The Sign of Jonah

In one paragraph

This sermon worked through a transitional section of the New Testament Gospel harmony, covering the Pharisees' demand for a sign, Jesus' announcement of new spiritual family ties, and the setup for his parable teaching. Pastor Carl traced the thread that connects what fills a person's heart, what comes out of their mouth, and how they ultimately respond to Jesus. The recap started where last week...

Read together

1. Mark 3:20 Jesus and disciples so thronged by crowds they could not eat a meal
2. Mark 3:21 his own people came to take custody of him, thinking he had lost his senses
3. Mark 3:22 scribes from Jerusalem said Jesus was possessed by Beelzebub and cast out demons by the ruler of demons
4. Mark 3:23-26 Jesus asks how Satan can cast out Satan, kingdom divided against itself cannot stand
5. Mark 3:27 no one can enter the strong man's house and plunder it unless he first ties up the strong man
6. Mark 3:28-29 all sins forgiven but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness
7. Mark 3:30 Jesus said this because scribes claimed he had an unclean spirit
8. Matthew 12:33 assume the tree good and its fruit good, or bad and its fruit bad, tree known by its fruit
9. Matthew 12:34 offspring of vipers, how can you being evil express good things, mouth speaks from what fills the heart
10. Luke 6:45 out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks
11. Jeremiah 17 hearts are desperately wicked and who can understand them
12. Matthew 12:35 good person brings good things from good treasure, evil person brings evil things from evil treasure
13. Matthew 12:36 for every careless word people speak they will give account on the day of judgment
14. Matthew 12:37 by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned
15. Matthew 12:38 scribes and Pharisees called him teacher and asked to see a sign
16. Matthew 12:39 an evil and adulterous generation craves a sign, no sign given except the sign of Jonah
17. Matthew 12:40 as Jonah was in the sea monster three days and nights so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth
18. Matthew 12:41 men of Nineveh will condemn this generation because they repented at the preaching of Jonah, something greater than Jonah is here
19. Matthew 12:42 queen of the South came to hear Solomon's wisdom and will condemn this generation, something greater than Solomon is here
20. Matthew 12:43-45 unclean spirit leaves a person, returns with seven worse spirits, last condition worse than first
21. John 7 Jesus' brothers did not believe in him at this point
22. Matthew 12:46-47 his mother and brothers were standing outside seeking to speak to him
23. Mark 3:31-32 his mother and brothers came and stood outside, sent word calling for him
24. Matthew 12:48-49 Jesus asked who is my mother and brothers, extended hand toward disciples
25. Matthew 12:50 whoever does the will of the Father in heaven is his brother and sister and mother
26. Mark 3:35 whoever does God's will is Jesus' brother and sister and mother, used as benediction
27. Matthew 13:1-3 Jesus went out and sat by the sea, crowds gathered, he got in a boat, began teaching in parables
28. Mark 4:1 large crowd gathered by the sea, Jesus sat in a boat and taught
29. Luke 8:4-5 large crowd coming together, Jesus spoke by way of a parable, the sower went out to sow
30. Psalm 139 basis of the closing hymn, search me oh God and know my heart

Talk about it

1. Pastor Carl mentioned that even Jesus' own people thought he had lost his senses when they saw how hard he was pushing through the crowds without even stopping to eat. Have you ever looked at the way Jesus did things and thought it wasn't safe or didn't make sense? What was going on in your heart in that moment?
2. Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees that the mouth speaks from what fills the heart, and that every careless word will be accounted for on the day of judgment. What does that idea do to the way you think about ordinary, everyday conversation?
3. Pastor Carl pointed out that Jonah's big failure at the end of the book wasn't running from God at the start, it was sitting on that hillside angry that God had saved the people of Nineveh. Where do you find it hardest to genuinely want God's grace extended to people you think don't deserve it?
4. Jesus announced that his mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it, not just those connected to him by blood or religious tradition. What does it mean to you personally to be part of that family, and what does 'doing' the word actually look like in your week?
5. Pastor Carl closed by asking the congregation to pray through the song Cleanse Me as preparation before the series moves into the parables, asking God to break up rocks, tend the garden, and cultivate the soil of their hearts. What is one specific thing you would ask God to work on in your own heart before that next sermon?