The Sign of Jonah - God Enthroned Within

Matthew 12:38-42

Matthew 12:38–42 LEB

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you!” But he answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation desires a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah! For just as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here! The queen of the south will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here!

Pray

I want proof!

I hear this all the time. People want proof that God exist. That God is there . “Proof it”, they say.

That is the biggest fault of the humanist or materialist mind set.

Those who begin human centered a philosophy and a ethical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectedly. Generally prefers critical thinking and evidence over doctrine or faith. There are Christians that are human centered as well. They view God as loving humans more than anything and there for He just wants them to be happy. Which takes away the need to put to death you fleshly desires.

Materialist hold that all emergent phenomena including consciousness are the result of material properties and interactions. Physical realities interacting together. This can leave room for God seeing that God is God. But usually doesn’t because God cannot be proven or disproven. God cannot be studied scientifically.

I think it is a natural desire. That is why my favorite disciple is Thomas who asked for proof. Have you ever felt this way? I have.

The passage we read to day is about people who want proof.

This is a curious passage because looking for proof they don’t get it. Even though he has been healing and forgiving of sins which is kind of like proof. But they don’t think so.

He answers them, “adulterous generation”.

Are we and adulterous generation?

HaShem wants to be the number one thing we declare worth to, out of all the things you declare worth to. As we declare worth to so many things we feel like we need proof or a sign to see what is most important. YHWH has given proof the sign of Jonah.

The Sign of Jonah

Let’s review Jonah (some of you know the story well, some not so well).

Jonah was a prophet somewhere around 750 years before Christ and he was called to go to Nineveh (the capital of the Assyrians) to preach to the people. So he goes the opposite direction, because he doesn’t want to preach to a rival nation let alone the enemy of Israel. While on the way a storm comes long. And after praying to their gods and doing what Jonah should have been doing. Long story short they through him over board and he spends some time in the belly of a great fish.

Then he goes and preaches 8 words to Nineveh and they repent and he gets mad about it, because he wants God to destroy them.

Now, I believe this really happened but many don’t. They believe it’s a parable. It doesn’t really matter to me because you can believe its a parable and miss the point and you can believe it is an actual event and miss the point.

Either way, the sign of Jonah is that Jesus came and died on the cross and was buried and rose from the grave taking away the punishment of the sin for those who will believe in Jesus as Messiah as Christ. Even the queen of Sheba (the queen of the south) who went from Ethiopia to listen to the wisdom of Solomon will condemn those who don’t believe because Jesus is all the sign you need.

People will argue against Good Friday with this passage.

Day 1 = Friday before Sunset Night 1 = Friday sunset - Saturday sunrise Day 2 = Saturday sunrise - Saturday sunset Night 2 = Saturday sunset - Sunday sunrise Day 3 = Sunday sunrise - resurrection

Some count the day before as the first night because Day one would include Night one.

Day 0 = Wednesday 3:00pm - sunset Night 1 = Wednesday sunset - Thursday sunrise Day 1 = Thursday sunrise - Thursday sunset Night 2 = Thursday sunset - Friday sunrise Day 2 = Friday sunrise - Friday sunset Night 3 = Friday sunset - Saturday sunrise Day 3 = Saturday sunrise - Saturday sunset

Day one would be Passover

Day Two Feast of Unleavened Bread

Day Three when he was risen was the Feast of First Fruits. Cool if true He is the First Fruit of the Resurrection.

The truth of the matter is we don’t know. We don’t know what day of the week it was we, we don’t even know what year it was. We have guesses. but we don’t know. I know I will get in trouble from some one out there for saying that.

We can argue these things all we want. They are fun and people argue but the evidence shows us that Jesus was real. There ware eyewitnesses. Even hostile non-Biblical Pagan accounts. Thallus (52 AD), Tacitus (56-100AD), Phleon (80-140AD).

Jewish accounts. Like The Talmud, and Josephus.

He died and He rose no matter how we look at the evidence. Jesus is The Lord and we can nit pick but the truth is we just wont know some things. We do know that He came, lived, died, rose and is now preparing a place for you, and now has left you the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Enthroned

But it is not enough to recognize this truth. God must be enthroned with in.

There are unbelievers who know a good deal about Christianity. Some of them are even tithing members of a church, have been baptized once upon a time, but they have never accepted Jesus personally as their Lord and Savior. They may have just been a church member all their life, but morality and goodness, without commitment to Christ in regeneration will leave an emptiness that will be occupied

A room cannot remain empty. Don’t believe me go clean out a room in your house and see how long it last.

Evil spirits do not always cause people to do evil things. They want you to lie to yourself and make resolutions and clean up your act and be good and believe that is enough.

All of this is dangerous unless Christ is dwelling enthroned within.

To Christians the warning is not to act like unbelievers refusing to follow Christ faithfully unless he shows a sign. If people have a hard time believing (that is, following and serving Christ wholeheartedly) without a sign. Then there is something wrong in their spiritual growth. Faith, Saving faith is based in the word of God.

And God may choose to do miraculous signs

I believe he does them all the time and they should fill us with praise and thanksgiving but they are not the bases of our faith. But the very word of God.

How is your faith?Next Steps

Maybe you are the unbeliever. Maybe you are the one seeking proof. Maybe you have let your house go empty and not filled with the HS. Maybe your are the one desiring to clean out do so with filling of the HS.

Maybe you are the adulterous one.

Needing to be in scriptures more

How is your faith?

Pray