Jonah and Jesus

 Jesus drew specific parallels between himself and the prophet Jonah.  Commonly, we know Jonah as the quirky and petulant Old Testament prophet who tried to run from God and was swallowed up by a big fish.  

Everyone knows the story of Jonah and the whale.  But certainly Jonah wasn't one of the greats like Elijah or Isaiah or Ezekiel.   His story seems almost comical, by comparison.  And yet Jesus himself, as well as the gospel writers later, made direct and indirect references to Jonah in Matthew 12:38 -

³⁸ Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

³⁹ He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.

 Luke records the same message.  Luke 11:29 -

²⁹ As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. ³¹ The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here. ³² The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here.

Jesus references Jonah in two ways.  The phrase “sign of Jonah” was used by Jesus as a typological metaphor for His future crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Jonah was a type of Christ, who underwent a metaphorical death and resurrection.  But also, Jesus presents himself as a prophet, exactly as Jonah was, calling the nation of Israel to repent.  He styles himself as "greater than Jonah", as of course, he was.  

As Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.  Jonah preached that the city of Ninevah would be destroyed by the wrath of God in 40 days unless they repented.  Jesus preached that the City of Jerusalem would be destroyed in 40 years by the wrath of God unless they repented.  Jesus wasn't simply an itinerant rabbi preaching personal repentance, illustrated with picturesque stories.  He talked about the coming Kingdom of Heaven, and of sudden destruction coming upon those who were not prepared for the return of the wealthy landowner.  His parallels to Jonah accentuate the seriousness of his message and his mission.  He didn't simply come to earth to be killed by the Temple priests.  He also came to warn of the coming destruction by the Roman occupiers.

Ironically, the Ninevites were presented with the option to listen to the prophet Jonah, to repent and turn to God.  The Jews of Jesus day were presented with the same choice and rejected it.

Jesus Calms the Storm

The synoptic gospels all record the event of Jesus and his disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee and being overtaken by a storm.

Luke 8: 22

²² Now on one of those days Jesus and His disciples got into a boat, and He said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they launched out. ²³ But as they were sailing along He fell asleep; and a fierce gale of wind descended on the lake, and they began to be swamped and to be in danger. 

²⁴ They came up to Jesus and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm. ²⁵ And He said to them, “Where is your faith?” But they were fearful and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?”

Matthew records it in 8:23

23When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves; but Jesus was sleeping. 25The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

26“You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm.

27The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

 

It is clear that this incident is remarkably similar to the story of Jonah being cast into the sea.  But something unusual becomes apparent between the figures of Jonah and Jesus.  Jesus, in many ways, is the exact opposite of Jonah.  Jonah is a reversed type of Jonah.  Let's examine some specific parallels.

1. Jonah was reluctant to obey the will of God and actively tried to disobey, though eventually he followed God.

  Jesus was willing to obey God's will, even to the death on the cross.  Though he did have moments of reluctance, yet he said, "nevertheless, not my will but thine."

2.  Jonah fled from God's will by taking a boat in the opposite direction.

  Jesus was in the midst of his ministry and took a boat to continue his preaching in furtherance of God's will.

3.  Jonah went down to Joppa, down into the boat, down into the hold, lay down, and fell into a deep sleep.  Then he was thrown down into the water and down into the belly of the big fish, and down into the depths of the sea.  Jonah prays to the Lord from, "...deep in the realm of the dead... you hurled me into the depths.  To the roots of the mountains I sank down."    His trajectory in every case is downward.

 

For Jesus, the imagery is constantly upward.  He came up out of the water of baptism and was blessed by God as the heavens opened, he went up to the mount of transfiguration, for his Sermon on the Mount he "went up on the mountain." When speaking to his disciples about the End times in the Olivet Discourse, he spoke from the Mount of Olives.  He talks about himself, "and if I be lifted up from the earth..." in crucifixion.

³¹ Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.³² And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.³³ This he said, signifying what death he should die.

Jesus went up to Jerusalem, and up to the Temple Mount to contend with the pharisees. Jesus referred to himself as coming on the clouds.  Paul says that we will meet with the Lord in the air. His resurrection is referred to as being "risen".  And he ascended into heaven.

4. Jonah knew what was happening to him in the storm, knew that the only way through the chaos was for him to be thrown into the sea.  All this was due to his disobedience.  

Jesus also knew what was to come for him, and knew that "this cup" could not pass from him.  Jesus knew that the only way to accomplish his mission was to be killed.  All this was due to humanity's disobedience.

5. The people of Nineveh repented of their evil ways (Jonah 3:4–10) after hearing Jonah’s call for repentance, while the Pharisees continued in their unbelief despite being eyewitnesses to the miracles of Jesus. Jesus was telling the Pharisees that they were culpable for their unbelief, given the conversion of the people of Nineveh, sinners who had received far less evidence than the Pharisees themselves had witnessed. 

 

6.   From the time of Jonah’s preaching, the people of Nineveh had 40 days to repent, and they did, sparing their city from destruction. From the time of Jesus’ preaching, the people of Jerusalem had 40 years, but they did not repent, and Jerusalem was destroyed.

 

7. Jesus fell asleep in the rear of the ship.  Jonah was sleeping in the bottom of the ship.

 

8.  A great wind and severe waves threatened both ships.

 

9.  Jonah was accompanied by skilled sailors who nevertheless could not save the ship.

Jesus was accompanied by skilled fishermen who nevertheless could not save the ship.

 

10.  The captain came to Jonah and wakened him,  talking of perishing.

The disciples came to Jesus to wake him, talking of perishing.

 

11.  Jonah knew that the storm was from God and that God was in control of it.

Jesus knew that as part of the Trinity, he could control the storm.

 

12.  The sailors were reluctant to sacrifice Jonah and questioned him closely.

Both Pilate and the soldiers at his crucifixion had deep questions about the guilt of Jesus and his execution.

13.  The sailors pleaded to God for innocence of the death of Jonah.

Jesus pleaded for the innocence of the soldiers causing his death.  "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do."

14. Jonah intentionally sacrificed himself to save the whole crew.

Jesus intentionally sacrificed himself to die for the whole world

15.  When God's will was obeyed for Jonah, there was an immediate calm.

When Jesus exerted his will over the storm, there was an immediate calm.

 

16.  The sailors feared, marveled, and obeyed.

The disciples feared, marveled and obeyed

 

17.  Jesus descended into Hades.

Jonah descended into Sheol

 

18.  Jonah spent three days in the belly of the fish

Jesus spent three days in a tomb.

 

19.  Jonah was released from the fish and set on dry land

Jesus was resurrected from the grave and walked in the Garden.

 

20.  Jonah warned Nineveh of destruction in 40 days

Jesus warned Jerusalem of destruction in 40 years.

 

21.  Jonah looked for shade from a tree, but God caused it to wither

Jesus looked for fruit from a tree, and when it was barren He caused it to wither.

 

21 Jonah carried a message of repentance to a non-Jewish nation.

Jesus carried a message of repentance to the Jewish people.

22.  Jonah's figurative death and resurrection would lead to the repentance and salvation of the people that the people of Israel despised.  (the Assyrians, who eventually took the northern kingdom into captivity.)

The death and resurrection of Jesus would lead to the repentance and salvation of the Gentiles, whom the Jews despised.