, by living established and accomplished many things. Maybe even more than that. His life had new teaching, astonishing claims, fights starting, questions asked, miracles occurring...could that be it? Who knows? I'd like to think I do, or I wouldn't speculate over here.
What miracles did He perform. Well; there was that water into wine moment, and the blind man - wait - men seeing, a couple of the lame walking, some leper cured, a woman cured of bleeding of some kind; then He fed 5000 on one occasion out of a small packed lunch, then fed 4000 on another occasion out of a smaller packed lunch; He calmed the sea, walked on it, told a fig tree to shrivel up and die and the tree didn't argue; He talked to a Samaritan, He went into the houses of prostitutes, and terrorists, Roman collaborators, and thieves, sinners in general in fact. The last set doesn't seem particularly miraculous does it. Maybe stepping out your comfort zone and taking some pepper spray with you just in case, but nothing magnificent.
Besides the fact that the various 'Jesus Critics' if His day weren't particularly happy with His choices, there was a man who wasn't afraid of divides of any nature. (After his resurrection even physical dividing walls didn't put Him off walking through them.) He came into Jewish culture to...'perform the sign of Jonah?'
What was that, really?
Jonah's mission wasn't to get swallowed up into the belly of a fish. His mission was to take the news of God's kingdom to the city of Nineveh which continued to disregard God's threats and go their own way. God stepped in, told Jonah to tell them to repent, and tried to sort the place out. God is concerned about the whole world, not just His own people, it appears. Jonah went into a fully disobedient, sinful city, that didn't know God, told them that if they didn't turn from their ways and worship God they would be destroyed and saw the whole community transform. Jonah wasn't happy, only because Nineveh were His people's enemies. That was the reason Jonah kept wanting to run away, but it wasn't worth his life, fortunately. He turned around in the end.
I'm not saying Jesus didn't come to die. He did. But the accomplishment of His death is one that removes those prejudices, and it's one that Jesus acted out while He was alive as an example of what was possible after His ascension. The idea of this reconciling spirit I discussed somewhat in a post about a month ago. The ultimate description is that Jesus died for a personal salvation and a corporate transformation. What on earth did you think the church was for. Nineveh, as a whole city, turned around. Imagine what could happen in your local community if Jesus was at the centre of it.
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