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b'When you think of the prophet Jonah, what comes to mind? Getting swallowed by a huge fish? Running from God? A certain movie with talking vegetables? What you might not know is how the story of Jonah points us toward Christ. Although Jonah is known for his reluctance to preach to the people in Nineveh, his story still shows God\\u2019s mercy and foreshadows the Messiah (or Savior) to come.\\nFirst, both Jesus and Jonah sacrificed themselves to save others. Jonah chose to be thrown off a ship in the midst of a storm to save the other sailors\\u2014 because his sin had caused the storm. Jesus\\u2014who is fully God, fully human, and without sin\\u2014chose to sacrifice Himself on the cross to save us sinners (Romans 5:8; Hebrews 4:15).\\nSecond, both Jonah and Jesus also found themselves in the depths for three days. For Jonah, this meant being in the belly of a big fish. Jesus spent three days in the tomb after His death on the cross. Then, both returned from the depths after three days. Jonah was vomited by the fish onto shore, and he went on to (reluctantly) share God\\u2019s message of repentance with the people, which ultimately led to their salvation from sin and death. Jesus rose from the grave, defeating sin and death forever for all who put their trust in Him.\\nThese similarities and connections are no accident, and they are just the beginning of the gospel pointers in the book of Jonah. The whole book intentionally points toward Jesus\\u2019 life, death, and resurrection. Jesus is better than Jonah, who was a reluctant prophet who did not have much love for the people he preached to. Jesus willingly came and dwelled among us, sacrificing Himself on the cross so that we might be saved from sin and dwell forever with Him. \\u2022 Naomi Vroegop\\n\\u2022 Did anything about today\\u2019s piece surprise you? If so, what? \\n\\u2022 While reading the book of Jonah, did you notice any other connections between the story of Jonah and the story of Jesus? \\n\\u2022 To learn more about the good news of Jesus, check out our \\u201cKnow Jesus\\u201d page.\\nFor as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man [Jesus] will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:40 (NIV)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nPsalm 100; Mark 4:21-23; Luke 17:11-19'