Matthew 12:41……..Ready

Matthew 12:41……..Ready

12:41 The men of Nineveh  will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah. (Not Jonah’s preaching, but possibly his appearance and miraculous survival as well, having been swallowed by a whale)  and now one greater than Jonah. (For Complete Expository See Book)

Extended Sermons

“Warns how waiting for the extraordinary can cause us to miss what God is already speaking in the ordinary.”→ The Ninevites responded to the ordinary. Jonah didn’t perform miracles. He didn’t give signs. He didn’t even preach a long sermon. He simply declared God’s message — and they repented. Whereas Jesus’ audience ignored the extraordinary. They were waiting for something extra, something spectacular, something beyond what God had already given. Those who wait for something “bigger,” “clearer,” or “more impressive” risk missing the very thing God is doing in front of them. When we wait for the ideal moment, the dramatic experience, or the emotional high, we often overlook the quiet, steady, faithful ways God is already speaking. If you keep waiting for the “perfect” sign, you may never respond to the one God already gave. If you keep waiting for a moment that feels supernatural, you may miss the moment that is supernatural. If you keep waiting for a dramatic experience, you may overlook the quiet conviction of the Holy Spirit. If you keep waiting for a moment that feels supernatural, you may miss the moment that is supernatural — simply because it didn’t look the way you expected. When you become so focused on the spectacular that you miss the simple. So focused on the emotional that you miss the spiritual. So focused on what you want God to do that you miss what He is actually doing. Often, people hesitate to respond to God’s call because they want every question answered and every uncertainty resolved before taking a step of faith. But throughout scripture, God invites us to move forward even when things aren’t clear, trusting that He will guide and provide along the way. Just as Jonah had to obey despite his reluctance and fears, we are challenged to respond to God’s invitation without waiting for ideal circumstances or undeniable signs. Choosing to delay, waiting for reassurance or perfect evidence, risks missing out on the blessings, growth, and purpose that God has prepared for us. The story of Jonah reminds us that God can use imperfect people in imperfect situations—but only when they are willing to respond. Will we let hesitation and doubt hold us back, or will we step forward in faith, accepting what God offers right now?

“Warns against wasting spiritual resources and divine revelations by remaining unmoved and unresponsive” → People today feel conviction, but scroll past it. They read scripture passages and gloss over it. God stirs something deep inside, but the moment passes because another distraction pops up. They hear sermons and treat them like suggestions. They sense the Spirit tugging at their heart and silence it with noise. They feel the weight of eternity for a moment, then drown it in entertainment. They promise themselves they’ll change “soon,” but never schedule “soon.” They know what God is calling them to do, but wait for a more convenient season. They feel the sting of conscience, but medicate it instead of repenting. They treat spiritual opportunities casually. “I’ll pray later.” “I’ll get serious eventually.” “I’ll respond when life calms down.”  They hear God’s warnings, but assume they’ll get another one tomorrow. They sense the urgency of the Gospel, but treat it like a background notification. They feel the Holy Spirit exposing sin, but negotiate instead of surrendering. They know they need to return to church, but keep inventing reasons to stay away. They feel the emptiness of their current path, but fear the cost of obedience. They experience God’s patience, but mistake it for His permission. They’ll hear God‘s call to forgive…. and stay bitter. They’ll feel the Spirit nudge them to pray…. and choose entertainment instead. They’ll feel God calling them deeper…. and settle for convenience. They’ll be convicted about sin…… but never confront it. They’ll be stirred to serve… ..but never step out. They’ll feel God tug on their heart…….but tell Him “not right now.”  Every time we ignore God’s voice, it becomes easier to ignore it next time. Every time we resist conviction, the heart grows a little harder. Every time we stay unmoved, we become less able to be moved. This is why it’s so important that you don’t waste what Heaven is giving you. Don’t let divine revelation become background noise. Don’t let spiritual resources pile up unused. Don’t let conviction fade without response.

“Even today, people will look at our Generation and say “You had the bible on smartphones, tablets, computers. Churches in every community.” Christian teachings on radio, television, and internet and you weren’t able to make a decision for Christ → We live in a time like no other. We have more Bibles than any generation in history. More sermons online than we could ever watch. More worship, more podcasts, more devotionals, more conferences, more teaching, more tools. We have reminders, notifications, apps, playlists, and study plans. Unlike generations before us we the bible in countless formats, languages, and translations. We have sermons streamed live or on demand, worship music and podcasts just a click away. We live in a country that has freedom of religion. We can own bibles and have them in our own homes and read them whenever we want without fear of being arrested or imprisoned. What excuse will we offer? When so much truth and access are within reach, our responsibility is even greater. The real question remains: What will we do with what we’ve been given?

WHAT OTHER GENERATIONS DIDN’T HAVE THAT WE HAVE

• They had no access to a Bible – you do.

• They didn’t have record of the Messiah’s birth – you do.

• They didn’t have the Gospel revealing Jesus’ deity – you do.

• They didn’t have eyewitness accounts of Christ’s work on the cross and His resurrection from the dead – you do.

• They didn’t have believers around them testifying to the truth of the God’s word – you do.

• They didn’t have churches and Sunday schools and biblical resources on every corner – you do.

• They didn’t have 2000 years of church history to evidence the work of God’s Spirit – you do.

Additional Notes & Applications 

Teaches how God responds to even the smallest movement of a repentant heart.

Calls for examining one’s own heart and the readiness to heed God’s voice without reservation.

Warns greater the spiritual light, greater the responsibility and accountability.

Teaches how the word and grace of God are sufficient to transform lives without the need for miracles

Warns how familiarity can harden the heart more than ignorance ever could.

Demonstrates how God can rewrite any story the moment a heart turns toward Him

Teaches how our obedience becomes a witness—our transformation becomes evidence of God’s reality.

Note: Nineveh was capital city of Assyria, located on the bank of the Tigris River. We know from scripture that Nineveh were known for their cruelty and military brutality, removing the noses and ears of their prisoners to mark and maim them for life. And like most Mesopotamian civilizations, their culture was immoral and generally terrifying—temple prostitution, child sacrifice, abortion, and infanticide. Yet despite all this when Jonah proclaimed that Nineveh would be destroyed, the Ninevites—repented. They didn’t get any special sign. Jonah spoke in Hebrew five words and they repented (Eight when translated into English) “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” That’s all Jonah said and the entire city, including the king repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. They gave up their evil and violent ways .-(Jon. 3:1-10) That’s all it took for a terrible, statistic, and brutal Nivenvites to respond to the grace and the mercy of God. [Note: Some contend the reason Nineveh turned on a dime after hearing such a short sermon of five or six words was because they heard the story of Jonah and what happened to him at sea. How he was swallowed by a whale and how it spit him out. That and the fact that his appearance, being bleached white by the whales stomach acids gave proof that the story was true. Note: Despite their temporary repentance, the Ninevites later returned to their wicked ways, leading to the destruction of their city just as predicted by the prophet Nahum.-(Nahum 1:1-15) Note: One of the sad ironies of what Jesus says here is that forty years later, almost to the day, Jerusalem would be utterly and completely destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 A.D..  Note: As to why God chose the Ninevites, we could speculate a lot of things. Maybe it just a random city. Maybe Nineveh had a “Sodom and Gomorrah” reputation, making it the worst city of Babylon? Or maybe  possibly to hold back the beginning of the Babylonian Empire and the captivity to follow.]

Note: The proud Pharisees and other faithful Jews would have been stung to hear this. The reason Jonah was so reluctant to go to Nineveh was probably anger over the terrible things that culture had done to his own Jewish people. It would have been painful for an ancient Israelite to be condemned by formerly wicked, antagonistic Gentiles. The key difference between the two groups was repentance—so those who ignore Christ’s message have no excuse.

Note: Contrary to what many Christians believe that when people die they cease to exist , or Purgatory-(Roman Catholics) But here we have a judgment day when the dead are resurrected and judged. We know based on Revelations that this judgment is called the “Great white thrown   (Rev. 20:11-12)

WAYS THAT JESUS IS GREATER THAN JONAH

• Jonah ran from God, Jesus came willingly obeying God

• Jonah avoided sinners, Jesus loved sinners and embraced sinners.

• Jonah’s heart resisted God’s mercy; Jesus embodied it.

• Jona preached reluctantly, Jesus preached with authority.

• Jonah is the messenger; Jesus is the message.

• Jonah brought repentance, Jesus brings repentance, rebirth, transformation, and eternal life.

• Jonah was sent to one city. Jesus is sent to all nations.

• Jonah’s mission was temporary, Jesus’ mission is eternal.

• Jonah spoke God’s word, Jesus is the Word made flesh.

• Jonah suffered for his own sin, Jesus suffered for the sins of the world.

• Jonah was a prophet, Jesus is Priest, King, Messiah, Son of God, and Lord of all.

• Jonah offered survival. Jesus offers Salvation.

• Jonah came out alive by grace, Jesus died and rose by His own power.