Jesus is Greater than Jonah

Jonah 1:1–16 NIV

The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 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 so that we will not perish.” Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?” He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.) The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.

Introduction: How Can a good God allow people to be evil to each other? How does God respond towards people who want to be evil to us?

I feel these are the questions that the book of Jonah is trying to answer.

We have rivals

Jonah’s Call to Preach to the Ninevites

Why does he run? - We get the reason in Chapter 4

Jonah 4:2 NIV

He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

Jonah 4:2 NIV

He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.

Is it because he is racist? Is it because they are not Jewish? Is it because he does not care about the great commission?

Likely it is Jonah’s sense of Justice....

Assyria - the Cruelist people of their time.

Jonah’s call is like one of us being called to walk into an ISIS camp and start preaching the Good News of Jesus. What do you think would happen to you?

These are Jonah’s/Israel’s rivals.

Jonah Runs - Everything he can do to avoid. - The ironies

We have all kinds of rivals -

Political Rivals

Bullies at School

Simply violent and wicked people - School shootings, North Korea, etc..

Does God have rivals?

God Has Rivals

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 5

10 For if, while we* were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, by much more, having been reconciled, we will be saved by his life.

All of humanity in rebellion to him. - destroying His good creation - Violence

Assyria we could consider to be God’s rivals, and it was time to bring them to justice.

We must remember, that even though Israel was not as cruel as Assyria they were also in rebellion. -

We also in our sin nature have been in rebellion towards God, just as Jonah is by running away from God’s call.

But What is God’s approach to his Rivals....

Romans 5:10 NIV

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!

God’s Mission is to Redeem Rivals

The Sailors - Pagan, possibly Philistines

They are the one’s saved and who Worship God in this Story

Jonah for a while does not seem to care

But God does

He Cares about Jonah - His Prophet, to give him a second chance.

He Cares about His enemies - Assyria - To Warn Them.

Jonah - The Plant of Shade - God’s Message, “Aren’t people more important than this Plant?”

While Scarry - God showed himself to the Sailors, and they were saved.

Palm Sunday Connection - Jesus Clearing the Temple

“My House is to be a House of Prayer to All Nations.

Our Mission is to Serve - People Not Like us.

We often want to run like Jonah

We are to join God in our desire for their salvation.

Our Mission is to Share the Good News - As a warning and for redemption.

Difficult People in the Church.

“Yes,” We must confront bad behavior - Church Discipline

But the Goal is restoration.

Conclusion: Take Palm Branch home and keep it while it withers - As a Reminder of Jonah’s Lesson, People are more important than the Palm Branch, and God does not want them to wither.

https://dskidsermons.com/2016/10/18/november-6th-2016-all-saints-sunday/

Reference the Reformed Confessions: The Reformed Confessions are statements of faith written to clarify the Gospel at times when the Church was in crisis. Heidelberg Chatechism: Q&A 54 Belgic Confession: Articles 17 Canons of Dort: Head I, Articles 2-4 Belhar Confession: Articles 2-5