On Wednesday July 10, I taught Jonah 1:4-6 to the Center City MC, the Missional Community I am a part of at Karis Church. This post will be a brie look into what I talked about on Wednesday.
This will not be exhaustive, but I hope it reflects the points I tried to make on Wednesday.
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Jonah 1:4-6 :
We are Jonah.
That is the thing that we need to see over and over again while we read the book of Jonah. Jonah is a sinful man who is running away from what God has called for him to do. As we see in these three verses, Jonah not only is taking a step away from the mission, but Jonah is also taking a step away from community.
When we sin we are like Jonah, we take a step away from community and we take a step away from the mission that God has called for us. But Jesus reveals authentic community and a total willingness and submission to God's mission.
The first thing that we see is that God causes the storm to occur. Why in the world would He do that? Why would God create a storm to potentially tear this ship apart?
We will ultimately see that as we read the book of Jonah that God creates the storm to ultimate bring people to repentance and faith in His steadfast and unfailing love. The entire city of Nineveh repents and places their faith in the One God of the world!
We we move into verse 5, we see mariners - not believers in the God of the Bible - frantically freaking out and pleading with their gods to save them from this huge storm. After they cry out, they begin to throw things overboard to save themselves from their inevitable death.
We act like this all of the time. We cry out and frantically do anything we can to save ourselves from the storm that is coming our way and rocking us back and forth. We sometimes think that our family, friends, our significant other, our sexual desires, lying, power, wealth, or our public image will satisfy us. We think that if we are liked by everyone, if we drink another beer, if we hook up with one more person, or if we get all of the money and power we can, we will be completely satisfied in this life.
It does not work. Trust me. Only God can truly satisfy our desires, needs, and longings.
Take a look at Matthew 8:23-27
In both stories the entire point of these stories is that they come to the main character looking for something or Someone to save them.
The men on the boat in Jonah ask him to go to his God to save them from the storm. The disciples of Jesus come to Jesus to save them.
This is a huge difference:
Jonah can not save the men on that boat. Only God can do that.
Jesus can save the men on the boat. He DOES do that.
Some people might be quick to point out that Jesus solely saved them physically on the boat, but if you look deeply into the entire point of Jesus' life it was centered on saving people for eternity. He talks about this over and over again. Read the four gospels and you will see Jesus say that He is the only way to go before the Father (John 14:1-11).
Jesus not only saves the disciples from the destruction of a storm, but He also saved them from their sin and the judgement that comes from the act of rebellion.
Jonah was in rebellion against God's plan. Jesus found joy in God's plan. Jonah could not calm the storm or save anyone on the boat. Jesus calmed the storm to show His saving power and He saved everyone on that boat. Jonah was hard-hearted. Jesus showed compassion. Jonah lacked faith. Jesus is the One we need to place our faith in!
Jesus is the better Jonah. The perfect Jonah. The fufillment of what Jonah should have been.
Jesus saves those who cry out to Him to save them. He did it in that boat and He still does it to this day. He saves people in addiction, in their pride, in their bitterness, in their darkness, and in their rebellion towards God's will and plan. He saves us from ourselves and brings us to see His way is what we were made for. His will and plan are ultimately our joy because we were created to enjoy His goodness, His faithfulness, His love, and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Jacob Luis Gonzales
This will not be exhaustive, but I hope it reflects the points I tried to make on Wednesday.
-----
Jonah 1:4-6 :
But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”
We are Jonah.
That is the thing that we need to see over and over again while we read the book of Jonah. Jonah is a sinful man who is running away from what God has called for him to do. As we see in these three verses, Jonah not only is taking a step away from the mission, but Jonah is also taking a step away from community.
When we sin we are like Jonah, we take a step away from community and we take a step away from the mission that God has called for us. But Jesus reveals authentic community and a total willingness and submission to God's mission.
The first thing that we see is that God causes the storm to occur. Why in the world would He do that? Why would God create a storm to potentially tear this ship apart?
We will ultimately see that as we read the book of Jonah that God creates the storm to ultimate bring people to repentance and faith in His steadfast and unfailing love. The entire city of Nineveh repents and places their faith in the One God of the world!
We we move into verse 5, we see mariners - not believers in the God of the Bible - frantically freaking out and pleading with their gods to save them from this huge storm. After they cry out, they begin to throw things overboard to save themselves from their inevitable death.
We act like this all of the time. We cry out and frantically do anything we can to save ourselves from the storm that is coming our way and rocking us back and forth. We sometimes think that our family, friends, our significant other, our sexual desires, lying, power, wealth, or our public image will satisfy us. We think that if we are liked by everyone, if we drink another beer, if we hook up with one more person, or if we get all of the money and power we can, we will be completely satisfied in this life.
It does not work. Trust me. Only God can truly satisfy our desires, needs, and longings.
Take a look at Matthew 8:23-27
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”Do you see all the resemblances? There was a storm, people were freaking out, the main character is asleep during the storm, and they seek for something or Someone to save them!
In both stories the entire point of these stories is that they come to the main character looking for something or Someone to save them.
The men on the boat in Jonah ask him to go to his God to save them from the storm. The disciples of Jesus come to Jesus to save them.
This is a huge difference:
Jonah can not save the men on that boat. Only God can do that.
Jesus can save the men on the boat. He DOES do that.
Some people might be quick to point out that Jesus solely saved them physically on the boat, but if you look deeply into the entire point of Jesus' life it was centered on saving people for eternity. He talks about this over and over again. Read the four gospels and you will see Jesus say that He is the only way to go before the Father (John 14:1-11).
Jesus not only saves the disciples from the destruction of a storm, but He also saved them from their sin and the judgement that comes from the act of rebellion.
Jonah was in rebellion against God's plan. Jesus found joy in God's plan. Jonah could not calm the storm or save anyone on the boat. Jesus calmed the storm to show His saving power and He saved everyone on that boat. Jonah was hard-hearted. Jesus showed compassion. Jonah lacked faith. Jesus is the One we need to place our faith in!
Jesus is the better Jonah. The perfect Jonah. The fufillment of what Jonah should have been.
Jesus saves those who cry out to Him to save them. He did it in that boat and He still does it to this day. He saves people in addiction, in their pride, in their bitterness, in their darkness, and in their rebellion towards God's will and plan. He saves us from ourselves and brings us to see His way is what we were made for. His will and plan are ultimately our joy because we were created to enjoy His goodness, His faithfulness, His love, and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Jacob Luis Gonzales
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