For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights. Matthew 12:40
We were reminded during the weekend message that the fish was the symbol of the resurrection of Jesus for the early church. The symbol of a fish points back to Jesus’ prophecy during His earthly ministry that He would be in the grave for three days and three nights, just as Jonah, the Old Testament prophet, was in the belly of a fish for three days and three nights. It was a reminder to members of the early church and to all of us that Jesus truly did rise from the grave, just as He predicted. The fact that Jesus’ prediction of His death and resurrection was fulfilled just as He said is evidence that He is who He claimed to be and that we can stake our entire lives on Him, His life, His death, and His resurrection.
Jesus predicted His own death and resurrection several times throughout His ministry on earth, and one of the places where this prediction appears is in Matthew 12. In this passage of Scripture, religious leaders came to Jesus and demanded to see a sign from Him to prove Himself to them. In response, Jesus said, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights” (verse 40). Jesus did not give them an immediate sign, but He certainly gave them a sign that would prove, without a doubt, that He was the Son of God and Savior of the world. He predicted His own death and resurrection. He pointed them back to the prophet Jonah, whom the religious leaders had no doubt studied. Jonah was in the belly of a fish for his disobedience to God for three days and three nights because he did not want to warn the wicked people of Nineveh about God’s impending judgment if they did not repent. As he pointed to Jonah’s story, Jesus announced to the religious leaders, “Someone greater than Jonah is here” (verse 41). Jesus was talking about Himself here. He is far greater than Jonah. Unlike Jonah, He was in the grave for His obedience to God the Father and willingness to die on the cross for the sins of the world. The remarkable truth is, Jesus did exactly what He said in Matthew 12. He died on the cross and was in the grave for three days and three nights. Three days later, He rose from the grave, conquering sin and death.
As we consider Jesus’ death and resurrection, one of the greatest pieces of evidence for it is that He accurately predicted it! That is something only the Son of God could do. Praise Him for His willingness to come to earth, die a brutal death on the cross, and pay the price for the sins of the world. He is, indeed, infinitely greater than Jonah.
Jesus did not just prophesy His death and resurrection. He also prophesied His return for His people when He would bring them to live with Him forever. If Jesus accurately prophesied His death and resurrection, we can have confidence in His second coming, too. Memorize John 14:2-3. Whenever you are discouraged or walking through a difficulty, remember Jesus’ words in this verse. One day, He will return, and we will live with Him forever. What an amazing day that will be!
Prayer Prompt: Use this prompt to guide you as you pray.
“God, as I look back on the resurrection of Jesus and look forward to His return, I praise You for…”
Going Deeper
Matthew 12:38-47
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. 42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.
43 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. 44 Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”
©2026 Sagebrush Church
