Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Where Assurance Comes From

In those times when we are shaken by the tempest of uncertainty, how do we get assurance? Is peace possible in times of utter turbulence?

I wonder how Jonah felt as he sat in the belly of the great fish. In darkness and in the stomach of some fleshy animal, he must have lamented the finality of his punishment. His refusal to obey God led him to death by devouring. Oh how great must have been the terror and affliction of his soul!

Yet, we know that Jonah didn't die there. He was spat out and sent to Nineveh where God saved hundreds of thousands through Jonah's warning. How did he go from the belly of death to becoming an agent of salvation?

Jesus said to the people that no sign will be given this age except the sign of Jonah. Yet, he performed miracles in his time. What could he have meant?

I suppose that the only sign we'll need in this age is that the Son of God experienced death itself for those who believe in him. He didn't just dwell in the belly. He died there. And because he paid in full what we could not pay, we know that we have assurance of forgiveness. On the other hand, Jesus didn't just die, but as he was God and wholly righteous, he defeated death and rose from the grave. We know that this Jesus is for us and interceding for us. He will save us from our troubles by the great might with which he defeated death. Jesus is the true sign of Jonah. He is the only sign we need in order to have assurance. Amen.

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