Most people, when they hear the name Jonah, think of the prophet who was swallowed by a fish. Unfortunately, they do not understand the real significance of the story or how it reveals the quality or nature of their faith. In the West there are many who say that they believe in Jesus Christ to a certain extent, but that they do not believe the story of Jonah. In the East there are many who say that they believe in the story of Jonah but who deny that Jesus Christ was crucified, was buried and then rose from the dead. But in reality, God has not left either of these possibilities open to us. If we truly believe in Christ, then we must also believe the story of Jonah. If we truly believe the story of Jonah then we must also believe that Christ rose from the dead. How is it possible to make these assertions? Let’s explore it further.
The reason that people give for not believing in the story of Jonah is that miracles either cannot happen, or that God does not perform miracles. Some people thought this way even when Jesus was on the earth. For example, in Acts 23:8 it is written, “For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit…” It is obvious that people who think like this will not believe the story of Jonah, because it is based on miracles. If miracles cannot take place, then the story of Jonah must be false. This philosophical position, that is that miracles cannot occur, was one of the reasons the Jewish leaders rejected Jesus. Acts 5:17 tells us, many of the Jewish leaders belonged to the party of the Sadducees: “But the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees)…” These men, and all people who reject miracles cannot have a strong faith in Jesus because He performed miracles in order to demonstrate that God had sent him. He said, “If I don’t do the works of my Father, don’t believe me. But if I do them, though you don’t believe me, believe the works; that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” (John 10:37-38)
On the other hand, those who accept the story of Jonah but reject the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus do so because such a death is shameful. According to their way of thinking, God would never allow His prophet to undergo such humiliation. And so, these people put themselves in the place of God. They have determined in their own minds what God should do and what He should not do. Because of this prejudice they reject the very means that God has provided for their salvation from sin. The Jewish leaders displayed this same attitude toward Christ. The gospel of John chapter 7, verses 43 through 52 says: “So there arose a division in the multitude because of him. Some of them would have arrested him, but no one laid hands on him. The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees therefore answered them, “You aren’t also led astray, are you? Have any of the rulers believed in him, or of the Pharisees? But this multitude that doesn’t know the law is accursed.” Nicodemus (he who came to him by night, being one of them) said to them, “Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?” They answered him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search, and see that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”
Because of their prejudice these men had concluded that no prophet could come from Galilee. Therefore, since they put more importance on their own reasoning than on God’s plan, the rulers concluded that Jesus could not be God’s prophet because He came from the town of Nazareth in Galilee.
The conclusion of the rulers was a very simple one. If prophets cannot come from Galilee, then Jesus could not be a prophet. If miracles cannot occur, then Jesus did not perform them. In view of this is it any wonder that the rulers decided that Jesus was not who He claimed to be? After Jesus had been crucified, “…the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together to Pilate, saying, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Command therefore that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest perhaps his disciples come at night and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He is risen from the dead;’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” (Matthew 27:62-64)
Jesus had a very straightforward answer for those who refused to believe. In Matthew 12:38-41 it is written: “Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here.”” On another occasion, “The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven. But he answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ In the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can’t discern the signs of the times! An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” He left them, and departed.” (Matthew 16:1-4)
By giving the example of Jonah, Jesus at one stroke dealt with both of the objections that were raised against him. Do you say that prophets don’t come from Galilee? In that case consider Jonah. He came from Gath-Hepher which is only about two and one half miles from Jesus’ home town of Nazareth. Have you concluded that miracles don’t occur and therefore Jesus’ miracles were done by deceit? Then consider Jonah. Jesus is plainly saying, “I have shown you many miracles and signs that I am God’s prophet, but you still will not believe. When you kill me I will perform the greatest miracle of all by rising from the tomb. If that will not convince you, then nothing will, and you will be condemned by your lack of faith.”
And so, the story of Jonah and the story of Jesus are tightly linked together. If you reject one, then you must reject the other also. As Jonah was swallowed by the fish, Jesus was buried in the tomb. As Jonah was given new life, Jesus rose from death.
Now this raises a very important question. Is there anything in my life that is preventing me from believing? Does my philosophy conflict with God’s word? Am I trying to place limits on God’s actions by my prejudice rather than accepting His actions even though I may not understand them? As the scripture says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12) Perhaps you are wondering why not believing in Jonah or the resurrection of Jesus would lead to death. The answer is that Christ’s death, burial and resurrection are part of God’s plan to save sinners from hell. Without Christ’s resurrection there is no hope of being saved. The Apostle Paul explained it this way: “Now if Christ is preached, that he has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, neither has Christ been raised. If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, and your faith also is in vain. Yes, we are found false witnesses of God, because we testified about God that he raised up Christ, whom he didn’t raise up, if it is so that the dead are not raised. For if the dead aren’t raised, neither has Christ been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have only hoped in Christ in this life, we are of all men most pitiable.” (I Corinthians 15:12-19) So you see, the resurrection of Christ, and therefore the story of Jonah have a direct impact on our salvation.