Matt. 12:38-41; 16:1-4; Jonah 1:17, Three Days and Nights

Why did Jesus refer to Jonah as a picture of His resurrection?  It might seem pretty obvious.  But before we state the obvious let me remind you of something interesting in the OT, and that is the many times there are references to “three days”.  Let me just mention a few.

·        Gen. 42:17: Joseph put his brothers in prison for three days.  Jesus could have said, “as the sons of Jacob were three days in prison, so the Son of Man will be three days in the prison of hades.”

·        Ex. 15:22: Israel travelled three days after crossing the Red Sea, and found no water.  Jesus could have said, “as Israel was three days without life-giving water, so the Son of Man will be three days without life in the grave.”

·        Josh. 1:11: The Israelites had three days to prepare for crossing over Jordan into the land and their new life there.  Jesus could have said, well, let’s not overdo that idea.

·        1 Sam. 9:20: Saul searched for his lost donkeys three days before Samuel anointed him as king.

·        2 Kings 2:17: The prophets searched three days for Elijah without finding him.

·        1 Chron. 12:39: The armies of Israel celebrated three days after making David king.

·        In Ezra those travelling from Babylon to Jerusalem gathered for three days to begin their journey (8:15) and rested three days upon arrival (8:32).  Ezra gave the men three days to gather to deal with a sin issue (10:8f).  Nehemiah was three days in Jerusalem before he openly challenged the people to rebuild the walls (Neh. 2:11).

All these and several more were for “three days.”  Only one situation was said to be “three days and three nights” and that was the story of Jonah.  So why did Jesus refer to Jonah?  He gives us the answers.  First, Jesus sees the connection between the belly of the great fish and the heart of the earth (12:40).  We are not exactly sure how God sustained Jonah in that fish.  It seems impossible apart from a tremendous miracle.  But what we do see is that Jonah was as good as dead.  If those sailors, who tossed him overboard, ever came across him again they would have been shocked.  And even more so upon hearing how he was delivered.  God prepared that great fish.  God prepared a body for Jesus, His Son, a body that would die and then be resurrected (Heb. 10:5).  That is, by far, a greater miracle than delivering Jonah from death.

Further, Jesus sees the connection between the men of Nineveh who believed the message of the prophet, and this generation who rejected One who was greater than Jonah (12:41).  The rejection of Christ that ends at the cross, and the resurrection of Christ that begins the great outreach to the nations through the Church, there is a strong connection with Jonah’s ministry.  This is what Jesus is saying to the scribes and Pharisees (12:38) and Pharisees and Sadducees (16:1): the only sign you will get is the one involving the resurrection.  The end result will be your condemnation and the salvation of the nations.

Jesus chose the perfect story that speaks of His resurrection.