More Than A Story
By Adam Greenfield
Jonah
Last week we began a new series on Jonah in our youth service. Since this first message was an introduction to the book, I called it “More Than A Story.” I called it this because most of us face the temptation to see Jonah merely as a children’s bedtime story about a man getting eaten by a whale and living to tell the story. But Jonah’s life and “story” are so much more than that.
Jonah’s story is a picture of God’s boundless compassion for His creation. It points us to a future prophet; one who doesn’t run away when God commissions him. It points us to a future preacher; one who isn’t angry when his enemies repent, but rejoices to see God’s wrath relent. It points to one who doesn’t wish the death of his enemies, but chooses to lay down his life for his enemies. Jonah’s life and story are a taste of the future and better Jonah, Jesus Christ. Jesus told the Pharisees that “something greater than Jonah is here” (Matthew 12:41). If Jonah is our source of hope in this life, we would be in a lot of trouble. But we have someone so much greater than Jonah; we have Jesus, the greater Jonah. In every way that Jonah failed Jesus succeeded. And this is the good news we live in today.
Let me ask you to read Jonah again (or for the first time). Ask God to help you read this story with fresh eyes so that you might clearly see Jesus Christ on every page. And may your faith be strengthened as your eyes turn to Him.
