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.
41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas [is] here.
Mat 12:38-41 KJV
We know by reading the narrative in the New Testament that Jesus was crucified, laid in a grave, and rose from the dead three days later. Thus, fulfilling the above sign. But isn’t there more?
We know the story: God told Jonah to go preach to the Ninevites. He didn’t want to do it and fled by boarding a ship going to Tarshish. While on the ship:
4 . . .the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
Jon 1:4-6, 9, 11-12, 14-15, 17 KJV
5 Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that [were] in the ship into the sea, to lighten [it] of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep.
6 So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. …
11 Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.
12 And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest [is] upon you. …
14 Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.
15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from herraging. …
17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah was now in the belly of the fish, cast out of the ship in order for God to calm the seas.
3 For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me. …
5 The waters compassed me about, [even] to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.6 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars [was] about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.
Jon 2:3, 5-6 KJV
Notice the wording, “yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption.”
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. (quoted from Psalm 16:10)
Act 2:27 KJV
Also compare Jonah to Psalms 69 (we know it is a prophecy of Jesus as portions of it are quoted in all the Gospels).
2 I sink in deep mire, where [there is] no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. …
14Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.
15 Let not the waterflood overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up, and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.
Psa 69:2, 14-15 KJV
The deep waters and the pit here apparently are apparently the same as the of the heart of the earth that Jesus referenced in Mat. 12:40 where he was for three days and three nights, just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish. Neither Jonah nor Jesus suffered corruption but were brought up after three days and nights.
But in Jesus’ time, what was the raging sea? What was the tempest? Let’s go to another Psalm that was quoted and explained in the book of Acts .
1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed . . .
Psa 2:1-2 KJV
Now let’s see what it means. In the book of Acts, we read that Peter and John were arrested and then told not to preach in the name of Jesus. When they were released, their prayer contained a direct quote from the above Psalm:
24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou [art] God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
Act 4:25-28 KJV
Let us summarize. After Jesus’ arrest, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes took Jesus to Pilot for sentencing. But Pilot, seeing that Jesus was a Galilean, sent him back to Herod. The Scriptures say that Pilot and Herod became friends that day.
Finally, though, Jesus was sent back to Pilot who said he saw no fault in Him and washed his hands of innocent blood. The people were in an uproar crying for Jesus to be crucified.
So imagine, multitudes of people being agitated by the chief priests:
23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.
24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but [that] rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed [his] hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye [to it].
Luk 23:23 KJV & Mat 27:24 KJV
Just like the sailors on the ship headed for Tarsus with Jonah aboard did not want the blood of an innocent man on their hands, yet tossed him overboard anyway, so Pilot, washed his hands of the blood of Jesus and “tossed him overboard” to be crucified in order to calm the voices of the raging people.
The immediate result was that by crucifying Jesus to please the people, the riots were calmed.
Yet, three days later, after Jesus had been plunged into the heart of the earth, to calm the “raging sea” he was “regurgitated” back out, because death could not hold him.
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Act 2:24 KJV
But oh, the far reaching, the glorious result of Jesus being plunged into the heart of the earth, of being tossed into the raging sea, and conquering death and hell:
PEACE
4 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us]; …
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, [Gentiles] and to them that were nigh. [Israel]
Eph 2:14, 17 KJV
7 Which stilleth the noise of the seas [Gentiles], the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people. [Israel]
Psa 65:7 KJV
To recap:
Psalm 2:1. Why do the heather rage, [Gentiles] and the people [Israel] imagine a vain thing?
Acts 4:23 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things:
For a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed,
both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together.
The crowds were like a raging and tempestuous sea, crying out for Jesus to be crucified. To calm the crowds Herod and Pilot sentenced Jesus to be sacrificed. (As Jonah was cast out to calm the sea). Yet death could not hold Him and three days later He arose out of the grave. After the resurrection, his disciples preached the good news to the Jews. The Jews rejected this gospel of Jesus Christ but the Gentiles believed. This is prophesied in the same scripture as above,
8 Ask of me, and I shall give [thee] the heathen [for] thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth [for] thy possession.
Psa 2:8 KJV
This may be what Jesus was referring to when He told the Pharisees when they asked for a sign that the only sign would be of Jonas . . . and The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and , behold, a greater than Jonas is here. (Luke 11:31).
The Gentiles were converted at the preaching of the gospel. Even so, though the wicked leaders rejected Christ and did not repent at the disciples’ preaching, the promise of salvation (Peace) is to all.
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace;
Eph 2:15 KJV
Jesus Christ was sacrificed to satisfy the uproar of mankind. Not only did it calm the storm but, his death brought peace and everlasting life.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Jhn 14:27 KJV
call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. . . . (Jonah 1:6)
Behold a greater than Jonas is here: (Matthew 12:41
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:15).
Added note: Perhaps Jesus calming the sea while with His disciples was a nod to the above fulfilled prophecy. Not only was Jesus the sacrifice that calmed the sea, He had the authority to do so.
