Text: Jonah 2:1–10
Topic: A valuable lesson from the life of Jonah

• One of the problems with the Book of Jonah is that a lot of us think we know the story, but we really don't.
• I want you to pretend like you have never heard this story before—like you're hearing it for the very first time.
• Jonah is sinking into the sea, but the Lord appoints a great fish to swallow Jonah.
• Scripture says that Jonah stays inside that fish for three days and three nights.

• The word "appointed" could be translated "commissioned."
• God "appoints" or "commissions" this fish for a special task.
• You might find the idea of a fish swallowing a guy—and the idea of that guy living inside that fish for three days—hard to believe.
• First of all, I'm so glad you're here, because we want to be the kind of church where nobody ever has to pretend to believe anything.
• I also want to point out that we want to be the kind of community that studies the Bible in a thoughtful way.
• The point of the Book of Jonah is not to prove that there really are giant fish that humans can live in for three days; the point is it that it would take a miracle for such a fish to be in existence.
• The real question is this: are miracles possible?
• At the heart of our faith is the claim that there is a God, and he is an all-powerful God who can do anything.
• If you get wrapped in some of the endless debates related to Jonah, you'll miss the whole point of the book—that God is always up to something great.

• There is one word that is associated with God throughout the story of Jonah—"great."
• If the main word associated with God in this book is "great," the main word associated with Jonah is "down."
• When Jonah finds himself in a fish in the sea, he has hit bottom.
• In the minds of the Israelites, you can't get any lower than the sea; it is a place of great fear, great terror, great death.
• Guess what Jonah does while he is in the fish? He prays.
• This is the first time in a long time that Jonah has really talked with God.
• Why do you think Jonah finally got around to praying in the fish? Because he had nothing better to do!
• This story is all about Jonah hitting bottom and discovering that what looks so bad is actually the best thing that has ever happened to him.

• When Jonah cries out to God, God delivers him.
• What happens next in this story, though, seems like such an odd footnote: Jonah gets delivered on the third day.
• The third day is a big day in Bible stories.
• Jonah is delivered by the great fish vomiting him up on the shore.
• There is a reason the writer emphasizes that the fish vomited up Jonah.
• All stories can be placed in one of two categories: a tragedy (joy loses, life loses, hope loses) or a comedy (joy wins, life wins, hope wins).
• Jonah is a comedy!
• In Israel's eyes Jonah's predicament was as bad as it could get—ending up in the heart of the sea, in the depths of the grave, going down.
• From God's perspective, death and the grave and Sheol are not problems at all, and neither are stiff-necked, rebellious, stubborn humans; God laughs at it all.
• This is why Jonah ends up getting vomited onto the shore; it's a way to say that joy wins.
• Part of the reason why Jonah is such a joy to read is because there is another character between every line in the book: Jesus.
• Consider the parallels between Jonah and Jesus: both were prophets from the region of Nazareth; both were able to calm storms by their actions; Jonah's name means "the dove" (which also means "given to a beloved one); close to the end of his public ministry, Jesus says, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish," Jesus said, "so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."
• The message of Jonah is a little foretaste of the victory of Jesus who comes to meet us at the lowest place, telling us that death loses, sin loses, sorrow loses, sadness loses—and joy wins.
  • Illustration: The early church was forced to meet in the Catacombs because of persecution. Archeologists have discovered that the etchings on the walls of the tombs are often depicting Jonah's story. Why? They knew Jonah was a joyous comedy.
• What if when if on the day we die and all our pain passes away—what if on that day life is so good, so healing, so complete, that we look at each other and we say, "This is what I was afraid of? I thought death was going to be awful. It's nothing at all!"
• That's the message of the Book of Jonah.

• What do we do with the lessons of Jonah?
• Perhaps we should recognize our own Jonah moments and act accordingly to what God is up to in our lives.
  • Illustration: Ortberg shares a series of stories about a few Jonahs he has met in his life who show how hitting bottom (through addictions, poor choices, and even profound debilitation) can actually be a source of life, hope, and joy.

• Jonah's story is one where tragedy ends up as comedy.
• That's can be your life story, too—if you want it to be.
• Jesus comes and says: If you'll let me, I'll meet you at the cross. I'll meet you at the tomb. And the third day is coming, if you'll meet me."