Matthew 12:38-41 something greater than Jonah is here

Matthew 12:38-41

³⁸ Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”

³⁹ He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰ For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here.

Topic: something greater than Jonah is here

In today's reading from Matthew 12:38-41, we hear Jesus speaking to the scribes and Pharisees, who ask him for a sign that would prove his authority. In response, Jesus tells them that "an evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." He goes on to say that just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

But then Jesus says something that must have left the scribes and Pharisees scratching their heads: "The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here."

What does Jesus mean when he says "something greater than Jonah is here"? Let's take a closer look.

First of all, we need to understand who Jonah was and what he represented. Jonah was a prophet who was called by God to preach to the people of Nineveh, a city known for its wickedness. But Jonah didn't want to go to Nineveh, so he tried to run away from God by boarding a ship heading in the opposite direction. But a storm arose, and Jonah realized that he was the cause of it. He asked the sailors to throw him overboard, and he was swallowed by a great fish. After three days and three nights in the fish's belly, Jonah prayed to God for deliverance, and God caused the fish to vomit him up on the shore.

Jonah finally went to Nineveh and preached to the people there, telling them that God was going to destroy the city if they didn't repent. To Jonah's surprise, the people of Nineveh listened to him and repented of their sins. God relented and did not destroy the city.

So what does all of this have to do with Jesus and his statement that "something greater than Jonah is here"? Well, Jesus is saying that he is greater than Jonah because he is the one whom Jonah was prophesying about. Jesus is the one who will spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, just as Jonah spent three days and three nights in the fish's belly. And just as Jonah preached repentance to the people of Nineveh, Jesus is preaching repentance to all people.

But there's another important point here. Jesus is saying that the people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment and condemn the scribes and Pharisees, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, but the scribes and Pharisees are not repenting at the preaching of Jesus, who is greater than Jonah. This is a warning to all of us that if we do not repent and turn to God, we will be condemned at the judgment.

So what should we take away from this passage?

First, we should recognize that Jesus is greater than Jonah, and that his message of repentance is the most important message we will ever hear. We should take his words seriously and turn away from our sins, just as the people of Nineveh did. Jesus here is comparing himself to Jonah for the sake of our understanding. The Pharisees and the Scribes the ability to comprehend a story that ran deep in their tradition, story that has been told for generation, a story that is relevant not only to their relationship with God but to their relationships with others. The concept of Jesus being in the heart of this earth for three days is a very challenging concept to comprehend

Second, we should be careful not to be like the scribes and Pharisees, who were so focused on signs and wonders that they missed the greater message that Jesus was bringing. Let us not be so caught up in seeking signs and wonders that we miss the truth that is right in front of us. One of the most difficult things for the Pharisees and the Scribes to see through is, their substantial restrained to the Law. They saw Jesus as the very enemy to the foundation of Law. He is someone that is trying to live above and disregard the Law. However, they were using the Law to cleanse their outer-being (‘akitu’a) as no one can judge their inner-being (‘akilotoa). The problem with that is that Jesus sees our inner-being (‘akilotoa) as well as our outer-being (‘akitu’a). Therefore, signs is for those that worry about the phenomenon of the outer-being (‘akitu’a). But for Jesus, repentance is the experience of the inner-being (‘akilotoa). Repentance is the working of the heart as we developed and matured into our relationship with Christ.

Thirdly: What is this "something greater than Jonah" that Jesus is talking about? To understand this, we need to look at the story of Jonah in the Old Testament. Jonah was a prophet who was sent by God to preach repentance to the city of Nineveh. However, Jonah was reluctant to go, and he ended up being swallowed by a great fish before he finally obeyed God's command. After Jonah preached to the people of Nineveh, they repented and turned back to God. The story of Jonah is often seen as a foreshadowing of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus is saying that He is greater than Jonah. Jonah was a prophet who preached repentance, but Jesus is not just a prophet - He is the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Jesus came not just to preach repentance, but to provide a way for us to be reconciled with God. Jesus' death on the cross paid the penalty for our sins, and His resurrection from the dead conquered death and gave us eternal life.

Jesus is also greater than Jonah because He did not just preach to one city - He came to save the whole world. Jonah preached to the people of Nineveh, but Jesus came to offer salvation to all people, of all nations and races. Jesus' message is not just for the Jews, but for everyone who believes in Him.

Finally, Jesus is greater than Jonah because He did not just preach repentance - He lived it. Jesus lived a sinless life and demonstrated perfect obedience to God. He showed us what it means to truly love God and love others, and He calls us to follow in His footsteps.

“Something greater than Jonah is here" Jesus is here and He is greater because the repentance that He required of us resulted in Him giving His own life so that we may have life abundantly and by His Grace we are reconciled with God in an eternal relationship.

Closing Prayer:

God Almighty, we pray that we may grow as disciple after Jesus’ heart, and that the “house” of my life would not be an empty shell, but rather a temple of praise, filled with your holy Spirit  Lord Jesus, change our heart to be more like yours, that my words would always give honor to You.  Lead us into true repentance, and guide us into a life which reflects Your wisdom in all things. We recommit our lives to You. Our redemption has been completed on that cross. Your resurrection gave us the assurance that You are our Lord and Savior, we pray in Your name, Amen

Devotion: Psalm 73:25-26 "God is our Strength"

Psalm 73:25-26

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
²⁶ My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever.

Topics: What do we desire?

Today, I want to talk to you about the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 73:25-26, where he declares, "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." The psalmist declared here today that

no matter where we at,

no matter our standing in society,

no matter our financial standing,

no matter our relationship situation

no matter we on earth or eternity

no matter how we feel

no matter our health condition

no matter our living condition

no matter how we are labeled by society

no matter who's our family

no matter how we were brought up

Desiring God is the ultimate peak of all desire. Oftentimes, we desire those that are on the big screen or TV. Wee desire sex. We desire Money. We desire drug that will give us that temporally high and yet destroy us holistically. Some of our desires: to get that degree, to get that significant other, to be healed from that ailment, to get that apartment, but the Gospel reminds us today in Matt 6:33 seek ye God first and all else will be given to you.

Our desire should be fixated on God. There are some that their desires are so fixated on the idea of heaven that they forget about God. There are some that fixated their desires on doing good works that they forget about God.  

The highest desire is that toward God because "God is the strength of [our] hearts and [our] portions forever" Do we know where is our desire?

These words express a deep truth that we all need to remember: God is our strength. In a world full of troubles and difficulties, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and weak. We can feel like we're drowning in the sea of our problems, and we don't know how to keep our heads above water. But in these moments, we can turn to God, and find the strength we need to keep going.

The Psalmist reminds us that there is nothing on earth that we should desire more than God. The things of this world may offer us temporary pleasure and happiness, but they will never satisfy us completely. Only God can fill the emptiness within us and give us the peace that we long for.

Furthermore, the Psalmist acknowledges that our flesh and our heart may fail us. We are not invincible. We all have weaknesses and limitations. We get tired, we get sick, we get hurt. But in these moments, we can turn to God and find the strength we need to keep going. We can rely on Him to carry us through the difficulties of life and give us the courage to face whatever challenges come our way.

God is not just a source of strength for us, but He is also our portion (inheritance) forever. He is the one who sustains us, who nourishes us, who provides for us. He is the one who gives us everything we need to live, and He does so abundantly.

Open book test:

So let us remember these words of the Psalmist today: "God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Let us turn to Him in times of trouble and find the strength we need to keep going. And let us make Him the center of our lives, the one we desire above all else. For in Him, we will find the peace, the joy, and the strength that we long for. Amen.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for this reminder in the Psalms, that our wicked ways only lead us to destruction, unless we turn from our ways and trust in Christ for our redemption and our salvation. Thank You, Lord, for Your never-failing goodness and grace toward us. May we draw ever closer to You and declare the wonderful works of God in our lives, knowing that our times are in Your hands and our future is secured for me in heaven. God we that each one of us find this security in Christ, if any of us have not accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, today is the day. We pray In the name of most graceful Lord Jesus'  AMEN.