There is nothing better than an epic comeback story. Sometimes when I’m watching sports, I will start to root for the losing team just so I can see a close game and an awesome comeback. The Bible is full of these moments, but one of the best examples is the story of Jonah.
God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and warn the people to repent, but Jonah wanted nothing to do with it. Instead of obeying, he ran in the opposite direction and boarded a ship heading for Tarshish. A violent storm came upon the sea, and eventually the sailors threw Jonah overboard to save the ship. What happened next is one of the most famous moments in Scripture.
The Lord sent a whale that swallowed Jonah, and he stayed in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights. Yet even in that place, Jonah cried out to the Lord. Jonah 2:2 says, “In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me.” After those three days, God commanded the fish to spit Jonah out onto dry land. Jonah then went to Nineveh, warned the people, and they repented. But what really stands out in the story is Jonah’s frustration with God’s mercy. Jonah knew the character of God all along: “I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love.” (Jonah 4:2)
Later on in the Bible, Jesus pointed back to Jonah as a picture of what He Himself would do. In Matthew 12:40, Jesus said, “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Jonah coming out of the fish was a miracle, but it was also a preview. Jesus would go into the grave for three days, and then He would rise again. The greatest comeback story in history was not Jonah getting spit out onto dry land; it was Jesus walking out of the tomb.
The resurrection shows us the heart of God. He is not quick to give up on people. He is gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in love. (Psalm 103:8). Jonah didn’t like that God was willing to forgive Nineveh, but that same compassion is the reason Jesus went to the cross for us.
So today, maybe you feel like you don’t deserve the grace of God because of what you have done. But the story of Jonah reminds us that God’s grace is bigger than our feelings and our behavior. The same compassionate God who brought Jonah out of the belly of the whale is the same God who can forgive anyone who calls on the name of Jesus. He is faithful to forgive, cleanse, and redeem any situation your facing. God specializes in comebacks.
The Bigger Picture: Even when we run and try to resist God, His love continues to run after us.
The Bigger Picture 