Something greater. Someone better.

This morning it was my great joy and privilege to call those meeting with Grace Baptist Church Wood Green to lives of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, whose resurrection we celebrate each Lord's Day, and commemorate especially on this day, Easter Sunday. Through no engineering on my part, the series of messages I have been preaching through Jonah brought us to Jonah 2:10:

 "And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land." 

I could not have asked for a better passage, as it feeds naturally into Matthew 12:38-41:

 "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, ‘Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.’ But he answered them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 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.’”

This Easter Sunday, we have something greater than a prophet, and we have someone better than a mere man. We have Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God, who has all authority in heaven and on earth, who saves us, sends us to make disciples, and is present with us for all time (to the end of the age) and in all places (to the ends of the earth).

Something greater than Jonah is here

Jonah was sent to a city. Jesus was sent into the world.

By Jonah’s sacrifice the sailors were saved. By Jesus’ sacrifice everyone who believes on him is saved.

Jonah was cast into the sea to satisfy the wrath of God. Jesus was lifted up on the cross to satisfy the wrath of God, to wash away the sins of the world, to be our perfect representative, to pay the ransom for us, to redeem us. to rescue us, to reconcile us, to restore us, to rock our world and the underworld, to reign in us, through us, and over us as our eternal Lord and Saviour. 

By being thrown into the sea, Jonah brought salvation to the sailors and ultimately Nineveh. By being lifted up on the cross, Jesus brought salvation to the ends of the earth.

Jonah was swallowed up by a great sea creature. Jesus was swallowed up by the grave.

Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish. Jesus spent three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The fish couldn't hold Jonah. The grave couldn't hold Jesus.

The Lord spoke to the fish and it vomited Jonah out. The Lord spoke to His Son, and up from the grave he arose.

Something greater than Jonah is here!

Someone better than Jonah is here

Jonah fled. Jesus was faithful.

Jonah tried to get away from the presence of the Lord. On the night of his betrayal Jesus entered the presence of his Father and prayed 'I would rather this cup of your wrath pass from me nevertheless not my will, but thy will be done’, entrusting his soul to the Father in death.

Jonah slept in the storm because he thought he was beyond the power of God. Jesus could sleep in a storm and calm the storm because he was the power of God.

  

Jonah offered himself up for his own sin. Jesus offered himself up for the sins of the world.

Jonah was broken by the darkness of death. Jesus broke the darkness of death.

Jonah rose spluttering from a mess of fish vomit on the sea shore, a terrified and broken sinner. Jesus rose up having seen no corruption, and triumphant and beautiful Saviour.

God sent Jonah into Nineveh with the message “Yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be destroyed.” God “did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that world might be saved through him…[for] whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:17, 36).

Jonah prayed ‘Judge them or let me die’. Jesus prayed ‘Let me die and forgive them.’

Jonah shook his fists outside the city in judgement. Jesus carried a cross outside the city in mercy.

Jonah was filled with anger for a plant. Jesus was moved with compassion for people.

Jonah sat at rest outside the city waiting for justice. Jesus hung in redemption outside the city pleading for grace.

Someone better than Jonah is here!

Repent and Believe

To sinful people seeking a sign instead of the Saviour, Jesus had only one thing to offer - Himself, the crucified, buried, and resurrected Lord. Rejoice in Jesus Christ if you have trusted in him and dedicate yourself by the Spirit's power to be a disciple and to make disciples through proclaiming the gospel. If you have not trusted in Christ, call upon him now - Jesus is rich in mercy to all who come in repentance and faith to him and will not turn one of these away. If you do not, on the day of Judgement the people of Nineveh who repented in Jonah's time will stand against you, because they repented and believed with far less knowledge than you have. Behold something greater, and indeed, Someone better, is here!