Matthew 12:38-41

Read Matthew 12:38-41

Helpful Background Information: 

• In yesterday’s devotional, it was noted that Jesus’ burial and resurrection on the third day fulfilled Old Testament prophecies. In today’s devotional, we see Jesus say this directly. In our passage, the Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign. They did not explain what they meant by a sign, but it is clear they were asking Jesus to prove His authority by performing some striking miracle. Apparently, they did not consider his prior healing miracles to be enough. .

• Jesus responds bluntly to their command, calling them an evil generation. It’s here that Jesus goes back into the Old Testament and points to the prophet Jonah. Jonah was an Old Testament prophet called by God to speak to the city of Nineveh. He initially refuses and tries to flee his calling by boat. The sailors of the boat throw Jonah overboard, and Jonah is swallowed by a great fish and is in its belly for three days and three nights. Afterwards, he is spat out and goes on to preach at Nineveh. 

• The point is this: Just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days, so too would Jesus be buried in three days. Just as Jonah was divinely rescued by God, causing the fish to spit him out, so too would Jesus be divinely rescued and resurrected. The greatest sign of Jesus’ authority is his death, burial, and resurrection! The prophet Jonah then serves as an example of typology: an indirect prophecy pointing forward to a greater miracle from God! This is why Jesus says, “Something greater than Jonah is here!

Reflection Questions: 

• Why do you think Jesus calls His death and resurrection the greatest sign of His authority?

• How should the reality of Jesus’ burial and resurrection affect the way we live today?

• What does the example of Nineveh (who repented after Jonah’s preaching) suggest about how people should respond to Jesus?