Category: Jonah Devotionals

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Jonah Devotionals

Better to die?

Book of Jonah

What’s striking in this passage is Jonah’s attitude toward people headed for destruction in contrast to Jesus’.

When God spared the Ninevites because of their repentance, Jonah was furious. He wanted them to perish.

After all, they were the enemies of the Jews. And since the Jews were God’s people, weren’t the people of Nineveh enemies of God?

So when God showed mercy to the Ninevites , Jonah screamed, “Lord, take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

It strikes me that Jesus said the very same thing to the Father, but for very different reasons.

Jesus saw us hurting because of our sin. He saw a people headed for hell.

And with great love and compassion, he said to the Father, “Father, take my life from me. For it is better for me to die on the cross for their sins, than to simply live here with you and watch them die.”

That’s the love Jesus had for you and me.

May we have that same compassion for those who are perishing around us.

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Jonah Devotionals

Salvation

Book of Jonah

I’ve really been looking at Jonah through different eyes which has been kind of cool.

Here we see Jonah’s cry from the fish, but we also see Jesus in kind of a reverse mirror image. Jonah, of course suffered for his own sin. Jesus suffered for ours. But that aside, the parallels are remarkable.

Like Jonah, Jesus was thrown into the waves of death.

Like Jonah, Jesus cried out, “I have been banished from your sight. Why have you forsaken me?” (4)

But like Jonah, though Jesus sunk to the pit, he was raised again.

The Father heard his cry, raised him from the grave, and brought him, not to the earthly temple, but the real one in heaven, where Jesus presented the blood he had shed on our behalf.

By his faithful love, Jesus offered the perfect sacrifice and fulfilled his vows to the Father. And in so doing, he fulfilled the meaning of his name, “The Lord saves.”

Or as Jonah cried out,

“Salvation belongs to the Lord.” (9)

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Jonah Devotionals

And the lot fell on…Jesus

Book of Jonah

I was reading Jonah again today, and again thought about the parallels between Jesus and Jonah.

I didn’t talk about it yesterday, but it did strike me that both in the boat and at the cross lots were cast.

Coincidence? Maybe. Certainly, the casting of lots were for totally different purposes.

At the cross, it was to decide who would get Jesus’ garment.

In the boat, it was to decide who was responsible for the storm.

In verse 7, it says,

So they cast lots, and the lot singled out Jonah. (Jonah 1:7)

My first thought was that had Jesus been in the boat, the lot would have fallen on everyone else but Jesus.

But then I thought about the cross.

If lots had been cast that day to decide who was guilty, who was responsible for all the tragedy, all the pain, all the evil in the world, who would have it fallen on?

If Jesus had stood on one side, and we on the other, who would have it fallen on?

Obviously it should have fallen on us.

But on that day, 2000 years ago, it fell on Jesus.

Not because he was at fault. But because he took all the blame that we deserved on himself.

As Isaiah said,

But he was pierced because of our rebellion,
crushed because of our iniquities;
punishment for our peace was on him,
and we are healed by his wounds.

We all went astray like sheep;
we all have turned to our own way;
and the Lord has punished him
for the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:5-6)

Thank you Jesus, that 2000 years ago, the lot fell on you. That you took the blame for all our sin. And that because you did, I can now have peace with the Father.

May I never take for granted what you did for me on that day. In your name I pray, amen.

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Jonah Devotionals

Reluctant savior. Willing Savior.

Book of Jonah

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.