The Messiah's Secret - Jonah

 

In England we have sweets called Liquorice Allsorts
All sorts of people work in the Lord’s Vineyard
Christians from all over the world work together serving the Lord Jesus.

 

The parable of the labourers in the Vineyard.
The 5 vines represent the five occasions when the owner of the Vineyard went out to hire labourers to work in his Vineyard. At the end of the day the labourers were paid their wages.
A day represents a life span.
A Denarius represents the gift of eternal life, Salvation.

The first labourer represents becoming a Christian at an early age.
The second becoming a Christian maybe as a teenager and so on until the last one were someone who has towards the end of their life become a Christian.
We can not earn the gift of eternal life we can only receive it through faith in Jesus.
It is not about being a good person; we need to accept Jesus as our Saviour to receive the gift of eternal life.
This parable gives us insight into the nature of the Lord showing us his priority of belonging to him.

Jonah
The prophet Jonah lived around 800 BC, during the reign of Jeroboam II. He lived in a town just north of Nazareth in Gath-hepher. Jonah’s name means ‘dove’ which reminds us of the dove was sent out from the ark by Noah to find evidence of dry land and returned with an olive leaf. Genesis 8:10, 11. The Holy Spirit was sent into the world at Pentecost.
Jonah was sent by God to Nineveh to preach against their wickedness that was before God.
However we read that he did not want to go to Nineveh. Put yourself in his shoes, Nineveh was the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, it was like asking someone to go to Moscow during the cold war and tell the atheist leaders that God was against their sin. God was asking Jonah to do something big. In his humanity he was reluctant to go.
Instead he went and boarded a ship heading for Tarshish. Soon after setting sail a storm blew up, as a result of taking on water they threw items overboard in an effort to save themselves and the boat. The sailors assessed their situation by casting lots, the lot fell on Jonah. Casting lots was quite a common amongst the nations to discern the outcome of a situation. The Hebrews used Urim and Thummim to discern God’s will. On the underside of the High Priest’s breastplate was a pouch in it was kept two pebbles one white the other black these were the Urim and the Thummim. Exodus 28: 30.

Today we discern what the will of God through Godly wisdom or a word of scripture prompted by the Holy Spirit or a word of prophecy through the gift of prophecy. We do not cast lots.

When the lot fell on Jonah, he owned up to the sailors what his God had called him to do, to take a message to the city of Nineveh which he had not fulfilled. He offered them a solution to throw him overboard, but the sailors were reluctant to offend Jonah’s God, so they tried to row to the shore, but it was to no avail, the storm grew worse. In desperation they threw Jonah overboard, as he fell into the sea a whale swallowed him whole, as a result he storm abated. He spent three days and nights inside the whale then the fish vomited him out onto dry land.

In this account we can discern the cross of Jesus.
Jonah had turned away from God, but he could not hide, he recognised his sin as it was brought to light. To save the sailors and the ship he was prepared to die. He died inside the whale and God resurrected him as he was vomited out on to dry ground.

When we recognise our sin against God, we realise that Jesus was prepared to lay down his life for you and me, so through faith in what Jesus has done for us, just as God raised Jesus from the dead so he raises us into his newness of life which is eternal. This act of God transforms the way we think feel and behave. We realise that God the Father loves all people, he loves the sinner but hates the sin.

It is only as we know about sin, that we seek to be saved from it.
We read that God asked Jonah to go again to Nineveh, this time to tell them to repent or after 40 days the city would be destroyed. Jonah went and gave the message as a result the King brought his people to repentance in sackcloth and ashes.

Maybe he had been persuaded by a previous prophecy that Jonah saw fulfilled; the land of Hamath would be restored to Israel. 2 Kings 14: 25

Jonah's displeasure
Instead of being pleased and glad with Nineveh’s repentance Jonah was displeased, he was angry. Theologians say that it was because his prophecy the destruction of the Assyrian city of Nineveh was not fulfilled.

Why was Jonah displeased?
I believe that his displeasure and anger arose from jealousy, which is another part of this prophecy given to us in the life of Jonah.

The first part
The life and witness of Jonah reflects the sign Jesus gave to the scribes and Pharisees
Jesus spoke to the scribes and Pharisees giving them a sign, the sign of Jonah.
“For as Jonah was three days and nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will arise 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.” Matthew 12: 40, 41.
Jesus fulfilled the sign: Two of Jesus’ followers were travelling to Emmaus when a stranger joined them and walked with them. As they walked the disciples spoke to the stranger about the events that had recently taken place at Jerusalem saying, “And how our chief priests and rulers delivered him (Jesus) up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since this happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; and they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, and who said that he (Jesus) is alive.” Luke 24: 20-23
Jesus was raised from the dead on the third day.

The Messiah’s Secret
Cleopas and the other disciple state that they were not aware that the Messiah had to die before he could be received by the nation as their Messiah.
“And how our chief priests and rulers delivered him (Jesus) up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped he was the one to redeem Israel.” They were not aware that Jesus had to be raised from the dead before he could be received as their Christ, even though he had told them several times that he would be raised from the dead, but it was hidden from their understanding. “For he will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon; they will scourge him and kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things; this saying was hid from them, and they did not grasp what he was said.” Luke 18: 32-34
On the road to Emmaus, the stranger replied, “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” Luke 24: 26,27.
Jesus opened up their understanding to the scriptures that proved he was the Christ.

Continuing Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 12 the King of Nineveh had brought the city of Nineveh to repentance. "The men of Nineveh will arise 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."
Jesus foretold of his rejection by the Jewish leaders. At and after Pentecost when the apostles proclaimed Jesus for the first time that he was the Christ, the Jewish leaders instead of bringing the nation to repentance they rejected Jesus as their Messiah and later were jealous of the Gentiles who accepted Jesus as their Saviour.

The second part
Jonah’s response to the Gentiles shows that he was jealous because the Assyrian people were loved by God, who he regarded as his enemy.

This was prophetic when we read of the jealousy of the Jews when the Gentiles accepted Jesus as their Messiah. God’s love for the Gentiles not just of the people of a city but every person in every nation of the world.

At Antioch in Pisidia, Paul and Barnabas were asked by the Gentiles to tell them about Jesus.
“The next Sabbath the whole city gathered together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted what was spoken by Paul, and reviled him. and Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.” Acts 13: 44-46
The Gentiles brought into the New Covenant.

Jonah’s jealousy instead of being glad that the Assyrians had repented he constructed a booth, a shelter made of branches to watch over Nineveh. We read that a plant grew up alongside of him, this must have raised his expectations as it gave him shade from the sun’s rays. But a worm destroyed the plant. This is a picture of what jealousy does it eats away at a person’s heart. It is destructive. Jonah was so affected by his jealousy that he wanted to die.
“Set a seal upon your heart for love is as strong as death jealousy is as cruel as the grave.” Song of Songs 8: 6

Jonah’s pity for the plant, he was thinking of the shade that it gave him. The Lord pointed out to him that the plant grew in a night and perished in a night. Jonah had no part to play in how the plant lived or died.
But he had a part in saving the people of Nineveh with God by taking God’s message of repentance to them.
For us today we have a part in working with the Lord taking the good news of God’s saving grace to the people of our community. May we have the courage to pray for the Lord to give us a heart felt burning love, his love for how feels about people that are outside of the Christian faith.

The Messiah's Secret - 'Christ in You' Part 3

Evening Service following the Lectionary reading.
Acts 19:1-20. Mark 7: 24-37.

Last Thursday my husband and I, we went on a walk up the Dunsop Bridge Valley in the Trough of Bowland. It is a very beautiful valley, the hills were covered in purple heather and the fir trees were the tallest I’ve ever seen, at least 30 metres high. The water coming off the hills ran into a stream, and as the water rushed over the stones, the splashes sparkled because of the clarity of the water. The water’s purity reminded me of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

When Paul visited Ephesus he found that the disciples there did not know about Jesus' baptism they had been baptised into John the Baptist’s water baptism.

John's Baptism
John's baptism was for the forgiveness of sins, in preparation for the coming of the kingdom of God. The people wondered if John was the Christ, but John said this, “I baptise you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the throngs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Luke 3: 16.

Jesus’ Baptism
The baptism of the Trinity, The Holy Spirit opens the door to knowing God in a personal way as our redeemer and Saviour. “If a man loves me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come and make our home with him.” John 14: 23
In the letter to Titus he wrote interchanging the words: Grace and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Saviour.’ Titus 1:4. ‘God our Saviour’ with ‘God and Saviour Jesus Christ’ 2:10, 13. ‘God our Saviour’ with ‘Jesus Christ our Saviour.’ 3: 4, 6.
Jesus' words to Philip, "He who has seen me has seen the Father." John 14: 9.
The Holy Spirit acts upon faith in the words about Jesus’ death and resurrection brings about a wonderful transformation of mind, will and nature.

We can receive Jesus’ baptism at baptism service or sometimes through the laying on of hands or through a scripture or the words of a hymn or a prayer, head knowledge becoming heart knowledge.

12 Disciples at Ephesus.
At Ephesus after the twelve disciples heard about Jesus’ baptism from Paul and they received the Holy Spirit through the laying on of his hands and afterwards they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

At Ephesus Paul went into the synagogue, it was the custom for visiting Jews to be given the opportunity to speak to the congregation, and we read he gave the message about the kingdom of God.
The majority of the Jews in the synagogue rejected Paul’s message. We are not informed of the details of the discussions that took place. Paul then left the synagogue and with the disciples they met the Lecture Hall of Tyrannus and from that situation they reached out with the gospel message to both Jews and Gentiles. Acts 19: 1-10

In the context of the story that follows in Acts 19 I turned to look as to why the Jews turned away from Paul’s message. The healing ministry of Jesus and latterly of his disciples had angered the Pharisees; we know this from what has been recorded by the gospel writers. Matthew recorded the Pharisees accusing Jesus of healing by the power of Beelzebub. Jesus responded by saying,”If I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.” Matthew 12: 27.
Perhaps Jesus was referring to their 'sons' to mean various sects like the Essenes, it is recorded in the Dead Sea Scrolls that they practiced exorcisms.

At Ephesus seven Jewish intinerant, wandering exorcists undertook to pronounce the name of Jesus over those who had evil spirits. What followed was as a result of their prayers, the man set upon them and they fled. They perhaps had good intensions, but these seven men had no power to exorcise the man.
They were not true followers of Jesus.

Unger’s Bible Dictionary page 334
“The Jews at Ephesus encountered by Paul illustrate an attempt to mix pagan traffic in demonology with expulsion of evil spirits by the power of God. Acts 13: 13-19

The question as to why the Pharisees denounced Jesus’ healing ministry I thought that it was because main stream Judaism did not practice exorcism.
Mainstream Judaism believed that only God had the power and authority to deliver them from all of their enemies.
I’ve searched the scriptures: Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua they did not practice exorcisms.
David the shepherd boy was invited by King Saul to play his lyre at court as his playing released Saul from the evil spirit. But we read that God had allowed this spirit to come upon Saul.
David on the run from Saul did not practice exorcisms on anyone. He looked to God for deliverance.
“Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me! Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise for my help! Draw the spear and Javelin against my pursuers!
“Say to my soul, I am your deliverance!” Psalm 35: 1-3.
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.” 2 Samuel: 22: 2.

Job looked to God and not to his three friends to deliver him from his affliction. Job 3: 11
Job’s three friends had been unable to convince him of his guilt of sin and Job had been unable to convince them of his innocence. God was his vindicator, his redeemer. Job 19.

Jesus is God and Deliverer
Jesus, the spoken word of God clothed in the flesh, ministered God the Father’s power to cast out evil spirits.
It is recorded in the Gospels that Jesus healed all manner of sickness and disease, blindness, fever, those who were deaf and dumb, mental illness and he healed those who were paralysed, he cast out evil spirits and even raised the dead. He manufactured bread and fishes, re-created flesh (leprosy), turned water into wine and he stilled the storm.

Two examples of Jesus healing in two different ways in Mark’s gospel Chapter 7: 24-37
The Syrophoenician lady came to Jesus for him to cast the demon out of her daughter who was at home. Jesus’ response was an unusual one, he said, “Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” verse 27. The children - Jesus was referring to the descendants of Abraham, and the bread - Jesus' words and actions fulfilled the covenants and promises. Jesus under the old covenant was gathering the outcasts, those who had fallen away from the law, bringing healing and wholeness to their lives with the promise of eternal life through faith in him. Jesus establishing the New Covenant in his death and resurrection. (Jeremiah’s covenant.)
The promise to the Jews that God would send a Leader and Saviour, the Messiah.
The dog is a term referring to the Gentiles.
The Syrophoenician ladies persistence was rewarded by her response to Jesus words in verse 27 with the words,”Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
God’s promise to Abraham that he would be the father of many nations. The Gentiles are loved by God and included in the New Covenant. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whosoever believe in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3: 16.

Another way of looking at the Syrophenician’s daughter’s healing.
The lady came to Jesus on behalf of someone very dear to her asking him to heal her.
There was a barrier: her daughter’s illness kept her at home, the lady was a Greek outside of the Jewish faith, she was a woman, and she was at first turned away.
But love and faith working together overcame the barriers, her persistence, her heart felt pain she released her daughter into Jesus’ care.

Jesus by the power and authority of God told her that the demon had left her daughter. When she arrived home she found her daughter well.

A Time to Heal Report.
The Anglican Church provides on request Christians with this ministry to exorcise a person from demonic possession. “A Time to Heal Report” guidelines 1975

Second Example
The man who came to Jesus to be healed of his deafness and his impediment speech. Jesus did not cast out demons out of him, but instead by his actions and words. He put his fingers into his ears, his spittle onto his tongue and said, “Be open.” The man was healed. He was released immediately.

Christ in You
Jesus said the Father is greater than I, “In that day you will know that I am in the Father and you in me, and I in you.” John 14: 20, 28.
“He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15: 5.
Great miracles were brought about by faith in Jesus through Paul, he prayed over handkerchiefs and aprons and they were taken to the sick and the people were healed.
Again we see the role of Christian in bringing someone’s need to Jesus for his healing touch upon them and being used by the Lord to bring the means of healing to a person’s need.

Paul came to know Jesus as his personal Saviour through the ministry of Ananias, he prayed for the healing of his sight and through the laying on of his hands Paul was baptised into Jesus’ Baptism.
(See blog Christ in You Part 2)
We see a parallel with his conversion and with the incident on the Island of Cyprus. Serguis Paulus had asked to hear the message about Jesus from Paul and Barnabas. Elymas who was with him came against the Christian message; he tried to turn Serguis away from the faith. Paul I believe saw himself in Elymas in the way he came against the disciples and followers of Jesus. Blindness had come upon Paul after his encounter with Jesus. The Lord using blindness as a means to show Paul his spiritual blindness. Jesus Christ now being in him, he imitated Jesus. Paul he used his authority to show Elymas his spiritual blindness. Blindness had come upon Elymas after his encounter with Paul. Acts 13: 11.

Christ in us today.
Jesus’ baptism enables us minister in the gifts of the Trinity: prayer for healing, words of wisdom, practical help, listening and were appropriate giving assurance. Faith and love are essential to healing; it isn’t how holy we are or the circumstances that surround the person who needs healing. Simple faith and few words coming from the love that flows from the river of life within every Christian baptised into Jesus' baptism.

Resting, relying in the promises that are ours in Christ.
Praying in faith: “All things are possible to them that believe.” Mark 9: 23
Receiving healing: “Whatever you ask in prayer, you shall receive if you have faith.” Matthew 21: 22.
The Lord's Prayer: "Deliver us from evil."

The majority of people in our communities who are poorly just need that healing touch from Jesus through having faith in him. Jesus uses ordinary Christians with compassion for those who are suffering. He takes our prayers and graciously answers them.