Sign of Jonah [Devotional]

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher we want to see a miraculous sign from you." Matthew 12:38

The first question I ask when I read this verse is, would they have believed the miracle if Jesus had performed it right there on the spot? Probably not. Yesterday's devotion touched upon the crowds liking Jesus and hanging around him for more. The spiritual leaders seem to have just the opposite reaction. Jesus was threatening their power, and they wanted him out of the limelight quickly. They were hoping to ridicule and mock him.

So what was Jesus' reaction? "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." In essence he says, "Wait, and you'll see a miracle that you can't explain away! I will be the miracle! Then you'll have to deal with it in a very different way."

Jesus knew what those leaders were after. He knew their hearts and motives. He stood up to them and they probably walked away scratching their heads at "the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

Rejoice today that the Son of Man spent three days and three nights in the heart of the earth for us.

Thanks for asking. I didn't see any point in responding in FReepmail when there is a perfectly good thread sitting here.

Matthew 12
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.

According to all four Gospels, the crucifixion took place on a Friday and the resurrection on the following Sunday. From this it would seem that Jesus was buried for three days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). Luke writes that according to prophecy, Jesus was to rise on the third day.

Luke 24
45   Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
46   And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

While it is true that according to Jewish law part of the day is equivalent to a full day, Matthew's Jesus promised to be buried specifically for three days and three nights. By the use of the phrase "three days and three nights," Matthew's Jesus indicated that he expected to be buried for three consecutive periods between dawn and dark (day) and dark and dawn (night), or approximately seventy- two hours. The Scriptures employ the phrase "three days" in a more general sense than that expressed by "three days and three nights." For example, "three days" does not necessarily include the period of day or night at either the beginning or end of the total time to be indicated. When the phrase "three days" is meant to specifically include three days and three nights, and this is not evident from the text, it must be stated as such.

Esther 4
16   Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise;

When the phrase "three days and three nights" is stated, it includes either all three days and all three nights or can be deficient in only parts of a day or night at the beginning or end of the entire period, but never of a full segment of day or night out of twenty-four hours.

Jesus did not have to be buried exactly seventy-two hours, he did have to be buried at least on parts of three days and three nights. Jesus died on a Friday at the ninth hour, which corresponds to about 3 P.M. The claim is made that Jesus rose three days later, on a Sunday. This would mean that he was buried during the daylight hours of three different days. If this was true, he was buried for only two nights.

The Gospel of John indicates that Jesus' promise to rise after being buried three days and three nights was never fulfilled.

John 20
1   The first day of the week (Sunday) cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.

John says that Jesus, having risen before the dawn of Sunday morning, was buried for only two days and two nights, -- one full day (Saturday), part of another (Friday), and two nights (Friday and Saturday nights).

There is another way to calculate this, but it is even less generous, thought it is probably the correct way since Matthew is referencing Jonah, a book from the Hebrew Bible, so time would be figured the way the Hebrews did it, and not how time is calculated after the Julian or Gregorian calendars.

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. (It takes an evening and a morning to make a 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. (This is to merely show that a full day is counted from one even to the next even. Even being evening.)

This would make Friday evening and Saturday morning, one day, and Saturday evening.... well, it would stop there, because according to John: Mary Magdalene went to the sepulchre early, when it was still dark. So you would get a day and a half at best. This contradicts the assertion that in fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus was buried three days and three nights. The New Testament evidence simply does not add up to three days, (daylight hours), and (three nights), as specifically promised by Jesus.

Plus:

Matthew 27
51   And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52   And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53   And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, writing during the second half of the first century AD, produced two major works: History of the Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews, and he had not one word to say about this most extraordinary occurrence. Fifty days after the alleged event, Peter was giving a speech recorded in Acts 2, but said nothing about the saints rising. Paul, who spoke at great length (1 Corinthians 15) to convince his listeners that Jesus' resurrection had occurred, had nothing to say about it either.

The appearance of these bodies "unto many" must have been the event of a lifetime for the residents of Jerusalem. If this remarkable event actually happened, why did only Matthew report it? About twenty percent of the gospels is repetition so it is not as if New Testament writers did not like to repeat what others have written; repetition of the most mundane events occurs everywhere, so why didn't Mark, Luke, John, Peter, or Paul write about the dead bodies of the saints marching through Jerusalem, appearing unto many?

Also, how come Matthew doesn't think we should know the names of the saints that rose from their graves? Why doesn't he tell us with whom the bodies of the saints met, and what they said--assuming they said anything, and where they went after their appearance unto the many? Did the bodies of the saints dutifully return to their graves after a polite visit, or did they remain for years among the residents of Jerusalem? Is there verifiable proof for this event that has so many unanswerable questions?

Actually, ET, I sensed I was being set up so I emailed you privately. It was very intentional on my part. Since you were vague with a "partially fulfilled" comment, I wanted to find out where you were going with that.

As I state on this Saturday's devotional, smarter and wiser men than I have debated these issues for ages (including 3 days and 3 nights). Men and women devote their entire lives and careers studying these Scripture passages. And many times they simply do not agree (and they're reading identical passages).

Having said that, I take what Jesus said at face value: 3 days and 3 nights. I could quote you passages in books from people who have studied this issue, but what's the point? You seem like you have an agenda though I'm not sure what that is. Anything I say or present would probably be dismissed, so again, what's the point?

Again, praise God that He spent 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the Earth.

you wrote:
Also, how come Matthew doesn't think we should know the names of the saints that rose from their graves?

We don't know the names of many examples in the Bible and occasionally we have a name to hang a miracle onto. Does that make it any less true? Not at all.

Why doesn't he tell us with whom the bodies of the saints met, and what they said--assuming they said anything, and where they went after their appearance unto the many? Did the bodies of the saints dutifully return to their graves after a polite visit, or did they remain for years among the residents of Jerusalem? Is there verifiable proof for this event that has so many unanswerable questions?

This is a good one. I addressed this ever so briefly in a previous devotion. The names of the saints raised from the dead. Imagine their witness! Imagine what they said to their loved ones! Why does it matter about the names? Of course they are unanswerable questions. I'm in the "need to know" business in my line of work. I don't have a need to know their names, just that the event took place. That will be maybe the 308th question I'll ask God when I get to heaven.

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