When we study the book of Jonah, we might be tempted to limit it to just what's found in those four short chapters. Plus we already have the general idea for the most part, right? ... an ancient prophet, a big fish, a lesson about obedience. But Jesus doesn't let us leave Jonah in the past. In two places in the Gospels (Matthew 12:38–42 and Luke 11:29–32), Jesus reaches back to this reluctant prophet and calls him a sign. But what does that mean?
When we study the book of Jonah, we might be tempted to limit it to just what's found in those four short chapters. Plus we already have the general idea for the most part, right? ... an ancient prophet, a big fish, a lesson about obedience.
But Jesus doesn't let us leave Jonah in the past.
In two places in the Gospels (Matthew 12:38–42 and Luke 11:29–32), Jesus reaches back to this reluctant prophet and calls him a sign.
So what does that mean? Rather than hand you the answer, this post is an invitation to open your Bible and dig in. In our Jonah Bible Study Journal we read both passages slowly (try reading or listening to the whole chapter more than once!) Then, let the questions below guide what you're looking for. The real discovery happens in the searching.
Every good study begins by noticing the people in the room. (We're reading more of the chapter for context!) As you read, ask:
- Who comes to Jesus, and who is He speaking to in each account?
- Had these people already seen what Jesus could do?
- What does that tell you about why they were really asking?
Write down what you notice before moving on. How you answer "why were they asking?" will shape everything that follows.
On the surface, they wanted proof - a sign. But sit with the request a little longer:
- Is Jesus responding to their words, or to something underneath them?
- What's the difference between bringing God an honest question in faith and demanding that He prove Himself?
- Where do you notice that same tendency in your own heart?
Jesus tells them only one sign will be given - the sign of the prophet Jonah - and then He ties it to something very specific. Read Matthew 12:40 closely, and look back at what Jonah went through in chapters 1 and 2.
- What detail from Jonah's own experience does Jesus point to?
- Where else in Scripture do you see that same pattern of three days?
- If Jonah's ordeal is a picture, what event in Jesus' life do you think it points toward?
This is the heart of the study, and it's worth discovering for yourself rather than being told. Follow the thread Jesus lays down and see where it leads.
Jesus doesn't stop there. He brings up the people of Nineveh and the queen of the south (the Queen of Sheba) ... two surprising examples. As you read what He says about each:
- Who were these people, and what did they do?
- What did they have far less of than the crowd standing in front of Jesus - and how did they respond anyway?
- What do you think Jesus means when He says someone "greater than Jonah" and "greater than Solomon" is here?
Let the comparison do its work. Why do you think Jesus chose these two examples to make His point?
Once you've done the observing and interpreting, let it settle personally:
- Am I ever asking God for one more sign instead of responding to what He's already shown me?
- What would it look like for me to respond the way Nineveh did?
Here's where it gets exciting. Did you catch which part of Jonah's story Jesus pointed to? He held up the (SPOILER ALERT!) repentance of Nineveh and that's exactly where chapter 3 is about to take us.
So as we move into chapter 3, keep your questions open. Watch what happens when Jonah, given a second chance, finally walks into the city. Read chapter 3 not as an old story about a distant place, but as the very moment Jesus Himself would one day hold up as a picture of true repentance. What will you discover this time through?
