1. THE SIGN OF JONAH: JESUS IN THE HEART OF THE EARTH.
- Author
-
ANDREWS, MICHAEL W.
- Subjects
SIGN of Jonah ,JEWS -- Genealogy ,RELIGION ,DEATH ,GARDEN of Gethsemane (Jerusalem) - Abstract
Jesus associated himself with the "sign of Jonah" on multiple occasions in response to Jewish leaders demanding that he prove his authority. Possible explanations of the sign are examined here with an emphasis on Jesus's statement that he would be "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matt 12:40). A close reading of Jonah 2 reveals that Jesus was describing himself as one who must suffer, but that he was depending upon his Father to rescue him from his descent into death. Unlike traditional explanations which assume that the statement must be restricted to the specific period that Jesus was in the tomb, this approach suggests that Jesus's descent began in the Garden of Gethsemane before he died. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018