The sign of Jonah
He drew me up from the desolate pit,
Out of the miry bog. Psalm 40:2
Read Jonah 2:1-10
At the end of all this Jonah was spewed out. I can imagine him stinking, spew steaming off him. He, Luther said, ‘snored in his sins’ on the boat before he was reluctantly tossed into the drink by pagans who had done their best to save him. He had run, had revolted and rebelled against Israel’s purpose to bless the nations. He really wanted to die, but God has not let him. So, there in the depths of rebellion, in the pit, in the belly of Sheol (as he calls it) he has dreamed of worshipping once again at the Temple. Fellowship. Praise. Making fine promises to God. Singing. Of course Jonah is Israel. Of course this is also me. But, wonderfully, this is also Israel’s Messiah, descended to the dead, stinking in my sin, and spewed up from the dead for me.
Lord Jesus Christ, you who declared that no sign would be given to your generation except the sign of Jonah,[1] you have descended to the dead. You suffered decay. You partnered with the God-forsaken[2] when you became sin for me.[3] Therefore even today many remain repelled by you. Yet you have embraced every need I have, every shame and every pain. You have plumbed the depths. I cannot cry to God without you. You are in my cry. You are my peace. You are God’s deliverance. In you I have been cast up from the depths, and in you I can now live, my life renewed.
[1] Matthew 12:39—40
[2] Mark 15:34
[3] 2 Corinthians 5:21