0247. Wherein the Jonah Sign Is Established

Wherein the Jonah Sign Is Established

"But now is Christ risen from the dead" (1Co_15:20).

The question before us is whether Christ fulfilled the Jonah sign? The Word of God plainly says He did. Plain, positive passages state the fact that Christ died and was buried and that He rose again. Besides these positive Scriptures we have additional potent proofs to consider.

1. The very artlessness of the Bible story carries upon its face indisputable testimony to its genuineness. Such statements were never framed up to deceive the world.

The way the women went with their spices to the grave, that they supposed held their Master; the alarm at finding the stone rolled away; Mary’s taking Christ for the gardener and suggesting that if He had taken the body away, she would go and bring it again; Mary’s cry of "Rabboni," as the Lord pronounced her name; Peter and John’s running toward the tomb, upon the announcement of the women that the Lord was risen indeed; John’s hesitancy at the open grave, and Peter’s rushing into the tomb; Thomas and his unbelief–all of this, and much more, has every evidence of real happenings, not of hatched-up lies.

2. The despair of the disciples at Christ’s death, and their exultant joy at His resurrection was another proof of the fact that the resurrection was real.

The disciples were broken-hearted. They had thought that Christ would surely have redeemed Israel. They had dreams of a wonderful kingdom of power. Now Christ was dead and their hopes were crushed.

No marvel that the message of Christ, as He met the startled, but rejoicing, women as they ran to bring the disciples word of what the angels had said, began with the words "All hail!" or, "O Joy!"

Peter afterward said: "We were begotten again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

Do you suppose that any fabricated story, that they themselves had planned, would have imparted such unparalleled, exultant joy in their souls? Impossible.

3. The unchallenged testimony of the disciples and of Paul to the resurrection is a further proof that the Lord arose from the dead.

In reading the Book of Acts one is struck with the way in which the disciples all gave testimony to the resurrection of Christ from the dead. They spoke with a boldness and assurance that brooked no denial. No scribe and no Pharisee dared to challenge their statement. It was too commonly believed.

The disciples themselves were ready to die for their faith. They knew the Jonah sign was verified.

4. The final proof that we will mention, lies in the fact that Christ appeared in person and with glorified body to many saints, after the resurrection. The disciples had not only seen the empty tomb, and the linen clothes, lying, and the napkin folded by itself, but they had seen the Lord.

Paul recounts some of these appearings. "He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve, after that He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once * * after that He was seen of James and then of all the Apostles. And last of all He was seen of me also, as one born out of due time."

Thus we have assured our hearts that the Jonah sign was verified, and that Christ did arise from the dead, establishing His Deity.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR