In the Gospels, Jesus makes a reference to the story of Jonah when he is asked for a sign by the scribes and Pharisees. Here’s what he said, along with the relevant Bible verses in bold and three main takeaways:
Jesus said, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 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.” (Matthew 12:39-40)
He also said, “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.” (Matthew 12:41)
Three main takeaways:
- Jesus used the story of Jonah as a sign to foreshadow his own death, burial, and resurrection. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, Jesus would be in the heart of the earth (tomb) for three days and three nights before his resurrection.
- Jesus presented himself as “something greater than Jonah,” meaning that he was more significant than the prophet Jonah, who led the people of Nineveh to repentance.
- Jesus rebuked the scribes and Pharisees for their lack of faith and unwillingness to believe in him, even though the people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, who was less significant than Jesus.
