(Audio and Text)
Title: One Solution. One.
- Jonah Does the Honorable Thing (v12)
From Jonah’s statement in verse 12 we can infer at least three things:
- Jonah fully realizes his choice has put all the men’s lives at risk.
- Jonah does not lie or scheme with these men, he admits readily he is the issue.
- Jonah is willing to die, rather than deliver a message of repentance to Nineveh.
- Others?
II. Despite Jonah’s Honorable Response, the Sailors are Even MORE Honorable
“Nevertheless”
The men have heard what has to be done to save their lives, but they are not willing to play that card just yet. These are men who live by a code, they value human life, they do not “leave any man behind”. Their training, their code, dictates that they will exhaust every other means they have BEFORE facing the “nuclear” option of sacrificing Jonah.
Parallel to Christ: With the Gospel of Matthew fresh in mind, do the disciples not do the exact same thing regard Christ as He begins to teach them that He must die.
Matthew 16:21-23
21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”
23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
POINT: Often we understands what God wants, but we seek to find a “better” way.
We must submit to the fact that God’s demands are not negotiable.
Either Jonah will be thrown into the sea, or all the men will die.
Either Christ becomes the atonement for YOUR sins, or you will suffer in Hell.
III. The Lord Demonstrates Again That There is ONE WAY. (v13-14)
“…the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them.”
As the men attempt to row harder, and see if they can make it to safety by their own might (much like us trying to earn our salvation) The Lord ups the ante and increases the storm, bringing them to the crushing reality that sacrificing Jonah is their only option left.
Pastoral Pause: Thank God, that God does not relent here! Everything works out AS IT SHOULD specifically BECAUSE the LORD does relent.
I admit, I think of this when I think of my own testimony. Having grown up in the Church, having countless false “conversion” experiences, taking communion BOTH at the Pentecostal Church and the Roman Catholic Church, having believed I was a believer for over 10 years, only to quickly return to a life of sin and indulgence…thank GOD he did not give up on me, and brought me to that moment of sweet surrender, crushed by the weight of my own sin and the reality that I could do NOTHING to deliver myself…THANK GOD he did not give up on me!
And think with me as we close today on just one more great parallel concept of Jonah’s plight and Jesus the Christ.
Q: Why is Jonah being pursued?
A: Because of his LACK of obedience.
Q: And what is Christ?
A: Perfect Obedience.
John 14:6 reminds us by the words of Christ Himself: “I am the Way, The Truth, and The Life, no one comes to the Father, except through Me.” and there are echoes of that same God all over this passage in Jonah:
“Jonah is the only option for your salvation. No other option will satisfy MY demand for obedience.”
Pray
QA