Sign of Jonah

Jesus said “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.” Matthew 12:40. Jesus was three days and two nights in a tomb, in the heart of the earth, in a dark place. The third night had to have been the night before, to make it three in a row because after He rose there would be no more night for Him. Jesus was in a dark place from the time Judas went out from the place where Jesus and His disciples were eating supper to the time of His rising from death making it three nights and three days. Thursday night, the night of the last supper, Friday He was crucified and died and placed in a tomb and Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night still in the tomb, and very early Sunday morning still in the tomb.

During His last meal with His disciples, Jesus dipped a piece of bread giving it to Judas Iscariot.” As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.” John 13:30. ‘It was night’ is loaded with meaning. It was the beginning of the end for Jesus, and the first of three nights and three days of darkness.

Even before Judas returned with the armed crowd to arrest Jesus, He began going through extreme stress. “Being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:44. Hematohidrosis is when blood vessels dilate and burst moving into sweat glands. It can happen when a person is going through great stress or just after. Then the person sweats blood. Jesus was under huge duress if He was sweating great drops of blood. Tremendous pain.

After His arrest “Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple guard, “This is your hour – when darkness reigns.” Luke 22:53. God appointed these dark times for Jesus.

 He spent one night, Thursday night under arrest before Caiaphas, the elders and the scribes. The next day He was tried and died and then He spent two nights in a tomb.

 Jesus met with a lot of unjust harm. He was picked up by an armed mob, Caiphas tried bringing some charge against HIm, along with the scribes and elders. He was sent to Herod to be examined, and then to Pilate who finally gave the order to execute Him because He wanted to please a bloodthirsty crowd. People were hitting Jesus with the palms of their hands, mocking Him, and whipping Him. To cap it all they crucified Him leaving Him to die a slow death on a cross in public place where many people could see Him. He did it all for us so that we might live.