Faith in the Power of God unto Salvation - June 25th, 2023

Jonah 1:12–16 KJV 1900

12 And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. 13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. 14 Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee. 15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.

Introduction

CPT: Only when these pagan mariners ceased from their own efforts in humble faith in the foolishness of Jonah’s message did they find the peace from the storm of sin upon their vessel.

Proposition: Faith in the power of God to do as He pleases naturally leads to obedience to His revelation by those who learn to fear Him.

Purpose: MO - Evangelistic; SO - I want my hearers to receive the Word of God, cease from your own efforts, and obey the Gospel to be saved.

Sub-intro:

REVIEW:

I. The Futility of Paganism (Jonah 1:6-7)

Pagans Searching for the Source of Their Troubles

A. The Shipmaster’s Self-preserving Command for Jonah to Arise & Cry (Jonah 1:6)

B. The Sailors’ Confusion about Why the Storm Threatened Their Lives (Jonah 1:7a)

C. The Lord’s Revelation of the Source of Their Troubles in the Lot of the Pagans (Jonah 1:7b)

Transition: Paganism will never completely satisfy. Notice today,

II. The Foolishness of Preaching (Jonah 1:8-11)

Pagans Recognizing the Sovereignty of the Creator

A. The Sailors’ Inquisition of Why Jonah Brought Trouble (Jonah 1:8)

A Ready Witness for a Ready World

Jonah - Reluctant, but Ready nonetheless - he knew his Bible and when the pressure was applied, he was ready to give a Scriptural answer to those who would seek the source of their suffering. Jonah was the cause that brought the knowledge of sin behind their predicament.

“for whose cause this evil is upon us?” - Jonah - a picture of Adam & Eve in bringing sin into the world

B. Jonah’s Confession of His True Master (Jonah 1:9)

A Right Witness from the Right Word

Jonah brought the truth about God from the Bible: Hebrew History; Self-existent Jehovah; Creator of Sea and “dry land”

C. The Sailors’ Terror for Fear of Guilt in Aiding and Abetting Jonah (Jonah 1:10)

A Ratified Witness through a Righteous Wonder

D. The Sailors’ Superstitious Seeking for a Solution to Their Troubles (Jonah 1:11)

A Received Witness by a Repentant Heart

Transition: All the wisdom of paganism is confounded in the foolishness of preaching, which brings us to contemplate,

III. Faith in the Power of God Unto Salvation (Jonah 1:12-2:1)

Pagans & Jonah Receiving the Salvation of Jehovah

A. Jonah’s Desperate Crazy Solution (Jonah 1:12)

A Faith Beyond Human Reason

Jonah 1:12 KJV 1900

12 And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.

Note - “Take me up” - Lit. Lift up me

Note - “cast” same as before

Robber Holds Up Bank to Make Bail

The Bradford (Pennsylvania) Era reported about a thief named Donald Guthrie. He was out on bail for robbing a coin-operated laundry, but when he couldn’t make the payment to his bondsman, he wrote a postdated check and robbed a bank to cover it. Hopping in his car for the getaway, he crashed at a turn. A passerby named Dale Shields stopped at the scene to help. Guthrie, who had suffered severe facial injuries, refused to go to the hospital. He gave Shields a false name and took several things from the crashed car. When Shield’s saw Guthrie’s real name in a newspaper story, he called police, and the star-crossed thief found himself back in to lockup. When we run from the storms of our own making we are likely to go from bad to worse. Jonah did. [Nelson’s Annual Sourcebook]

Jonah - A Type of Christ, the Second Adam

Romans 5:6–11 KJV 1900

6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Cf. 1 Cor. 1:17-2:5

1 Corinthians 1:17–2:5 KJV 1900

17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Discuss 1 Cor. 2:1

1 Corinthians 2:1 KJV 1900

1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

Sad Statement: The preacher was willing to die rather to see lost people get saved. David Jeremiah said, “I am reminded of those pairs of witnesses who knock on our doors several times a year, trying to offer us a gospel that is not even true. They trudge up and down the sidewalks, crossing paths with the young missionary men who traverse our cities on their bicycles spreading yet another false message. They put many of us Christians to shame with their zeal and their energy. We have the true message of salvation in Jesus Christ and yet refuse to lift a finger to tell those who need it.” Jonah instructed the lost to throw him overboard. Jonah told them how they could receive immediate physical relief, but he did not tell them how they could have eternal life with the God that he knew.

Amen statement: Don’t ever ask a backslidden Christian anything about spiritual matters.

It has been well said,

￫ Sin takes you further than you want to go;

￫ keeps you longer than you want to stay;

￫ and cost you more than you want to pay.

[Jack Andrews, Understanding Jonah, The Jack Andrews Expository Studies (Wordsearch, 2010), 34.]

B. The Sailors’ Rational Rejection (Jonah 1:13)

A Faith Beyond Human Resources

Jonah 1:13 KJV 1900

13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.

Note - “dug” in with their oars

People displease God when they fail to acknowledge his control of the weather

In the next verses after Jeremiah 5:22, God rebukes Israel for not acknowledging that he controls their weather:

But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away. They do not say in their hearts, “Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season, the autumn rain and the spring rain, and keeps for us the weeks appointed for the harvest.” Your iniquities have turned these away [that is, the rains and the harvest seasons], and your sins have kept good from you” (Jer. 5:23–25).

Jeremiah 5:23–25 KJV 1900

23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone. 24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear the Lord our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest. 25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.

This passage sounds remarkably similar to the proponents of dangerous global warming today—they fear a fragile, out-of-control climate pattern that will destroy the earth, but “do not say in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives the rain in its season.’ ” This suggests that the underlying cause of fears of dangerous global warming might not be science, but rejection of belief in God.

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul speaks similarly of people who “suppress the truth” about God’s existence and attributes (Rom. 1:18).

Romans 1:18 KJV 1900

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

These people “did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (v. 21). Surely that includes people who did not honor God or give thanks to him for the brilliant order and structure of his creation, so, “claiming to be wise, they became fools” (v. 22) and “exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (v. 25). Such a description could be applied to much of the environmentalist movement, for whom “Mother Earth” rather than the one true God is their highest object of devotion.

Many other passages of Scripture also affirm God’s control over the earth’s weather (see Lev. 26:18–20; Deut. 28:12, 23–24; 2 Sam. 21:1; 1 Kings 17–18; Job 37:9–13; Pss. 107:23–38; 148:8; Amos 4:7–8; Jonah 1:4–16; Matt. 8:26–27).

[Wayne A. Grudem, Politics according to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010), 368.]

C. The Sailors’ Supplication for Salvation (Jonah 1:14)

A Faith that Receives the Word of God by Hearing

What False and Empty Religion failed to achieve, and what every human effort for reformation could never attain, simple, childlike faith in the Word of God through His messenger fully realized, that a substitute for the wages of sin was not only necessary, but provided for their salvation.

Jonah 1:14 KJV 1900

14 Wherefore they cried unto the Lord, and said, We beseech thee, O Lord, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O Lord, hast done as it pleased thee.

Remember - The deliverance portrayed in the book of Jonah is only temporal; but it all points to a truth greater than even what Jonah portrays, and that is that we are in need of eternal deliverance, and that can only be found in believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, the One Who is “Greater than Jonas.”

As Spurgeon wrote: Herein Jonah, who was an eminent type of our Lord Jesus, sets before us the doctrine of substitution, in a figure. Jesus is cast into the sea of wrath, and it becomes calm to us. This is the most glorious of all revealed truths, and most needful to be believed and personally rested in. Jonah, in the verse before us, appears in an amiable light, as clothed with humility, a true penitent, ready to receive chastisement without complaint. 13 Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them. The mildness of Jonah and his deep concern for their safety touched their hearts, and they resolved to save him if they could, but all in vain. In a figure, we are here taught the spiritual truth, that no toiling of our own can save us; it is by the death of the Substitute alone that we can be delivered.

[C. H. Spurgeon, The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1964), 369.]

D. The Sailors’ Salvation by Substitutionary Death (Jonah 1:15-16)

A Faith that Responds to the Word of God by Heeding

Jonah 1:15–16 KJV 1900

15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging. 16 Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.

Note - “took up” - Lit. they lifted up

Everyone in this book eventually calls on God: the sailors, Jonah, and the Ninevites. The Hebrew qaraʾ is translated as both “call” and “cry out”:

1:6:The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish.”

1:14:Then they cried to the Lord, “O Lord, please do not let us die for taking this man’s life.”

2:2:He said: “In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me.”

3:8:But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. [NIVAC]

A Story of Substitutionary Death

Now, here’s what happened that day. Jonah got on board that ship; and not only did God prepare a fish, but God prepared a great wind and God sent a storm. And that storm began to buffet and lash that ship, and beat upon that ship, and it looked like the ship was going down. And Jonah said, “The only way that this ship can be saved is if you throw me overboard. If I am sacrificed, the rest of you are going to be saved.”

Now, what is that a picture of? That is a picture of the vicarious, substitutionary, sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus Christ. That vessel buffeted by those storms pictures lost humanity enduring the wrath of God—the storms of God’s wrath—headed for certain wreck and certain doom upon the reefs of judgment. Jonah, we know, is a picture, in this instance, of the Lord Jesus Christ; and it was necessary that Jonah be sacrificed in order that the others might live.

Now, notice Jonah could not jump overboard. That would have destroyed the picture. Jonah said, “You’re going to have to take me and throw me overboard.” It was a picture that the Lord Jesus Christ has been crucified by our hands. Were you there when they crucified my Lord? Yes, you were there; I was there. And it was for our sins that He suffered, bled, and died. And so Jonah had to be thrown overboard. He had to be sacrificed by them.

Now they didn’t want to do this. They wanted to try some other ways. For example, look, if you will, in verse 5: “Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god”—but false religion could not deliver them—“and [they] cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them.” (Jonah 1:5) Now, not only did false religion not help them, but the self-effort of getting rid of things that were onboard the ship didn’t help them, either. Now so many people will turn to false religion and find no salvation. Many people will try to lighten the ship, as it were, by getting rid of the things in their lives: that lust, and that pride, and that anger, and debauchery, and all of these things. That pictures reformation; but it’s still no good. Look, if you will, in verse 13: “Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not.” (Jonah 1:13) That represents effort, sweat, toil, and tears—but no good.

Now, you see, dear friend, in this congregation today, there will be those who will try some religion other than the Christian religion, some way other than the Lord Jesus Christ, to still the storm within their bosom and the storms of God’s wrath. They cannot do it. False religion can’t do it. There are others of you who think, “Well, somehow, if I can just turn over a new leaf, if I can just reform, if I can just lighten the ship, if I can get these things out of my life, that will be all right. Others of you say, “Well, I’m going to do good things, good deeds. I’m going to row the boat ashore.” You can’t do it. Salvation, Jonah found out, is of the Lord. And one of the great sentences in the book of Jonah is this: “Salvation is of the LORD.” (Jonah 2:9) It is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.” (Titus 3:5) The Bible says, “To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” (Romans 4:5) How glad I am that God has given us back here in the Old Testament a clear and a plain picture, number one, of a substitutionary death. One died for all.

Now, when they cast Jonah overboard, I want you to see what happened when they cast him overboard. Read verses 14 and 15: “Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee …”—that is, what happened here was something that God had ordained and God had guided—“for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee. So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea:”—now, watch this—“and the sea ceased from her raging.” (Jonah 1:14–15) What false worship could not do; what reformation and lightening the ship could not do; what human effort, toil, and tears, and sweat could not do, a substitutionary sacrifice did. Immediately—immediately—the sea ceased. There was calm, there was peace, because, dear friend, God is teaching us right back here in this book of Jonah that there is no way to peace with God except through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s a good place for an amen.

[Adrian Rogers]

E. Jonah’s Supernatural Deliverance by God’s Unexpected and Undeserved Grace (Jonah 1:17-2:1)

A Faith that Rejoices in Power of God Unto Salvation

Jonah 1:17–2:1 KJV 1900

17 Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. 1 Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly,

A Story of Supernatural Deliverance

The One who has “provided” (manah, “assign, number, appoint”) this fish is Yahweh. This verb is used in the intensive Piel form, with the meaning “special assignment” or “ordain” (see Jonah 4:6, 7, 8). This word is used of all the nonhuman agents provided by God to bring Jonah back to his calling. Jonah is swallowed, which usually means death and entering the underworld of Sheol (Num. 16:30; Prov. 1:12). But Jonah is delivered from Sheol (2:2, 6) because the fish has been appointed for an extraordinary deliverance.14 The fish saves Jonah from drowning by swallowing or engulfing (balaʿ) him.

[NIVAC]

Now, listen—listen. Not only was it a picture of a substitutionary death, but it was also a picture of a supernatural deliverance—a supernatural deliverance. Look in Jonah 1:17: “Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” (Jonah 1:17) And, by the way, Jesus said, “As Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights, so the Son of man is going to be in the heart of the earth”—how long?—“three days and three nights.” (Matthew 12:40) . . . .

Father Time met pale King Death

Sittin’ by a tomb.

“Hello, old friend, I guess you’re here

To seal somebody’s doom.”

“You might say that,” sly Death replied.

A smile slid up his face.

“Inside reposes that Jesus man

Who said He’d save the race?

“And you, Time, why you stoppin’ here?

Don’t you have things to do?”

“I come each day to draw the veil

And let the mornin’ through.

“Say, why you watchin’ jus’ one grave,

With all your vast domain?

Looks like you’d be out ramblin’ ’round

And smitin’ folks with pain.”

“Well, this one’s somethin’ special.

He challenged me, they say.

Said He’d rest here just three days

Then stir and walk away.

“Now I’m the conqueror you know,

They don’t talk up to me.

When I steps in to cut ’em down

It’s for eternity.”

“I sure can testify to that,”

Responded Father Time.

“I ain’t seen one shake off the dust

Since you been in your prime.

“Well, I got other things to do,

I must be on my way.

I’ll see you when I come back by

To make another day.”

So whiskered Time went up the hill

To bid the sun to rise.

He left Death standin’ by the tomb

Lookin’ strong an’ wise.

Next day, Time ambled by again,

“And how are things?” he queried.

“Kinda quiet,” Death replied.

“I’m startin’ to be wearied.

“I won’t be here when you come by

About this time tomorrow.

I’m anxious to be on my way,

An’ spread some grief and sorrow.”

Now Father Time was quite surprised

When he came back to see

Death a quiverin’ on the ground

In frightful agony!

His eyes were set, his throat was marked,

His clothes in disarray.

It wasn’t difficult to see

That Death had had his day.

“What happened, Death?” asked Father Time,

“What makes you look so bad?

I’ve never see you shake this way

Or seem so scared and sad.”

Death pulled himself up on a rock

A-lookin’ sick an’ humble.

Hung his head an’ wrung his hands

And Time could hear him mumble.

“Was sittin’ here before the dawn

About to take my stroll

When all at once this whole wide world

Began to reel and roll.

“That rollin’ stone jumped off the door

An’ skipped on down the hill.

Then everything grew dark and quiet,

Seemed like the earth stood still.

“I saw Him standin’ in the door,

He didn’t move or speak,

Just looked at me an’ all at once

I felt so tired and weak.

“He came and got a hold on me,

And threw me to the grou’

Put His foot here on my neck

Then took my keys an’ crown.

“Two angels came to talk with Him,

They glistened like the sun.

He said, ‘The plan’s all finished now,

Redemption’s work is done.’

“As they passed the garden gate

I heard Him say, just then,

He’s settin’ free my captives

And givin’ gifts to men.”

Time and Death met once again

Off yonder by the gate.

“It’s good to see you,” said Old Time,

“I’ve wondered ’bout your fate.”

“I’m just a lowly servant now,

There’s little time to roam,

I just push open this old gate

And help the saints get home!”

—Elwood McQuaid

I like that. Praise the Lord! A story of supernatural deliverance.

[Adrian Rogers, “The Sign of Jonah,” in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Mt 12:38–41.]

Conclusion:

By believing Jonah’s crazy gospel, these pagans came to place their faith in the Jehovah God of Israel, the one true God who is sovereign over all.

These pagans received deliverance from imminent certain destruction and a watery grave.

Jonah received deliverance from and through temporal judgment and loss of future reward.

Whoever you are today, believer or unbeliever alike, you need salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

How do we apply a message like this to make sure that we are not rebelling, rejecting, and gaining wrath, but instead are faithfully offering the hope of the gospel to those around us? Consider four things:

1. Go on the offensive on Monday mornings. When you arrive to work after the weekend, someone may ask you, “How was your weekend?” Make a reply to them that opens an opportunity for the gospel: “I heard a great sermon at church on Sunday that explained how embracing Jesus’ death and resurrection can transform one’s outlook on one’s vocation” (or something similar). Share a 30–60-second synopsis of the main point of the message as it relates to Christ and His work. When you are finished, say, “I would love to share more from the message with you later.” Look for that opportunity and similar ones weekly.

2. Be clear on the gospel and its significance. Jonah did not seem to grasp the significance of his calling to the Ninevites. His message was the only hope for these idol worshipers in the storm of God’s judgment. Similarly, as sinners before the Holy God, people are deserving of His deepest and eternal wrath. Our message about Christ’s substitutionary work as God’s propitiation for sin and as the One who alone defeats death is the only message of hope for lost people.

3. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel clearly, courageously, and humbly. If anyone will give a hearing to the life-saving message of Christ, it will depend on the working of God’s power. As Paul asked of the churches,

Ephesians 6:19–20 KJV 1900

19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

And again,

Colossians 4:3–4 KJV 1900

3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: 4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

4. Actively and regularly invite people within your spheres of influence to Sunday worship services. The gospel should be read, preached, sung, prayed, and displayed (in the ordinances) every Sunday at your church. Therefore, bringing unbelievers to worship with us is one possible means of introducing them to the message of Christ. Use paper invitations, social media, e-mail, text messages, and every possible means to offer them an opportunity to sit in a pew with you. But do not allow these invitations to substitute for verbally proclaiming the gospel. We must open our mouths and share; we must speak, using our words to explain carefully the gospel.

We must speak the good news because our Lord Jesus, when He came down from heaven to a place of great evil—the earth—came using His words:

• His first recorded sermon in the Gospels is, “Repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15).

Mark 1:15 KJV 1900

15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

• He stopped at a well at Samaria and told a woman, “I am He”—the Messiah for whom she was looking (John 4:26).

John 4:26 KJV 1900

26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

• He told Nicodemus, “Except a man [person] be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

John 3:3 KJV 1900

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

• He told crowds of people, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35), “I am the light of the world!” (John 8:12).

John 6:35 KJV 1900

35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 8:12 KJV 1900

12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

This Jesus, for the joy set before Him, went to the Cross, became the propitiation for my sins, became sin for me, bore my sins in His body on a tree, died for my sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again after three days, and along the way saved me through the preaching of the gospel! It should be a little thing for me to tell someone else how He can save them.

[Eric Redmond, William Curtis, and Ken Fentress, Exalting Jesus in Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2016), 11–13.]