Lesson#24

RETURN TO SYLLABUS
THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #24
THE PARABLE OF JONAH AND THE QUEEN (MAT 12:38-42)

MEMORY VERSE: GAL 3:28-29

THE PARABLE OF JONAH AND THE QUEEN (MAT 12:38-42)

FOR CONTENTS AND BACKGROUND:

READ MAT 12:38-42
READ JONAH 1:17
READ 2CHR 9:1-12

THE PARABLE IN MAT 12:38-42 IS IN TWO PARTS, EACH WITH A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MEANING.

TO WHOM DID JESUS SPEAK THIS PARABLE?

JESUS SPOKE THIS PARABLE TO THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES.

JESUS HAD JUST CALLED THEM AN EVIL GENERATION BECAUSE OF THEIR DELIBERATE SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS.
NOW THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES ASK FOR A SPIRITUAL SIGN.

OF COURSE, WITH THEIR MINDS ALREADY FIRMLY AGAINST JESUS, THEY WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE SPIRITUALLY ANY SIGN. WHAT THEY NEEDED WAS NOT LIGHT BUT SIGHT.

THE SIGN OF JONAH:

THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE SIGN OF JONAH:

JESUS IS THE SIGN. HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION ARE PROOFS THAT HE IS THE SON OF GOD.

THE STORY OF JONAH:

GOD CALLED JONAH TO THE CITY OF NINEVEH TO PREACH REPENTANCE. IF THE CITY DID NOT REPENT, GOD WOULD DESTROY IT.
THE NINEVITES ARE GENTILES. THE NINEVITES AND JEWS HATED EACH OTHER.
THEREFORE, JONAH REBELLED AGAINST GOD’S COMMAND AND WENT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. GOD CAUSED JONAH TO BE SWALLOWED BY A BIG FISH. JONAH WAS 3 DAYS AND 3 NIGHTS IN THE BIG FISH BEFORE BEING VOMITED ONTO THE BEACH. THEN JONAH OBEYED GOD AND PREACHED TO THE PEOPLE OF NINEVEH.

THE SIGHT OF ONE COMING BACK FROM THE DEAD ALONG WITH HIS MESSAGE, CAUSED THE PEOPLE TO REPENT.

THEREFORE, GOD DID NOT DESTROY THE CITY FOR ANOTHER 100 YEARS.

WHY DID JESUS USE THIS SIGN? (MAT 12:41)

=1= JESUS USED THE SIGN BECAUSE THE NINEVITES REPENTED, AND THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WOULD NOT REPENT.

THIS IS A WARNING THAT JUDGMENT WILL COME UPON THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES BECAUSE OF THEIR REJECTION OF JESUS CHRIST.

JUDGMENT DID COME UPON THEM IN 70 AD WHEN THE ROMANS CAME AND DESTROYED THE TEMPLE AND THE CITY OF JERUSALEM.

THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES LOST THEIR JOB, THEIR POSITION IN JEWISH SOCIETY, THEIR PLACE OF BUSINESS IN THE TEMPLE, AND IN MANY CASES THEIR LIVES. WITH THE TEMPLE GONE, THERE WAS NO MORE ANIMAL SACRIFICE AND NO MORE TEMPLE WORSHIP. WITHOUT THAT, THERE WAS NO NEED FOR SCRIBES AND PHARISEES.

=2= JESUS USED THE SIGN BECAUSE JONAH WAS 3 DAYS AND 3 NIGHTS IN THE BIG FISH. THIS IS JESUS’ PROPHETIC PREDICTION THAT HE WOULD BE 3 DAYS AND 3 NIGHTS IN THE TOMB.

HE IS TELLING THEM THAT HE, HIMSELF, IS THE SIGN. IF THEY HAD SPIRITUAL SIGHT, THEY WOULD RECOGNIZE THE FULFILLMENT OF JESUS’ PROPHECY WHEN JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED AND RESURRECTED. IF THEY REPENTED AT THAT TIME, THEY WOULD BE SAVED.

WE KNOW OF ONLY 2 OF THE PHARISEES THAT DID REPENT AND WERE BORN AGAIN:

NICODEMOS WAS ONE PHARISEE THAT WAS SAVED. (JOH 3)
JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA WAS THE OTHER ONE. HE BURIED JESUS IN HIS OWN TOMB. (LUK 23:50-52)

THE SIGN OF THE THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS:

COMMON CHRISTIAN BELIEF IS THAT JESUS DIED ON A FRIDAY (GOOD FRIDAY) AND WAS RAISED ON THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY. THAT DOES NOT AMOUNT TO 3 DAYS AND 3 NIGHTS IN THE TOMB.

THE PROBLEM IS THAT JESUS DID NOT DIE ON A FRIDAY. HE DIED ON A THURSDAY AT 3 PM. (THE 14^TH DAY OF THE JEWISH MONTH OF NISAN).

JESUS DIED AT THE SAME TIME THE PASSOVER LAMB WAS KILLED IN THE TEMPLE ON THE 14^TH DAY OF NISSAN WHICH IS PASSOVER ACCORDING TO THE JEWISH CALENDAR.
ON THE THURSDAY OF THE JEWISH PASSOVER THERE WAS A SPECIAL PASSOVER SABBATH. THEN THERE WAS THE REGULAR WEEKLY SABBATH BEGINNING THE NEXT DAY ON FRIDAY EVENING. (TWO SABBATH DAYS BACK TO BACK). A BURIAL MUST TAKE PLACE BEFORE A SABBATH BEGAN. THEREFORE, JESUS WAS BURIED BEFORE THE DAY ENDED AT 6 PM THURSDAY EVENING.

THE JEWISH PASSOVER FEAST (PESACH) LEV 23:4-5	THE PASSOVER IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS	THE PASSOVER IN THE NEW TESTAMENT GOSPELS
	THE PASSOVER LAMB WAS TAKEN INTO THE HOME AS A PET FOR EXAMINATION FOR PERFECTION. (EXO 12:2-3)	FROM THE MT. OF OLIVES, JESUS FOLLOWS THE HIGH PRIEST CARRYING THE PASSOVER LAMB INTO THE TEMPLE ON PALM SUNDAY. THE PASSOVER LAMB IS TIED TO THE ALTAR IN THE TEMPLE AND EXAMINED FOR 4 DAYS BY THE PRIESTS. JESUS SPENDS 4 DAYS IN THE TEMPLE WHERE THE PRIESTS ASK HIM QUESTIONS TO TRAP HIM. (LUK 19:41-48 LUK 20:1-8; 19-47)
ON THE 14^TH DAY OF THE MONTH OF NISAN (APPROX. APRIL) THE BLOOD OF THE PASSOVER LAMB WAS TO BE PUT ON THE DOORPOSTS.	THE PASSOVER LAMB WAS KILLED IN EGYPT ON THURSDAY, THE 14^TH OF NISAN, AT 3 PM TO COMMEMORATE THE END OF SLAVERY. THE BLOOD WAS PUT ON THE DOORPOSTS FOR PROTECTION AGAINST THE ANGEL OF DEATH. (EXO 12:1-51; 13:3-10)	AT 9AM ON THURSDAY, THE 14^TH OF NISAN, THE HIGH PRIEST TIED THE PASSOVER LAMB ON THE ALTAR IN THE TEMPLE. (PSA 118:27) AT 9AM ON THURSDAY, THE 14^TH OF NISAN, JESUS CHRIST WAS NAILED TO THE CROSS. (MAT 26:2) AT 3PM ON THURSDAY, THE 14^TH OF NISAN, THE HIGH PRIEST KILLED THE PASSOVER LAMB IN THE TEMPLE AND SAID, "IT IS FINISHED." AT 3PM ON THURDAY, THE 14^TH OF NISAN, JESUS CHRIST GAVE UP HIS LIFE ON THE CROSS AND SAID, "IT IS FINISHED." (JOH 19:30-42)
THE SIGNIFICANCE: REDEMPTION BY THE BLOOD OF A LAMB	THE SIGNIFICANCE: REDEMPTION FROM SLAVERY IN EGYPT BY THE BLOOD OF A LAMB	THE SIGNIFICANCE: REDEMPTION FROM SIN BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, THE LAMB OF GOD

THE SIGN OF THE QUEEN:

THE SECOND PART OF THE PARABLE HAS TO DO WITH THE QUEEN OF SHEBA.
THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE SIGN OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA:

THE QUEEN OF SHEBA RISKED MUCH TO COME AND HEAR GOD’S WISDOM THROUGH KING SOLOMON, BUT THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WOULD RISK NOTHING TO HEAR GOD’S TRUTH.

THE STORY OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA:

THE QUEEN OF SHEBA WAS A BLACK QUEEN FROM DISTANT ETHIOPIA. SHE HAD HEARD ABOUT HOW GOD HAD ABUNDANTLY BLESSED KING SOLOMON. SHE TRAVELED FAR FROM HER HOME AND KINGDOM TO SEEK KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THIS GOD.

WHY DID JESUS USE THIS SIGN?

THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES HAD GREAT RESPECT FOR KING SOLOMON. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT HAVE RESPECT FOR GOD’S WISDOM, NOR DID THEY RECOGNIZE IT WHEN THEY HEARD IT.

THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES DID NOT LISTEN TO JESUS TO GAIN WISDOM. THEY LISTENED TO HIM TO SEE IF THEY COULD TRICK HIM INTO MAKING SOME STATEMENT WITH WHICH THEY COULD BRING LEGAL CHARGES.

WHY DO YOU THINK JESUS USED TWO SIGNS?

USUALLY IN SCRIPTURE WHEN THERE ARE 2 SIMILAR EXAMPLES, AND IN THIS CASE, 2 SIMILAR SIGNS, THE TWO USUALLY REFER TO TWO DIFFERENT AUDIENCES.

FOR EXAMPLE:

THE SIGN OF JONAH = JONAH WAS A JEW, SO THIS IS A SIGN TO THE JEWS.

EVEN THOUGH JONAH PREACHED TO THE GENTILES, IT ONLY INDICATES THAT THE JEWS WERE TO BE A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES. AND, IN THIS CASE, THE GENTILES WERE MORE OPEN TO GOD’S TRUTH THAN THE JEWS.

THE SIGN OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA = THE QUEEN OF SHEBA WAS A GENTILE OPEN TO THE TRUTH OF GOD.

GOD IS NOT PARTIAL TO JEWS. HIS TRUTH IS FOR ALL PEOPLE WHO WILL ACCEPT IT, WHETHER JEW OR GENTILE.

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE EMPTY HOUSE AND THE EIGHT SPIRITS (MAT 12:43-45)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.

APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF JONAH AND THE QUEEN (MAT 12:38-42)

HOW OPEN ARE YOU TO GOD’S TRUTH WHEN YOU LEARN ABOUT SOMETHING IN THE BIBLE?

DO YOU CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDES TO CONFORM TO GOD’S WORD?
DO YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFE TO CONFORM TO GOD’S WORD?
RECALL ONE SITUATION WHERE YOU SAW SOMETHING IN GOD’S WORD AND CHANGED YOUR LIFE TO CORRESPOND TO IT. WRITE THAT INCIDENT HERE.

PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE EMPTY HOUSE AND THE EIGHT SPIRITS (MAT 12:43-45)

READ MAT 12:22-50

REMEMBER THAT JESUS IS STILL TALKING TO THE PHARISEES AND "THE ADULTEROUS GENERATION" OF THAT TIME.
UNLESS YOU KEEP THE MEANING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE END OF VERSE 45, YOU WILL MISS THE CENTRAL TRUTH!

WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF THE EMPTY HOUSE AND THE EIGHT SPIRITS?

WHAT IS MEANT BY THE "UNCLEAN SPIRIT?

READ 1SAM 15:23a

WHAT ARE "THE DRY PLACES"?

WHAT DOES "THE HOUSE" REPRESENT?

WHAT IS MEANT BY "EMPTY, SWEPT, AND GARNISHED"?

WHAT DOES "THE SEVEN OTHER SPIRITS" REPRESENT?

MEMORY VERSE; 2COR 5:17