God’s Use of Man’s Wrath
I. (Jonah 1:15) Introduction
A. The casting overboard of Jonah is a clear picture of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the Cross.
1. Until the storm engulfed the ship, no one payed any attention to Jonah.
2. They paid little attention to him as he lay sleeping in the hold of the ship. He was of no particular importance to them.
B. Even so, when the Lord Jesus took passage in the boat of human flesh, few recognized the significance of His presence among them. This also included his disciples.
1. The sailors completely ignored Jonah until the storm broke and then they suddenly became aware of His importance.
2. This simple passenger on board their boat became the only one who could save them from their inevitable doom.
3. It was only by his death that they could be saved.
C. when Jesus entered the frail ship of humanity, the people considered him just another peasant person.
1. When it was mentioned as to the region from which He came the response was; Can any thing good come out of Nazareth.
2. The same is true today, the gr-eat mass of Christendom while it extols His teachings, celebrates His birthday, sees little more in Jesus Christ than just another human being.
3. All of this had been prophesied centuries before. (Is 53:2-3) He hath no form or comeliness, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected of men and we hid as it were our faces from Him.
II. The Father Valued Him – Even when men rejected Him
A. Though mankind did not rightly value His coming, the Father certainly did.
1. God knew that He held the key to our forgiveness and salvation.
2. Only by His death and resurrection can the human race find redemption and reconciliation with God.
3. Little did those sailors realize that Jonah was the key to the stilling of the storm which was threatening their lives.
4. Either Jonah must die or all on board will be lost.
5. The storm had come as a result of- sin and sin must be punished by death.
6. Jesus our Lord became our Jonah and our substitute.
7. He took our sin and bore it to the Cross and made atonement Of all this, Jonah is a clear type.
8. Now look at the result (Jonah 1:15)
B. God Himself had sent the storm in judgment upon Jonah’s sin and only He can calm the storm.
1. As soon as Jonah was overboard, the storm ceased her raging.
2. The sailors did absolutely nothing but throw Jonah overboard.
3. Keep in mind Jonah did not jump overboard.
4. He could have said; I am to blame for this storm so I will just jump overboard.
5. But he didn’t do that – notice carefully what he said 1:12.
C. It must be by their hands that he is to be offered up.
1. They were to be responsible for his death.
2. With their own hands they cast him into the sea.
3. In exactly the same way our sin bearer, the Lord Jesus Christ was to be offered up.
4. In the plan of God He must be slain by the very ones who would benefit from His death.
5. The sailors were guilty of Jonah’s death yet by His death they were to be saved.
III. A great Mystery
A. Here we stand in the presence of one of the greatest mysteries of the Bible.
1. The death of a victim because the means of salvation for the guilty ones who put the victim to death.
2. Take the case of Joseph. His ten brothers plotted against Him, cast him into a pit, then sold him into slavery.
3. This was the end of Joseph as far as the brothers were concerned.
4. Notice the astounding result! God made the sin of the brothers the very means of their salvation.
5. By their rejection, Re goes to Egypt, rises to power and in the time of famine he fed his brothers and saved them from death.
6. It was God’s way of saving the lives of those who had desired to put him to death.
7. God made their sin the occasion for the saving of sinners.
8. The Lord makes even the wrath of man to praise Him.
9. Years later Joseph spoke of this very truth (Gen 50:20)
IV. Calvary is the Ultimate Reality of this Truth
A. To clearly understand the reality of this truth, we must stand before Calvary.
1. There upon the cross hangs the Son of God, sinless, perfect, holy. He had done no evil.
2. Around that cross mills a crowd thirsting for the blood of this innocent person.
3. Keep in mind we are represented in that mob for it was our sin which brought about that cross.
4. Isaiah tells us that “He was wounded for our transgressions” 53:6
B. Their chant was; He saved others, let Him save Himself (Luke 23:35)
1. How little they knew that if He saved Himself they could never be saved.
2. We might ask why God didn’t send a legion of angels to damn these people before they could crucify His son.
3. God would do something greater through that death than damn the souls that were guilty of it.
4. He through their sin used the very death of His Son at their hands to save those who put Him to death.
C. What a great mystery this is – God turning the malicious act of wicked men into the means of their salvation.
1. Only a wise and gracious God could conceive of such~a plan.
2. Each of us must realize that it was at our hands because of our sin that He must die.
3. Through our sin we are responsible for His death. but like the sailors in our text, His death becomes the very vehicle of our salvation.
4. Each of us must come to the place where we realize that it was our sin that drove Him to that Cross.
5. But we also must accept by faith the reality of His love for us – that He died that death to save you – forgive you and provide for you a place in His forever family.
6. Acts 16:31 – Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
7. Acts 2:38 (KJV) Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
