Jonah: Jesus is a Better Jonah

The Gospel and Jonah:

Jonah pictured the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Jonah boarded a ship to run from God. God sent a great storm that threatened the lives of all that were on board. The seamen attempted to save themselves, but failed. When the seamen asked how to be saved from the storm, Jonah said, "Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you (Jonah 1:12)." Jonah had to die for those on the ship to be saved. Jesus had to die for those on the earth to be saved. Jonah gave up his life. Jesus gave His life.

Jonah's body was in the fish's belly for 3 days. Jesus was in the tomb for 3 days. Jonah was then seen alive and preached to the people of Nineveh. Jesus was also seen alive and preached to His disciples.

The one sign that Jesus gave to prove His identity was the sign of Jonah. His critics demanded a sign. (Matthew 12:38-40, Luke 11:30)

Group Discussion Questions: (Possible answers are in italics)

The book of Jonah is filled with valuable information and lessons for our lives. Discuss how the following points are reflected in the book of Jonah, and how they relate to you:

• The Sovereignty of God
God employs his creation to accomplish His divine plan. The Lord controlled the elements of weather, and he prepared a large fish, a vine, and a worm to do his work.

• God's Interest in All People
God has compassion for all of the people of the earth. The sending of the missionary, Jonah, to these Gentile Ninevites was a clear demonstration of this.

• God is in Control
The Lord is in control of the destiny of nations. Nineveh was given forty days to repent. As a result, the nation was spared destruction for about a century and a half. Later, however, when Assyria degenerated again, she was destroyed and the prophet, Nahum, addresses this very matter. Nineveh fell to the Babylonians in 612 B.C.

• Mankind is Accountable to the Lord
The book of Jonah demonstrates that people who were outside of the Mosaic covenant relationship with Jehovah were still accountable to Heaven's moral law. Jehovah looked down upon Nineveh and observed the wickedness of this people.

• People Can Change
Jonah ran, then repented. The people of Nineveh were enemies of God, then saw their need for Him.

• Repentance Requires Work
Repentance requires a turning away from evil conduct. Jesus declared that "the men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah" (Mt. 12:41), while the book of Jonah says that God "saw their works, that they turned from their evil way" (Jonah 3:10).

Why is it important to see how the book of Jonah points to Jesus?

The past 4 weeks, we've placed ourselves in Jonah's shoes, and have realized how our sin is just like Jonah's. But when we compare Jonah to Jesus, we see that Jesus accomplished the mission without sin. What does this tell you about Jesus?

The Ninevites were lost, far from God, and enemies of Him. But God sent Jonah to them. What does this remind you about God, Jesus, and yourself?

We'll completely miss the importance of Jesus in the story of Jonah if we're not looking for it. We'll also completely miss what God is telling us if we're not searching and listening for Him. What have you seen/heard/learned/applied from the book of Jonah that has drawn you closer to God?

If you were to tell someone why God's Word (from the scriptures of Jonah) has been important for your life, what would you say?