Sunday Worship Calendar

Jonah for All

Sunday Worship on 28th April 2024 was led by Alan Chant

We have recently had an instructive time at our Bible Study series about the prophet Jonah. Alan summarised these studies for the benefit of the whole church.

Jonah does not come out of the story well. God called him to take a warning to Nineveh - then the largest world city with a well-deserved reputation for cruelty and violence. Jonah was violently opposed to taking this message; he knew God's nature: He is a 'compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. (Psalm 86:15 NIV). 

When Jonah's attempts to run away from God's call were thwarted by sovereign actions of God, Jonah went to proclaim the warning, and the worst happened (from Jonah's point of view): there was a city-wide sincere repentance.  Jonah hated it; he could not understand the grace of God; the Ninevites did not deserve God's undeserved mercy!  The book ends with a personal object lesson for Jonah, which he still seems reluctant to accept.

In Matthew 12:38-42 Jesus invites us to compare Himself to Jonah: the historical account was also a prediction of the Saviour. Despite happening 800 years earlier, Jonah's experience of near-certain death, then new life after being three days and three nights in the great fish, pointed to what Jesus would experience. There are many other points of similarity, including sleeping afloat in a storm, being wakened to the same questions; being willing to die for others; a sacrifice of life for others to live; entombment for 3 days and 3 nights;  resurrection; the message taken to non-Jews and believed in revival power.  

The whole story shouts God's sovereignty and grace throughout.