Jonah knew where God wanted him to go, but he boarded a ship headed somewhere else. God had sent him to Nineveh, and Jonah was trying to get away (Jonah 1:1-3).
Then the storm came. The sailors were afraid, the ship was in danger, and Jonah admitted that his disobedience was the reason for their trouble (Jonah 1:4-12).
Jonah 1:12 “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.”
The men tried to row to shore, but they could not. When they finally threw Jonah into the sea, the storm stopped, and the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow him (Jonah 1:13-17).
Jonah spent three days and three nights inside the fish. He prayed to the Lord, and God commanded the fish to release him onto dry land.
When we read this story, we may think mostly about the fish. But Jesus told His hearers to consider Jonah as a sign pointing toward Himself.
Luke 11:30 “For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.”
Jonah was handed over, and the sailors were spared. His three days and nights inside the fish, followed by his return alive, point toward Christ’s burial and resurrection, a connection Jesus Himself made (Jonah 1:15-17; Jonah 2:10; Matthew 12:40).
But the differences matter too. Jonah was running from God’s command, while Jesus willingly laid down His life in obedience to His Father. Jonah needed mercy for his own sin, while Jesus suffered for the sins of others (Jonah 1:3,12; John 10:17-18; 1 Peter 3:18).
Jesus said, “a greater than Jonas is here.”
Jonah’s experience helps us understand something about Christ, but Jesus did far more than Jonah ever could.
His Death: Jesus Suffered for Our Sin
Jonah could point to himself as the reason the storm had come. He knew that the sailors were in danger because he had disobeyed God (Jonah 1:12).
Jesus had no sin of His own to answer for. He suffered to bring guilty people like us to God.
1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
We can talk about sin as though it is mostly someone else’s problem. We notice what others have done and compare it with our own lives, hoping we come out looking better.
But we need to be honest about our own guilt. The cross should make us grateful that Jesus was willing to suffer for sins we could never excuse or undo.
His Burial: Jesus Knew What Was Ahead
Matthew 12:40 “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Jesus spoke those words before His death. He knew that burial was ahead, and He used Jonah’s experience to explain what would happen.
His Resurrection: We Have a Living Saviour
God spoke to the fish, and Jonah came out alive. His deliverance points toward Christ’s resurrection, but Jesus came forth from actual death!
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:.”
That is the gospel we believe and share. We are trusting a Saviour who died for our sins and rose again, not merely remembering a good man from the past (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
Jesus brought His comparison with Jonah to a question of how people respond.
Luke 11:32 “The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.”
The people of Nineveh repented when they heard Jonah preach. Jesus warned people who had someone greater before them and still refused to respond.
We should not stop at finding the comparison interesting. If we have never trusted Christ, we need to turn from our sin and call on Him to save us (Romans 10:9-13).
We have heard that He died for our sins and rose again. Have we trusted Him with our own soul? If yes, we should share the gospel with others!
