Chapter 3 Part 1A The Sign Of Jonas       

Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Even Abel had to believe by faith God created the heaven, the earth and him. No human being witnessed the creation.

**Did it take faith for the nation of Israel that came out of Egypt to believe the Red sea was parted? _NO___, they saw it by sight. Hebrews 11:30 says it did take faith for them to go through the walls of water on dry land, believing they would not be drowned.

John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

·      It did not take faith for Thomas to believe that Jesus rose from the dead. But it took an humble and contrite heart to call Him Lord.

·      Matthew 12:39- 41 The sign of the prophet Jonas being in the belly of the whale three days and three nights should make you believe that I (the son of man) was in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

·      Did it take faith for those who saw Jesus after he rose from the dead to believe He rose from the dead?

·      The evil generation of Jews knew Jesus rose from the dead because they bribed the Roman guards to say His friends stole His body.

·      The sign of Jonas to that evil generation was not about by faith their believing in the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is that they instead of trying to hide the fact they should have proclaim the fact of His resurrection.

Luke 11:30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

·      I believe there were men of Nineveh who witnessed the great fish vomit Jonah out on dry land just as there were those who witnesses the body of Jesus laid in the tomb and saw him after he rose from the dead, who ran to the king of Nineveh and told him what they witnessed or the wicked Gentiles would not have believed he was in ever the belly of a great fish.

·      Being vomited out of the belly of the whale justified Jonah's message in the eyes of the evil gentiles and they knew what he said was true and heeded his words and with broken hearts over their evil ways, humbled themselves and called upon the LORD as God.

·      Being risen out of the earth justified all that Jesus proclaimed about himself to be true in the eyes of that evil generation but they chose not to heed the words of Jesus Christ. They did not become broken hearted over their evil ways and humble themselves into calling Him Lord.

The sign of Jonas was not about by faith believing in the death, burial, and resurrection but by sight believing all that Jesus proclaimed about himself to be true, heeding His words and humbling themselves and calling Him Lord.

Matthew 12:41 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.

Luke 11:32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

Imagine the men of Nineveh judging the evil generation of Jews that witnessed the all Jesus did, heard all the he proclaimed and refused to humble themselves and call Him Lord by saying "Our hearts were broken and we humbled ourselves and called Him LORD at the preaching of Jonas. You rejected what you saw with your eyes and despised the greatest of all, the very Lord Himself."