“A Mighty Tempest” - 2/6/25
In an earlier article, we noted some similarities between Jonah and Jesus and how the life and work of Jonah foreshadowed when Christ was on earth. Our study here will show another connection between Jonah and our Lord. Please read Jonah 1:4-16.
Not long after Jonah boarded the ship, the Lord sent a great wind that stirred “a mighty tempest” that would have broken up the boat. As the mariners scrambled to keep the ship afloat, they turned their attention to Jonah, asleep in the boat. Once awakened, he said he was the reason for the trouble, and they needed to throw him overboard if the storm was to end. The men resisted at first but then agreed and threw him overboard. As soon as this was done, the storm ceased, causing these men to fear and offer a sacrifice to Jehovah (not their gods, v. 5).
Does this event sound familiar to you? Have we read this before? If you are not sure, read Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:35-41, and Luke 8:22-25. Here, we read of a very similar situation happening to the Lord. Jesus told the apostles, “Let us pass over to the other side” (of Galilee, Mk. 4:35). As they went, “a great tempest” (Matt. 8:24) began, and the ship was in “jeopardy” (Lk. 8:23). The apostles scrambled as Jesus slept below (Mk. 4:38). When the apostles awoke Jesus, He caused the storm to “cease” (Lk. 8:24) and it left the apostles amazed and in fear (Mk. 4:41).
It is never said in the synoptic gospels (Matt-Lk), but I wonder if those people ever noticed that they had lived through a similar situation to Jonah. Were events like this “fodder” for those who thought Jesus was “one of the prophets” (Matt. 16:14)? Several of Jesus’ miracles were often reminders of things that had happened before. After all, He healed lepers and fed many with a small amount, as Elisha had (II Kings 4-5). Jesus raised dead people as Elijah had (I Kings 17:17-24). In this case, He was on a ship during a terrible storm and caused the storm to cease, just as Jonah did. The list goes on.
Again, while these accounts are not identical, Jonah’s experience in the Mediterranean foreshadows Christ’s on Galilee. Notice that on both occasions:
- Men received instruction from God (Jonah 1:2; Mk. 4:35).
- Men faced the worst storm they had seen (Jonah 1:5-6; Matt. 8:24-25).
- Our heroes were surrounded by those who could not solve the problem on their own (Jonah 1:5, 13; Mk. 4:38).
- Those in the boats learned they had to do things God’s way if they were to be saved (Jonah 1:12, 14-15; Lk. 8:24-25).
What can we learn from this account? First, a study of foreshadowing like this ought to deepen our faith in the inspired word of God (II Tim. 3:16-17). We should appreciate how the Bible agrees with itself, showing its consistency. Further, the practical side of this reading shows us that even when times are hard, even when we are enduring the “storms” of life that seem to have no end, there is a God in Heaven who sees and loves us (Ps. 23:4). We need to trust and follow His will even when it seems odd or counter-intuitive to do (Prov. 3:5-6)! Christ has control of the very elements of the world! He is our Savior, and His peace is enough for us to calm the storms in our lives (Phil. 4:6-7)!
– Jarrod M. Jacobs