The Sign of the Prophet Jonah

[Humble_Disciple]

The Pharisees mocked Jesus, saying that no prophets come from Galilee, even though Jonah was from Gath-hepher. (John 7:52, 2 Kings 14:25) This slight to Jesus as a Galilean explains Jesus’ prediction of His resurrection:

Matthew 12
38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

I think it's important to point out this connection, because secularists and liberal theologians often claim that the Gospel of John is somehow less historical than the synoptic Gospels. Instead, John supplements and complements the synoptic Gospels.

 

[EmethAlethia]

When I was an evangelical Atheist, this was one of the almost 10,000 errors I had from the bible. Luke says that the woman showed up before dawn while it was still dark on the first day of the week and Jesus was already gone. How do you get three days and three nights out of Friday night, Saturday day and part of Saturday night. I used to say, it's too bad Jesus was crucified. He should have been stoned as a false prophet. He couldn't have died for your sins. He died for His own.

Then I had the research handed to me. First of all, it wasn't the regular Sabbath that was referred to. It says, "For that Sabbath was a High day." Passover could have happened any day of the month, and often changes days. As the lambs were being killed, so was Jesus. If you take the 5 year period everyone agrees Jesus died within, three of those Passovers happened on a Wednesday.

Wednesday night 1 night, Thursday day, 1 night 1 day, Thursday night, 2 nights 1 day. Friday day 2 days 2 nights, Friday night, 3 nights 2 days, Saturday day, 3 days and 3 nights. Jesus rose early on the first day of the week. Early when days start at dusk is ... at dusk. Thus, Good Wednesday and Easter Saturday. Yeah, 9,900 or so others ...

 

[Humble_Disciple]

I think it's important to point out this connection, because secularists and liberal theologians often claim that the Gospel of John is somehow less historical than the synoptic Gospels. Instead, John supplements and complements the synoptic Gospels.