The Sign of Jonah
The Prophecy
Matthew 12:38-40
38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
John 2:19
Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
Mark 8:31
And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
Luke 24:46
And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:..
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Let's recount the days leading up to Jesus' resurrection. Circle or keep track of the days related to time including feast days.
Sabbath or High Sabbath?
Luke 22:13-15
13 And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.
14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:..
Mark 15:1
And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.
Mark 15:25
And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.
Look up what time the third hour referred to biblically.
Mark 15:33
And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.
Now that you know what the third hour was, what was time was the sixth hour?
Mark 15:34-37
34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
36 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.
37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.
Make a note of what time the ninth hour was.
John 19:31
The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
According to John 19:31 this was a High Day Sabbath, not a weekly sabbath. Look up what is meant by High Day. How does that relate to the Passover?
Mark 15:42-47
42 And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,
43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
44 And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.
45 And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.
46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.
47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.
Mark 16:1
And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
Luke 23:56
And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
According to Mark 16:1 and Luke 23:56 the women bought spices after the first Sabbath mentioned (which was identified in John 19:31 as the High Sabbath for Passover) and rested for the following Sabbath which was the weekly sabbath.
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Scripture describes the weekly sabbath as falling on what day and from what time of day to what time of day? How does this differ from our concept of days now?
Genesis 1:5
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Leviticus 23:32
It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
Genesis 2:2-3
2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
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Historical Fact: When did the concept of Sunday Sabbath come into effect? In the 4th Century under Constantine the Great.
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Daniel 7:25
And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.
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Back to the timeline, are you keeping track of how many days would have gone by at this point according to scripture? Now make a note of the words related to time in the following scriptures.
John 20:1
The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.
Luke 24:1-7
1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.
2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
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According to all that you've just studied, what day would Jesus have resurrected? What day would he have been crucified?
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Does the truth of this timing really matter? According to scripture it does. Scripture warns against vain worship and following the traditions of man.
Mark 7:7-13
7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
John 4:24
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Matthew 12:38-40
38 Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
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With this in mind, what does this change for you about any traditions of man that you or your church may be holding on to?
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True worship to God is done in spirit and in truth as it says in John 4:24. When we worship Him this way, we show that we truly believe and follow Him. Spend some time in prayer as you reflect on the implications of this on your life.
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And remember...Repent and believe for the Kingdom of God is at hand
John 11:25-26
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Mark 1:15
...The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
