When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. . . . The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
Luke 11:29-30, 31 (ESV)
The book of Jonah tells the story of a reluctant prophet God called to preach to the city of Nineveh. Jonah initially ran from his calling, was cast into the sea, swallowed by a giant fish, spit up after three days, and finally preached to Nineveh. The result was a mass repentance on the part of Nineveh, and the city was spared from destruction.
Why did the people of Nineveh respond the way they did? Was it because Jonah was a great preacher? Surely not. His message only consisted of a handful of words and was a message of coming destruction. It was given grudgingly and with the hope that they would not respond.
Yet they did. Why? Because of the sign of Jonah. The story of his three days in the belly of a giant fish and his apparent resurrection from the dead had become somehow known to the people of Nineveh. And it was enough to convince them that the God Jonah was preaching could do what he was threatening. And so they repented in sackcloth and ashes.
The Sign of Jesus
The resurrection of Jesus is a similar sign. That Jesus lived and taught, was executed on a Roman cross, was buried, his tomb was later found empty, and his disciples believed he had risen from the dead and boldly proclaimed that despite intense opposition are all regarded as factual by nearly all scholars. The sign of Jesus–his resurrection from the dead–just like the sign of Jonah, should lead us to repentance and faith. It is a sign that demonstrates his power over death. And his ability to give eternal life to all who believe in him.
However, unlike Nineveh, most people of Jesus’ day, and throughout history, have scoffed at the sign and refused to believe. So the people of Nineveh and many others who have repented will stand in judgment of those who refused an even greater sign. Please, don’t be one who refuses to believe and surrender to his Lordship.
