By the Sign of Jonah

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The people witnessed Jesus’ miracles. They heard His unique understanding and wisdom, and saw that He spoke with great power and authority. And they watched as His followers changed their lives for the better.

Yet most, especially the religious leaders, were unconvinced. Their hearts were too hardened to believe Jesus was the Christ. Unbelievers pressed Him with questions, attempting to trip Him up, to somehow stump Him.

But Christ knew that miracles, the fruit of His ministry and the plain truth of His teachings did not matter to hardened hearts. So when the scribes and Pharisees demanded that Jesus produce a sign proving His authority, that He was the Messiah, He answered, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 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” (Matt. 12:39-40).

Being dead, in the grave, for three days and nights—not a minute more or less—and then being resurrected by God was the only sign Jesus Christ gave!

Amazingly, the “Christian” churches, denominations and organizations of today believe that Jesus was in the grave from Friday to Sunday morning—but this is NOT “three days and three nights.” To cover their error, religionists of this world’s traditional Christianity teach that Jesus meant He would be in the grave for three parts of day and night.

But Christ said His length of time in the grave would be “AS Jonah was three days and three nights.” The word “as” means this is a comparison. Check the book of Jonah. Jonah 69:17 of the first chapter states, “And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights…” The original Hebrew says exactly what it means: three individual days and three individual nights—not “a combination of three parts.” (This subject is addressed in more detail in Chapter Twelve.)

By His Fruit

John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ’s arrival (Isa. 40:3; Mal. 3:1; Luke 3:3-6), but John’s short ministry ended upon His imprisonment. He knew his cousin Jesus was the promised Messiah, yet his faith temporarily wavered; he needed it to be strengthened. John sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are You He that should come? Or look we for another?” (Luke 7:18-19).

Jesus’ answer? “Go your way, and tell John what things you have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached” (Jn 7:22). In other words, His FRUITS stood as evidence of His prophesied ministry (Matt. 7:18-20).

Again, even the scribes and Pharisees privately admitted among themselves that the awesome miracles Jesus performed could only have been done through the power of God (John 3:1-2)—yet publicly they accused Him of doing these through Satan’s power (Luke 11:15)!

The Messiah was foretold to work miracles (Isa. 35:5-6; Matt. 11:4-6; John 11:47)—to preach through parables (Psa. 78:2; Matt. 13:34-35)—to be filled with zeal for His “Father’s business” (Luke 2:49; Psa. 69:9; John 2:17). The ministry of Jesus Christ, the Chief Apostle, bore fruit in the form of 12 original apostles, later joined by Paul and others. The first-century Church dramatically multiplied in membership because the brethren “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine [teaching] and fellowship” (Acts 2:42). The apostles faithfully taught what the Chief Apostle had taught. They did not deviate from their Master’s teachings. They instructed everyone, from lay member to minister, to “continue you in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them” (II Tim. 3:14).

Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd—the voice of truth (John 10:7-11, 14). His faithful and obedient shepherds—true ministers of God—speak with the same voice.

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