It seems that there are many professing Christians who do not understand the gospel or treasure it with joy and gratitude. Many of them see the gospel as something that an unbeliever soley needs to hear and respond to. Many cannot even explain what the gospel is or what it means. The gospel is the good news. But why is it good news? What is it about this news that is any different than the daily news you can hear on the TV? Tim Keller says that “the gospel is not the ABCs of Christianity but the A through Z”. As Christians we do not grow out of our need to hear the gospel and believe in the saving power of God found in it . The gospel is “the power of God unto salvation to all who believe” (Romans 1:16). Yes, as believers we have salvation. It is ours in Christ. We have been saved, but we are being saved and we will be saved. Though we are saved we still find ourselves doing those things that we don’t want to do. We are still sinners in need of our Savior to cleanse us and keep saving us from sin. Christ has delivered us from the penalty of sin, death! Yet we need Him to lead us not into temptation and deliver us from sin and evil. That is why Jesus taught us to pray this way (Matthew 6:13). As long as we are here on earth, in these bodies, there will be a battle against sin. We must not make any provision for it or let have dominion it over us. Indeed Christ has made us free from the domination of sin, yet we still have to resist the temptation to sin. The good news is that through Christ’s death, burial and resurrection we, who believe, have the forgiveness of our sins, freedom from slavery to sin and fellowship with our Heavenly Father.

In the book of Jonah we see the gospel illustrated for us, through God’s gracious dealing with Jonah, the people of Nineveh and a foreshadow of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. In it we see the sinfulness of man and goodness of God. We see that though our sin is great, God’s grace is greater and though our sin reaches far, God’s grace reaches farther. In the book of Jonah we see God’s sovereignty over creation and even the rebellious choices of men. We see God’s greatness and God’s goodness, God’s mercy and His might, God’s glory and His grace. In it we see man’s sin and God salvation. Jonah declares from the belly of the great fish “Salvation belongs to the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). This is the key verse of the book. Jonah is grateful when salvation is given to him but when God gives salvation to Nineveh he throws a fit and gets angry. God teaches Jonah and the readers a lesson of His mercy and grace. God will be gracious to whom He will be gracious. As God, He can freely chose those to whom He will be gracious to and those He will give compassion to. God owes no man grace or mercy, but has the right to freely give it out as He pleases.

Jonah had already been used by God in proclaiming a prophecy that came to pass and then God entrusts Jonah with another task, but Jonah goes AWOL. He tried to go far away from Nineveh, which is where God told him to go. And instead he sought to go to Tarshish. The bible says Jonah “rose to flee from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:3). When man is in disobedience that is exactly what he does, he runs from God. Playing “Hide and Seek” with God is really vain. Is there really any place at all that we can hide from God? God says through Jeremiah “Do I not fill heaven and the earth?” (Jeremiah 23:24). Jonah went down, down, down when he ran from God! That is what happens when ones resists God’s will. God humbles the proud and rebellious and He will always discipline His own children. Charles H.Spurgeon says that “God does not allow His children to sin successfully”. God hurls a storm at Jonah and the ship that he is on. Now Jonah’s sin is affecting others. Our sin can bring trouble to those around us. The sailors realized that Jonah’s disobedience was the reason for the storm. God used the storm, the pagan sailors and even the casting of lots to corner Jonah. It is futile to run from the Lord when He has a calling on our lives and a mission for us to fulfill. The Lord knows how to overcome our resistance and rebellion. God’s amazing grace overcomes our resistance and His goodness leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). God captured Jonah with grace, in the belly of a great fish and the mercy of God triumphed over judgment toward Jonah. Here is the gospel that though we are great sinners Christ is a great Savior. Though we are disobedient God is our deliverer. Though we are lost God is love and He seeks to save us. Actually Jonah’s experience is an illustration of what Christ did for rebellious sinners. Jesus said that as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights,so the Son of Man would be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:39-40). This is the gospel according to the Apostle Paul’s writings in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the gospel. I can imagine Jesus after being raised from the dead, walking along the road to Emmaus, speaking to the disciples talking about this event. Luke in his gospel wrote that Jesus explained himself from the law and the prophets (Luke 24:13-47), which would include the book of Jonah.

When was the last time you heard God’s voice? Is there something you have been putting off or avoiding that you know God has called you to do? Do you have a good understanding of the gospel and do your actions display that you do? When was the last time you went up to a stranger or group of strangers and shared the gospel message? Are you more concerned about your own comfort or showing compassion for people?