As I was reading Jonah today, I thought about how Jesus compared his death and resurrection to Jonah going into the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. (Matthew 12:39-40).
So as I read today, I thought about how the stories of Jonah and Jesus were both similar and different.
Jonah was the son of the “faithful one.” (“Ammitai” means faithful.)
Jesus was the Son of our faithful God.
Jonah was given a mission to save…and ran away.
Jesus was given a mission to save…and he came willingly in love.
The sailors were unwilling to cast a guilty man into the sea.
The Jews shouted of an an innocent man, “Crucify him.”
It pleased God in both cases to sacrifice one to save the many. And when the man was sacrificed, his wrath ceased.
Through the sacrifice of Jonah, the sailors were saved and worshiped God.
Through the sacrifice of Jesus, we are saved, and came to worship God.
And as Jesus said, as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights and then came out alive, Jesus was in the grave for three days, and came out alive.
The sailors cried out to Jonah, “Maybe this god (of yours) will consider us, and we won’t perish.” (6)
God did consider us, and because he sent his only Son, everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
That’s what this Passion week is all about. So as the sailors did, let us fear God, worship him, and give our lives to him.
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 