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Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.Philippians 3:20-21The human body is lowly. The human body, at its strongest, is still fragile. Even if you are really fit, and you get hit by a car, you will be in trouble. C. S. Lewis said, “When you are learning to ride they give you unimpressive horses. Only when you are ready for it are you allowed an animal that will gallop and jump.” Wait until you see your upgraded physical body!Your body will be transformed. The resurrection of the body is a truth that cannot be grasped apart from the work and the power of Christ. The credibility of this great truth is that Christ demonstrated His power to raise His people by rising Himself! Every Christian says, “Yes, the Saviour has given me a new heart.” But He will also give you a new body. It will be the completion of His redeeming work in your life.Your resurrection body will be like Christ’s glorious body. This means it will be a physical body. You will not be a disembodied ghost or spirit in the new creation. The reason you won’t spend eternity floating on the clouds is that bodies don’t float. Jesus said, “A spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39). The resurrection body has “flesh and bones” because it is a physical body.What are you most looking forward toabout your resurrection body?

We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.Romans 8:22-24All religions have some belief in life after death. But the resurrection of the body is unique to Christianity. Only Christians have a risen Saviour. At the heart of our faith is the great truth that the tomb was empty, that the corpse of Jesus was raised to life, and that all who belong to Him will share in His resurrection.The resurrection of the body is the crown jewel of the Christian faith. It is a truth to be treasured and put on display for all to see. We should be proud of this and commend it to the world. It is a promise to excite our interest, a hope to anticipate with joy. The resurrection is the purpose for which you were created by God and redeemed in Christ. It is a tragedy that many Christians do not have a firm grasp on this wonderful truth.The redemption of the body is the hope in which you were saved. The great purpose of God is not to save a part of you (your soul), but the whole of you (your body/soul unity). Christ made you—body and soul, and He will redeem you—body and soul. He will do it in this order: soul now, body later. All that God has made is good, and all that God has made He will redeem.On a scale of 1 (weak) to 10 (strong), how firm is your grasp of the resurrection of the body?

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.John 1:14God became a man in Christ Jesus. The body of Jesus was like ours. He grew in strength—from a baby, to a child, to a man—and He knew what it was like to be hungry, thirsty, and weary.The first heresy, the first false teaching that the early church had to contend with, was not the denial that Jesus was God, but the denial that He was man. In that culture, people got to thinking, How could God, who is pure spirit, possibly get mixed up with something as base as the human body? There was a nervousness about the Son of God taking on human flesh, but that is precisely what the Bible teaches. That’s why you find in 2 John 7: “Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.”If the Bible said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word remained spirit,” we would have to limit God’s interest in our lives to the things of the spirit like prayer, meditation, and Bible study. It would mean that God was concerned with your heart but not with your home, with your spirit but not with your schedule, with your character but not with your activity.But the Bible doesn’t say, “the Word remained spirit,” it says, “the Word became flesh”! God entered the world of noisy kids and pushy parents, the world of overcrowded schedules and unscrupulous traders, the world of relentless pressures and unending demands. When Jesus went to the cross, He died, not only to save your soul, but also to redeem your life—every part of it!What are some areas of your life that you wonder if God is interested in? Why?

The LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.Genesis 2:7God made the body of Adam from the dust of the ground, and then He breathed the breath of life into this body. So, Adam was the union of a body and a soul. This is the reason that the Bible sometimes speaks about death as an “enemy,” because death is the undoing of our nature. It is the tearing apart of what God has joined together.If a mobile phone is not connected to a network, it cannot fulfil the function for which it was made. The same can be said for the network. The fact that there is a cellular network is of no value to you if you do not have a phone. It is the joining of the two together that makes this wonderful gift of telecommunication possible.Our bodies, as we experience them now, are very different from the bodies that Adam and Eve experienced as they were created by God in the garden. Their original bodies did not age, and they were not subject to disease, pain, or death. All of that came with the entrance of sin into the world. Sin has affected every area of our lives.God created your body as much as He created your soul. And sin has ruined us in body and soul. But what God has made, He will redeem, and that means your body as well as your soul.Think about the effects of sin, personally, on your body and soul. Can you imagine what it would mean for God to redeem them?

“It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.”Revelation 21:6In the light of what we have been learning about heaven, here are two things to reconsider:First, if you are holding back from full commitment to Jesus: However hard it is for you to come to Christ in repentance, however hard it is for you to look to Him in faith, however costly it may be for you to confess Jesus as Lord of your life, you cannot ultimately lose.No one in the presence of Jesus regrets following Him, not even those for whom it cost their lives! What are you holding onto now that is so good it would be worth missing out on all that the people of God will share with Christ in the new heaven and new earth?Second, if God is calling you to walk on a difficult path: John Newton tells the story: “Imagine a man on his way to New York. He is in a carriage drawn by a horse, and he is on his way to receive a million-dollar inheritance. A mile outside New York, the wheel on his carriage breaks, so he has to walk the last mile to get his million-dollar inheritance. And all the way to New York he grumbles because his carriage is broken. What would you think of such a man?”In Christ, you are on the last mile of your journey to inherit the new heaven and new earth, and you will find strength for the journey as you anticipate the joy that lies ahead.Do you need strength for your journey? Anticipate the joy that lies ahead for you, Christian.

I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.Revelation 21:2There will be no marriage in heaven (Matt. 22:30), but we will still be male and female, because that is how God created us and it was good. The gift of marriage was given to point to something greater that God has in store for all who love Him.Marriage, at its best, is a pointer to the joy that we will find in Jesus Christ and that Christ will find in His people in the new heaven and new earth. Even if you have an unhappy marriage, you have some sense of what marriage should be.Christ is the bridegroom, and He brings His people into union with Himself. This shared life will be with God Himself, and the joy will go on increasing. The joys you experience in life remain in your memory so that you continue to derive happiness from them.Jonathan Edwards says that it will be the same in eternity. Think about what that will be like when you have been in heaven for a million, million ages…. “Your knowledge will increase to eternity; and if your knowledge, your holiness; for as you increase in the knowledge of God, you will see more of his excellency (beauty), and the more you see of his excellency, the more you will love him, and the more you love God, the more delight and happiness you will have in him.”All your experiences of joy in this life point to the ever-increasing joy that will be yours in Christ for all eternity. This is an “Amen!” moment.

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.Revelation 21:8Precisely when God is telling us about the new heaven and new earth, He also tells us that He will separate all that is evil from His people and from His creation—the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars.All these are descriptions of character. This does not mean that all who have been guilty of these sins will be excluded from heaven. But there are men and women who do not turn to God in repentance. They do not look to Jesus Christ for forgiveness and cleansing. They do not see a need for a Saviour, and so they die in their sins.Bishop Ryle says, “Most men hope to go to heaven when they die; but few, it may be feared, take the trouble to consider whether they would enjoy heaven if they got there.”Here is the tragedy of sin: The sinner could not be happy in heaven and, at the same time, cannot be happy in hell. Sin is a complete dead end. It leaves you with no place to go. Sinners will want to be out of hell, but they will not want to be in heaven.The new heaven and the new earth will be the home of righteousness: “Nothing unclean will ever enter it” (21:27). If it is the home of righteousness, and nothing unclean will ever enter, how could we be there? Only through the cleansing that comes from Jesus Christ.Do you see your need for a Saviour?

“Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”Revelation 21:4If these things are passing away, then your eternity in the new heaven and new earth will not be spent doing any of the following three things.1. You will not spend eternity grieving over your past sins and missed opportunities. We will never forget that we were sinners because we will always be finding joy in the Lamb who was slain, the Son of God who redeemed us by the shedding of His blood. We will know ourselves to be redeemed sinners—not in a way that will bring pain or regret, but in a way that will cause us to magnify and glorify Christ for all that He is and for all that He has done.2. You will not spend eternity carrying baggage from difficult relationships. Even at our best, Christians are so far from what we will be that it is sometimes hard for us to imagine broken relationships completely restored and deep wounds completely healed. But God is able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine.3. You will not spend eternity nursing any grudges. In heaven, every Christian will be made perfect in repentance and in humility. There will be, in all of us, complete ownership of all sin that is ours and complete repentance from the heart. At the same time, every Christian will be perfect in forgiveness—no grudges. There will be a giving and a receiving of forgiveness among God’s people that will position all of us for a life of harmony in the new heaven on earth.What a happy day it will be when we no longer grieve the heart of God and no longer bring pain or disappointment to our brothers and sisters.What are some past sins, regrets, or painful baggage you would like to be free from?

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”Revelation 21:4Notice what will be gone, subtracted, taken away in heaven. All these things—death, mourning, and pain—are passing away. You will not find or experience them in the new heaven and new earth. Let’s consider them one at a time.Death: Nobody in the new heaven and new earth will ever die. No one will grow old. No one will become sick or ill. There will be no need for hospitals or for emergency services. You will never attend a funeral there.Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25), and “Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (11:26). Because there is no more dying, there will be no more mourning, no more saying goodbye.Mourning: Nothing in your future life will bring you sorrow, fear, sadness, or disappointment. When you share this life of joy, nothing will ever happen that would cause you to cry. What about tears from the past? There are tears on earth that even those who love us most cannot wipe away. But God will wipe every tear from our eyes.Pain: There will be no more aching bones. The resurrection body is made of flesh and bones (Luke 24:39), but the flesh will not wrinkle and the bones will not ache. Instead of diminishing, your resurrected body will be rejuvenated with new strength and new capabilities.Soak in these promises until they restore your hope.

“Behold, I am making all things new.”Revelation 21:5Life in the new heaven and new earth will not be less than the life you have now. It will be more!The word “new” can be used in two ways. The first is to say, “I’m moving to a new house.” You are in a different place, and there is no continuity between your old house and your new house. The second is to renovate your house. It is an old house and everything in it needs to be redone. So, you do a total refurb, and when you are done you say, “Everything is new!” And that is exactly what God says: “I am making all things new” (21:5).Here is the great promise: When God has removed sin and all its effects from His people, He will then remove all the effects of sin from His creation so that the new earth will become a fit place for God’s children to share a life of unclouded joy.Think about the joys of life in this fallen world—the joys of music, sports, the arts, science, technology, travel, food, and friendship. None of that will be less. All of it will be more, as you enjoy life in the resurrection body on the new earth. All that God has made is good, and when He redeems it, He will make it better than it was before.God is going to remake the heavens and the earth. He will merge heaven and earth into a perfect place that will be our home forever. This is the reason why we can speak of heaven when we talk about the new heaven and new earth, because heaven will fill the earth.How does the promise of a “new” heaven and “new” earth affect the way you think about the world around you?

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth.Revelation 21:1Satan’s master strategy is to have people think that what lies ahead will be far less than what we have now. He wants you to believe that your life would be less if it were in God’s hands.If you believe that the life you have now is better than the future life you could have in the presence of God, it will be like trying to hold onto sand as it slips through your fingers.People sometimes talk about “living your best life now.” But living your best life now is only possible for a person who is going to hell. For the person who is going to hell, this life is as good as it is ever going to be. But if you are headed for life in the new heaven and the new earth, how could you possibly live your best life now? Your best life lies ahead of you.When a couple plans a wedding reception, they go for a tasting. They taste the meal that will be served on the great day. But the tasting is only a sample. It is preparation for the great event toward which the bride and groom are counting the days. All that you enjoy in this life, and all that you have in Christ in this world, is just a foretaste of the joys that are to come.Have you been living your life as if the best is now, or as if the best is yet to come?

“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory.”John 17:24Will we see our believing loved ones in heaven? Yes. But here’s the bigger question: Will Jesus see His believing loved ones in heaven? Yes!When Jesus was preparing to go to the cross, He prayed this prayer: “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory” (17:24). In other words, Jesus was saying, “I want them with me, and I want them to see my glory!”Christian believer, the greatest assurance you can have of heaven is that Jesus wants you there! He went to the cross to get you there. He lives at the right hand of the Father to bring you there. And one day, when you arrive in heaven, His prayer will be answered—you will see His glory.The apostle John says, “We shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). We will see Jesus Christ risen, triumphant, and victorious. That is why we will say with all the redeemed: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Rev. 7:10).What is your reaction as you consider this prayer that Jesus prayed?

Witness #6 – Paul and the Thessalonians: “What is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?” (1 Thess. 2:19).Witness #7 – The reunion of believing loved ones: “The Lord himself will descend from heaven… And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words” (4:16-18).1 Thessalonians 2:19 And 4:16-18Seven witnesses from the Bible point to our knowing one another in heaven, and here are our sixth and seventh witnesses.Witness #6 – Paul and the Thessalonians: “What is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?” (1 Thess. 2:19).Paul says that believers whom he loved and served on earth will be his joy and crown in heaven. So, the special relationship forged between Paul and these believers on earth will continue in heaven. He is saying, “You have been my joy on earth, and you will be a joy to me in heaven.”Jonathan Edwards takes up this theme: “The special affection that the saints have in this world toward other saints, who are their friends, will in some respect remain in another world.” Christians who knew and loved each other on earth will know and love each other in heaven.Witness #7 – The reunion of believing loved ones: “The Lord himself will descend from heaven… And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words” (4:16-18).Paul is writing to believers who are grieving over their own friends and family members who have died. Their grief isn’t about death in general, but about the death of their loved ones in particular. He offers them this comfort in their sorrow: We will be “caught up together with them” to meet the Lord (4:17). The whole point is that Christian believers have the comfort of knowing that they will see their loved ones again. Christians never say goodbye!As you remember those who have died in the Lord, look ahead in hope to being reunited with them in heaven.

Seven witnesses from the Bible point to our knowing one another in heaven, and here are our fourth and fifth witnesses.Witness #4—Moses and Elijah: “Behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him [Jesus]” (Matt. 17:3).When Moses and Elijah appeared on the Mount of Transfiguration, they did not have the resurrection body. Even now, Jesus Christ is the only One in the universe who has the resurrection body. Moses and Elijah are in heaven with the rest of the believers, eagerly waiting for the resurrection body, which they will get when Christ comes again in glory.So, when Moses and Elijah appear on the mountain, they are spirits—souls made visible. We do not know how Peter, James, and John knew they were in the presence of Moses and Elijah. But we do know that they recognised Moses and Elijah, even in advance of the resurrection body.Witness #5—The gathered souls in heaven: “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect” (Heb. 12:22-23).The writer to the Hebrews reminds us of the great truth that the church gathered on earth is at one with the church gathered in heaven. He speaks of “the spirits of the righteous made perfect,” that is, the souls of believers in the presence of Jesus.These souls are gathered in “the assembly of the firstborn.” This is a description of what is happening in heaven right now: The spirits of the righteous made perfect are gathered. Gathered means community, and community means relationship, and relationship means identity and knowledge right now in the presence of Jesus.Reflect on and rejoice in this glimpse of what is going on in heaven right now.

Seven witnesses from the Bible point to our knowing one another in heaven, and here are our second and third witnesses.Witness #2—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: “Many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 8:11).Notice the clear identity of these men – Abraham is Abraham in heaven, Isaac is Isaac, and Jacob is Jacob. They retain their distinct identities. We do not become nameless, anonymous spirits in the presence of Jesus. Abraham is enjoying the company of his son and his grandson. Jacob is enjoying the company of his own father and his grandfather.Also, notice what Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are doing: They are reclining at a table. They are eating and drinking. You have identity, relationship, conversation, and sharing a meal. And many will come from the east and west and join them! In other words, many others will enter into the same joy and the same experience.Witness #3—Jesus and the disciples: “I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (26:29).Notice the same clarity here: Jesus will drink the cup in His Father’s kingdom with His disciples. The eleven, who shared the Last Supper with Him on earth, will drink the cup again with Jesus in heaven. These disciples are named and they are known.Reflect on the unique identities of loved ones and rejoice that they will continue into eternity in the presence of God.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.Revelation 7:9The distinct identity of every person in this vast crowd is maintained. They are from every tribe, nation, and language. The distinct individuality of every one of God’s people is preserved. What makes us different no longer divides.This speaks directly to the question: Will we know one another in heaven? Yes! You will still be you. We will all be like Christ, but each of us will reflect His likeness through our own individuality.That means we will know one another in the resurrection. The disciples knew and recognised Jesus in His resurrection body. But even before Jesus returns and we receive our resurrection bodies, we have good reason to believe that the same will be true of us.Seven witnesses from the Bible point to our knowing one another in heaven, and at least some of them point to believers knowing one another immediately after death.Witness #1—David and his son: “Now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me” (2 Sam. 12:23).King David had a little boy who died in infancy. When the boy died, David said, “I shall go to him.” There’s more here than David saying, “I will go to heaven when I die.” He says, “I will go to the boy! I will see him! I will be reunited with him in heaven.” That is a wonderful assurance for every Christian parent who loses a young child.Have you ever wondered if we will recognise and know one another in heaven?

“They are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.”Revelation 7:15God will shelter—literally, spread His tent—over His people. Imagine a massive piece of canvas that will be shaped into a tent. He shakes it out so that it falls over all His people, in a way that none of them are outside. It is the most beautiful picture of inclusion.Where do you feel completely at home? Where is the place you can say, “This is where I belong”? That feeling is a foretaste of what you will experience in the presence of the Lord. Some people struggle to feel at home in this life. Some don’t feel completely at home in the church or in their own families. Some don’t feel at home in their own bodies.Whatever your struggles are in this life, if you are in Christ, the day will come when you know that you are completely at home. When God spreads His tent over you, you’ll say, “This is where I belong! I was made for this place!”To be at home means that you will be yourself. In heaven you will find yourself saying, “I am more myself than I have ever been before.”In heaven, you will serve the Lord as you always wished you could. You will be at peace with yourself as never before. You will be at peace with all your brothers and sisters in Christ, and you will be at peace with God. You will be at home.Where do you feel most at home in this life? How might that be a foretaste of being at home in heaven with God?

Behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”Revelation 7:9-10John sees a vast crowd—in the immediate presence of Jesus Christ—standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They are dressed in white robes that speak of complete purity. They have palm branches in their hands—a symbol of victory. These people are celebrating total victory, which they ascribe to God Himself.What they are experiencing there in heaven is very different from what we are experiencing here on earth. We live this life in a fallen world where God is dishonoured, righteousness is spurned, and evil casts a shadow of pain and destruction. We are up against the pull of the flesh. The direction of that pull may change, but the struggle it brings never goes away. And we have an enemy—the devil—who, though he can never finally succeed against us, will never give up.So, we continue to live a life of repentance and faith. Repentance, because we never get beyond the awareness of our own sins and failures. Faith, because we walk by faith and not by sight. And we do these two things with the help of the Holy Spirit.The Christian life is a struggle, but it will not always be so. John sees believers in the presence of Jesus. They are celebrating victory. Their long struggle is over. Their battle has been won.How might this glimpse of eternity encourage you to persevere in faith today?

I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”Revelation 6:9-10There is a good–better–best pattern to the Christian life.To be in Christ is good. No matter how bad things get in this world, if you are in Christ, you are blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3).But to be with Christ is better by far than anything you’ve ever known, can know, or will ever know in this world.And for every Christian, even those who are in heaven now, the best is yet to come.In Revelation 6, the souls of believers in the presence of Jesus are experiencing the better. Yet these believers are crying out to God, “How long?” (Rev. 6:10). How long until the evils of this present world and the sufferings of God’s people are brought to an end? How long until King Jesus returns in glory, and we get to come with Him? They are told that they must wait (6:11).Herman Bavinck, the great Dutch theologian, has a fascinating comment on the experience of believers in the presence of Jesus: “They have a past which they remember, a present in which they live, and a future which they are approaching.”One day the Father will say to the Son, “That’s it! Go wrap this up and bring my children home.” Jesus will come in glory. Our loved ones who have gone ahead will be with him, and we will be forever with the Lord” (1 Thes. 4:17).When Jesus returns, every child of God will receive a resurrection body, and we will live on the new heavens and the new earth, and experience God’s best forever and ever. Amen.As you think about loved ones who have died in Christ, remember that the coming of Jesus is getting nearer.

They… are like angels in heaven.Mark 12:25How so? In what ways will we be like the angels in heaven?Angels are spirits without bodies, though they occasionally appeared to people in the Bible with a temporary body. But God has given us life in this world through the union of a body and a soul. And death is the separating of the soul from the body.So, the activity of angels gives us a model for thinking about the kinds of things that believers can do in the presence of Jesus while they are waiting for the resurrection.Angels see, and so do believers in heaven: “In heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 18:10).Angels speak, and so do believers in heaven: “The voice of many angels… saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!’” (Rev. 5:11-12).Angels rejoice, and so do believers in heaven: “There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).Angels worship, and so do believers in heaven: “There was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!’” (Luke 2:13-14).Angels inquire, and so do believers in heaven: “Things into which angels long to look” (1 Peter 1:12).As you think about loved ones who have died in the Lord, take heart, take heart that they are actively engaged in the presence of Jesus.

My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.Philippians 1:23Jesus said to the thief, “Today you will be with me in paradise”—immediate, conscious enjoyment of the presence of God!Now, some have seized on the fact that the Bible sometimes describes death as sleep (1 Cor. 15:51) and have suggested that the souls of believers go to sleep when they die. Please remember that what sleeps is not the soul, but the body. The body is laid to rest until the resurrection. But the soul is very much alive in the presence of Jesus.Some people latch onto the idea of soul sleep because it is easier to imagine unconsciousness than it is to imagine the life of a soul without a body. But unconsciousness is not the promise of Jesus. Enjoying His presence is. Paul said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). In other words, Paul is saying, “I get more when I die, not less.”You are blessed in this life with every spiritual blessing in Christ. There is no way in the world that unconsciousness is better than that. What is better by far is that your faith will be turned to sight. Your pain, grief, failure, and persecution will be over. You will sin no more, and with your spirit made perfect, you will consciously enjoy the presence of Jesus.To be with Christ is better than all you can experience in Christ now. It is better than anything you have ever known, and anything you can know in this world. It is better by far.*Do you feel that you will get more when you die? Why or why not?*

“Today you will be with me in paradise.”Luke 23:43What was death like for the thief? And what does the experience of a Christian believer look like immediately after death?Jesus promised that the thief would be with Him, and He said that it would be today. In other words, Jesus was saying, “For you, death will be an immediate translation into the joyful presence of the Father in heaven. You will be with me!”Jesus died before the thief, and He committed His spirit into the hands of the Father. So, when the thief died, he went immediately into the presence of Jesus. After all that he’d been through, there was no post-traumatic stress for him in heaven, no wounds from the past, and no fears for the future—only complete healing in the presence of Jesus.The experience of the thief is a prototype for the death of every believer. “We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8).When a believing loved one dies and you wonder, “Where are they now?” your first answer should be: “With Christ!” You will draw great hope from the clarity of this answer. They are away from the body—that is why we lay the body to rest—and they are at home with the Lord.Have you (or has someone you know) recently lost a loved one?

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”Luke 23:34Today the thief is in heaven and the reason he’s there is not because he was without sin, or that he lived a good enough life. The thief is in heaven because Jesus paid the price for his sin and gave him eternal life. What Jesus did for the thief, He is able to do for you.But remember, there were two thieves, and while one was saved, the other was lost. Both of them had the same need and the same opportunity. Both of them were next to Jesus. Both of them heard Him pray, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”Now think about the difference between them: While one turned to Jesus in repentance and faith, the other remained at a distance. You may be thinking, I don’t want to make a commitment right now. I’ll think about this later.If you make that choice, one of two things will happen: Either you will come to repentance and then wish you had come earlier, or your heart will harden toward Jesus, and you will never come to Him at all. So come to Jesus in faith and repentance now.Or maybe you fear that it is too late for you to turn to Him. Remember the thief on the cross. It was not too late for him, and it is not too late for you. The time for you to turn to Jesus, ask of Jesus, and trust in Jesus is now. Early is better than late, but better late than never.Lord, I confess that I am a sinner and that I do not deserve to enter your heaven. But I believe that you died on the cross for me, so I ask that you remember me and bring me into your kingdom. I trust your promise that those who come to you will never be cast out.

“You will be with me in paradise.”Luke 23:43This is the promise of the Saviour to every person who places their trust in Him. So turn to Him, ask of Him, and take Him at His word.Trusting Jesus will involve trusting Him in three very challenging circumstances:1. Trusting Jesus in the darknessImmediately after the thief trusted Jesus, “there was darkness over the whole land” (23:44). This darkness came in the middle of the day, and it lasted for three hours.Put yourself in the shoes of the thief. You have just trusted your hope of heaven to Jesus. Then you are plunged into darkness, and you hear Jesus crying out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). The thief must have wondered, What in the world is going on?There may be times in your life when you experience great darkness. Don’t be surprised by this. You can depend on the promise of Jesus as surely in the darkness as you can in the light.2. Trusting Jesus in your painThe pain of crucifixion got worse by the hour, as wounds in the hands and feet widened, and as fever raged through the body. So, the thief experienced more physical pain after he trusted Jesus than he did before.Anyone who suggests that trusting in Jesus will lead to a pain-free life has not yet come to terms with what the Bible teaches. You will have to trust Jesus in the darkness, and there may be times when you have to trust Him in pain.3. Trusting Jesus at your deathYou will also have to trust Jesus, as the thief did, when the moment of death comes for you. The way to die is the way to live. Forget what you have done or failed to do for Jesus and trust wholly in what Jesus has done on the cross for you.Is there anything keeping you from trusting in Jesus?

“Remember me when you come into your kingdom.”Luke 23:42This was an audacious request. The thief did not say, “I know I’ve made some mistakes, but nobody’s perfect, and I’ve done a lot of good things in my life.” He said, “We are receiving the due reward of our deeds” (23:41).This man asked Jesus with honesty and humility. He faced the fact that he was a sinner. He had sinned against God and against his fellow man. And we are like him. We have failed to do what God has called us to do, and we have done what He has told us not to do.This is precisely why Jesus went to the cross, where He became the sacrifice and the substitute for sinners. “The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). Jesus carried sins into His death, so that you would not have to carry them into yours.We don’t like to ask. We prefer deals: “Here is something that I can do for you. And there’s something I would like you to do for me.” And our first instinct when it comes to God is to think in terms of a deal. If I pray… If I go to church… If I’m generous… If I live a good life… God will get me into heaven.But here’s what happens if you come to God that way—you go through life feeling God owes you, and you hang your future on a deal that doesn’t exist, because God doesn’t make deals.Asking means that you come to Jesus with empty hands, knowing that there is nothing you can offer Him. You are casting yourself upon His mercy and looking to Him for grace.What the thief did was deceptively simple. He began to fear God. He recognised his sinful condition. And he asked Jesus to save him.Have you ever tried to make a deal with God? Have you ever come to Him empty-handed?

The robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.Matthew 27:44One thief continued to hurl insults at Jesus, but a change came over the other. The Bible calls this change repentance. Every change has a beginning, and the story of the thief shows us where repentance begins.The thief had been hurling abuse at Jesus, but then a stillness came over his soul as he thought about what lay ahead: Why am I fighting against God? What sense does this make when soon I will stand before Him and give account for my life?Turning to the other thief who continued to hurl abuse at Jesus, he said, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?” (Luke 23:40).The thief had some knowledge of God, but he had not given weight to God in his life. If he had, he would not have become a thief. Instead, he pushed away God’s claims on his life and went his own way. And the further he moved away from God, the less his conscience bothered him.But now he was on the brink of eternity, and the fear of standing before God gripped him. This fear is the beginning of turning to God and it leads to recognising Jesus Christ as your king.Turning toward Jesus, the thief said, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom” (23:42). The thief recognised that Jesus is a king: If he is a king and he is going into death, maybe when he gets to the other side, he can do something to help me.To the person who recognises that He is a king, Jesus says, “You will be with me in paradise” (23:43). How can you be sure of heaven? Turn. Fear God and submit yourself to Jesus as your king.Has repentance begun for you?

Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.Luke 23:32The day you die may be a long way off, but nothing is more certain… it will come. One day you will wake up and it will be your last day on earth. What will happen to you then?The story of the thief on the cross tells us how we can be sure about heaven. We are not told much about this man, except that while he was hanging on the cross next to Jesus, he said to Him, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And then Jesus said to this criminal, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (23:42–43).It is natural for us to think that people get into heaven by living a good life, but the thief had not done that. He was a criminal, and his crimes were such that he was sentenced to death.This man clearly had not lived a good life, and he knew it. The thief did not dispute the justice of his sentence, in fact, he said, “We are receiving the due reward of our deeds” (23:41).This man was out of time. With his hands and feet nailed to the cross, he couldn’t begin to do good works, and yet Jesus said to him: “Today you will be with me in paradise”!This contradicts the mindset that says, “In order to get into heaven, I’ve got to live a good enough life to please God.” The thief clearly didn’t do that. So, how did he get in?The good news is that if it was possible for this man to get into heaven, you can too. The story of the thief shows us how, and it can be summarised in three words—turn, ask, and trust.Have you given much thought to how a person gets into heaven?

“I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’” But God said to him, “Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?”Luke 12:19–20Sooner or later, your last day on earth will come. It may come this week, this month, or this year. Or it may be a long way off for you. But one day you will wake up, and whether you realise it or not, it will be your last day. And what will happen to you then?Jesus speaks to us about heaven. He came into the world so that people could go there. Nothing matters more than that you should get into heaven. It matters more than your work, your business, or your money.Jesus told a story about a man who was all wrapped up in his work. Business was booming. He was working on a plan for expansion. There’s nothing wrong with expanding your business, but this man said something very interesting: “I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods” (12:18).This man was a planner. But God said this man was a fool, because in preparing for the future he missed the biggest part. You plan for a future that may last 10, 20, or 30 years after you retire. But then what? One day you will leave this world and all that you have. To plan and prepare for the few years you have in this world is good and wise, but to neglect the eternity that lies beyond this world would be the greatest folly.Ask yourself, “How well am I prepared for the future that lies beyond this?”

“Salvation belongs to the LORD!”Jonah 2:9Perhaps you would say today, “I’m not sure that I have been saved.” Or, “I’m not sure that I am being saved.” Or, “I’m not sure that I will be saved.” In your heart of hearts, you wonder: If salvation comes from the Lord, what can I do? Doesn’t this leave me without hope?No. It is precisely the opposite. When Jonah says, “Salvation belongs to the LORD,” that opens the door of hope for you! How are you going to have faith? How are you going to love God more than yourself? How are you going to overcome sin and live a holy life?You cannot do these things in your own power, but God can do them for you and in you. The Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross because you cannot reconcile yourself to God. He sends His Holy Spirit because you cannot give yourself spiritual life. And He promises His presence and power because you cannot overcome sin by yourself.Salvation comes from the Lord, and when you see that, you will gather courage to come to Him and ask Him to save you. Get your eyes off yourself and your own inability to change. Get your eyes fixed on the Lord and His ability to save. The Lord saved Jonah. Why should you not ask Him to save you as well?Here’s how C. H. Spurgeon ended his message on this great text:“Everybody here has a soul to be saved or a soul to be lost. You will be lost forever, unless God shall save you… Down on your knees! Cry to God for mercy. Lift up your heart in prayer to God now! May this be the moment when you will be saved. You can have peace with God now. Ask, and it shall be given, seek and you will find. Come to Christ and be accepted in God’s dearly loved Son.”Could this be the moment when you will be saved?

The Son of God... loved me and gave himself for me.Galatians 2:20What difference would it make if you came to see, like Jonah, that salvation comes from the Lord? Here are three ways this conviction will change your life:1. It deepens our worshipGod set His love on us before we were born. David says, “In your book were written… the days that were formed for me” (Ps. 139:16). While Paul says, “The Son of God… loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Jesus came to save people with names and faces, and one of them was you. God sent His Spirit to work in your heart and draw you to Christ.2. It strengthens our assuranceIf your salvation boils down to a decision to follow Jesus, how do you know that you can keep it up? All you could do is give it your best shot and hope you make it. But salvation comes from the Lord. The Lord who died to save you lives to keep you, and He will never let you go.3. It motivates us in prayer and evangelismYou may know people who need Jesus. But the problem is that they are not interested in Him. If salvation is simply a matter of human choice, there’s no hope for them, because they aren’t going to make that choice. But, if God is free to swoop in, uninvited, and lay hold of them and bring them to faith, then that would give you hope. This motivates us to both prayer and evangelism. If God swoops into people’s lives through the gospel, then we can pray for them, and we can look for opportunities to share the gospel with them.When Jonah said, “Salvation belongs to the Lord,” he was saying more than “God makes salvation possible.” He was saying, “God saves!”Who do you know who needs Jesus? Pray that God will save them and watch for opportunities to share the gospel with them.

By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.Ephesians 2:8Consider how the Bible talks about salvation in the past, the present, and the future:1. Completed Transaction (this is often called justification)“By grace you have been saved through faith…” (Eph. 2:8). The Bible often uses this kind of language. “Since we have been justified by faith…” (Rom. 5:1). It’s a done deal. How have you been saved? Christ died for your sins. Christ rose for your justification (4:25). God counts all your sin as if it were Christ’s and all Christ’s righteousness as if it were yours. Your salvation is a completed transaction that comes from the Lord.2. Continuing Process (this is often called sanctification)“The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18). Your salvation has begun, but it is not yet complete. You still struggle with the flesh, and fail in many ways. Yet God has not left you in defeat. You are being saved, and that comes from the Lord. It is a lifelong process in which God is always at work to make you like Jesus. Your salvation is a continuing process that comes from the Lord.3. Future Hope (this is often called glorification)You, “who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet. 1:5). Our future hope of salvation comes from the Lord. When Jesus returns, God will make his dwelling with us and there will be no more death, mourning, or pain (Rev. 21:3-4). God will say, “I am making all things new” (21:5).The Lord has saved you, the Lord is saving you, and the Lord will save you. Salvation-from the beginning to the end—comes from the Lord!Pray and thank God that your future, final, eternal, glorious salvation comes from Him.

“I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.”Jonah 2:1Jonah is a wonderful model for us here. Notice, he gives God all the glory for his salvation. “Salvation belongs to the LORD!” (2:9).C. H. Spurgeon says, “Jonah learned this sentence of good theology in a strange college…. Most of the grand truths of God have to be learned by trouble; they must be burned into us with the hot iron of affliction, otherwise we shall not truly receive them.”We have been talking about how Jonah had been avoiding a God-centred life, but now we see how utterly God-centred Jonah became. Jonah 2 is a song of praise in which God gets all the glory for Jonah’s salvation.From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. Notice how Jonah speaks directly to God, using the words “you” and “your”: “I called out to the LORD… and you heard my voice.For you cast me into the deep… all your breakers and your waves passed over me.I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’You brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God…My prayer came to you, into your holy temple…I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you... Salvation belongs to the LORD!” (2:2-9).God saves!Have you been giving God all the glory for your salvation? Or have you been taking some of the credit for it because of your response?

“The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head. To the roots of the mountains I went down.”Jonah 2:5-6If salvation is something we do for ourselves with moral effort, good works, family values, and the Ten Commandments, then why did Jesus have to die on the cross? God sent the fish because Jonah couldn’t save himself. And that’s why God sent Jesus.God saves desperate sinners“To the roots of the mountains I went down” (2:6). What happened when Jonah believed? His problems got worse. Jonah hit rock bottom. He is absolutely hopeless, and then God sends the fish. “Yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God” (2:6).God saves repentant sinners“Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you” (2:8-9). Salvation from sin involves faith and repentance. Repentance is turning away from whatever had God’s place in your life before, while faith is turning to the Lord: “But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you” (2:9).Think about this: Praise and thanksgiving flowed out of Jonah while he was still in the fish! (2:1). Why? Jonah worships in the belly of the fish because he knows that God is saving him. And that’s all he needs to know.God saves guilty, believing, desperate, repentant sinners, and He is ready and able to save you!Are you still trying to save yourself, or are you filled with worship today because you know that God is saving you?

“I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me; out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.Jonah 2:2Maybe you have the idea that you need to clean up your life before God can save you. That’s like saying, “If you swim to shore, God will send you a lifeboat!” Jonah shows us a better way.God saves guilty sinners“You cast me into the deep… your waves passed over me” (2:3). Inside the fish, Jonah thinks, “God did this. God sent the storm.” Behind the human events, Jonah sees the hand of God.Some people see their lives as strung together by chance. They feel that they are lucky or unlucky. Others see their lives as controlled by other people. They feel that they are victims. Other people see their lives as controlled by themselves. They feel that they are heroes. But Jonah knew God was at work, exposing his guilt and rebellion.Owning our sinfulness means getting beyond the idea that we deserve something better from God. God saves guilty sinners. Believing the gospel begins when you own your guilt before God.God saves believing sinners“I am driven away from your sight” (2:4). It isn’t easy to ask God for help when you know you have sinned. Jonah felt God was no longer interested in him. He felt he was beyond forgiving.What he says next is amazing: “Yet I shall again look upon your holy temple” (2:4). That is a marvellous statement of faith. God was for Jonah even when He was against him! And God is for you even when He is against you.God saves guilty sinners. God saves believing sinners. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).*Do you feel like you need to “swim to shore” before God will save you? Or can you accept that He loves you even while you are a sinner?*

“Salvation belongs to the LORD!”Jonah 2:9If you want to emphasise something important, you could put it at the beginning, like in a headline; in the middle, like in a climax; or at the end, like in a conclusion.If you want to sum up the book of Jonah in one sentence, it would be when Jonah says, “Salvation belongs to the LORD!” (Jon. 2:9). God brought Jonah to the place where he wanted people to know what God had done in his life. And when he did, he put a song of praise right at the centre. For that reason, we’re coming to this great chapter at the end of our study of Jonah.We’re going to look at Jonah’s remarkable testimony to God’s grace. Jonah disobeyed God, but God sent a storm, and Jonah told the ship’s crew to throw him in the sea (1:12, 15).Then we have this remarkable statement: “The LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights” (1:17).Some suggest that this is just a parable to teach us lessons about God, but Jesus said, “As Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Mat. 12:40). The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ were historical events, and Jesus speaks about what happened to Jonah in the same way. What happened to Jonah belongs among the miracles.What does this have to do with us? Jonah writes this song of praise to tell us how God saves sinners. The message of Jonah 2 is simply this: God saves guilty, believing, desperate, repentant sinners.Are you inclined to view the story of Jonah as a parable or as a miracle of grace? Why?

“Should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left?”Jonah 4:11Imagine that you are responsible for parking at the Super Bowl. Your job is to clear the parking lot as quickly and as safely as possible.When the game ends, you motion the front row forward. Nothing happens. You walk over to the first car, and the driver says, “I got in the car, and everything went dark. I can’t drive. I’m blind.”You go to the next car, and the driver says, “I got in the car, and some guy slapped these handcuffs on me. I can’t drive. I’m bound.”You move to the third car, and the driver is slumped over. He is dead.People are blaring their horns, but you have compassion. Why? Because you understand the problem.There is a kind of Christianity that is angry with the sinful world. A kind of preaching that rails against the evils of our times and seems to find pleasure in doing so. It is angry because it does not understand the human condition.By nature, we are blind, bound, and dead. We cannot see the glory of Christ. We do not have the power to stop sinning. And we will not come to Christ and follow Him.That’s true of every person. Reflecting on the human condition will help you to grow in compassion. It will make you less like Jonah and more like the Lord, who has compassion on people who cannot tell their right hand from their left.On a scale of 1 (angry) to 5 (indifferent) to 10 (compassionate), reflect on your attitude toward the sinful world, and especially toward those in your life who currently reject God.

“Should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left?”Jonah 4:4-11Here are three ways we can grow in compassion:1. Rejoice in God’s unique creationEvery person you meet is God’s unique creation. When you see someone on a train, at the store, or in school, say to yourself, God cares about this person, and He has placed me next to them. This doesn’t mean God will save all people. It does mean that He cares about all people, even His enemies. Try to show kindness to all people, especially those whose beliefs or behaviour may offend you. When you show compassion to all, you reflect the heart of God.2. Reflect on our human conditionHere are three ways the Bible describes our human condition:a) Spiritually blind (2 Cor. 4:4). It is not just that unbelievers don’t want to see. They cannot see the glory of Jesus or the wisdom of God’s law. b) Spiritually bound (Jn. 8:34). Sinners may be able to change the form of their sins, but they cannot stop being sinners. c) Spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1). By nature, we are unresponsive to God. Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (Jn. 6:44).3. Engage in Christ’s redeeming missionWhen the king heard God’s Word, he sat down, he repented, and he said, “Let everyone turn from his evil way… God may… turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish” (Jon. 3:6, 8-9). Jonah also sat down. He “went out of the city… and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city” (4:5).Although the king is a new believer, he is actively pleading with God for the salvation of his city. While the prophet, who is a mature believer, is sitting outside, passively watching. Hearts grow cold on the sidelines of ministry, because compassion is more than a feeling. It is love in action.What step could you take today to cultivate more compassion for a lost world?

When God saw… how they turned from their evil way, Godrelented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them.Jonah 3:10Here we have a wonderful window into the heart of God. He relented and had compassion on the Ninevites… and that made Jonah angry! Jonah said, “I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful…” (Jon. 4:2). But Jonah was not a gracious and merciful prophet.God was concerned about the city. He said, “There are 120,000 people in Nineveh, and these people matter to Me!” But Jonah was concerned about the vine. The Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labour, nor did youmake it grow” (4:10). The contrast is striking. Jonah was concerned about the vine. God was concerned about the city.We are all concerned about the vine—our jobs, homes, investments, and health. We are concerned about the things that bring us comfort and joy. But do we share God’s concern for our cities? It is easy to be deeply concernedabout the vine and yet unmoved by the plight of millions who face eternity without Christ.Ask God to give you are heart for the cities andfor those who do not yet know Jesus Christ.

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.Hebrews 12:3Think about the vine, the worm, and the wind in the life of our Lord Jesus.Jesus chose twelve disciples and called them to be with Him (Mk. 3:14). He had the comfort, joy, and blessing of their companionship. He sent them out and their ministry was blessed with such success that he said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning” (Lk. 10:18).Then the worm came. The disciples, who had brought Him comfort, joy, and blessing, all forsook Him and fled. Judas betrayed Him with a kiss, Peter denied Him with a curse, and Jesus was plunged into sorrow and loss.And then the east wind blew. Jesus was scourged, mocked, and crowned with thorns. He was nailed to the cross, and He was plunged into total darkness. And, in His affliction, pain, and distress, He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mat. 27:46).Why was Jesus forsaken? Because Jesus bore your sins in His body on the tree. The Son of God loved you and gave Himself for you. He endured the worm and the wind so that you could be brought into an eternity under God’s vine.Can you see God’s love for you in Jesus?

The LORD God appointed a plant… to save him from his discomfort… God appointed a worm that attacked the plant… God appointed a scorching east wind.Jonah 4:6-8It’s easy to see why God provided the vine for Jonah. God is good. All good gifts come from Him. But why did God send the worm and the wind? What possible good could come from that?It’s helpful to understand two important Bible words: Justification is how God forgives us through Jesus. Sanctification is how God makes us like Jesus. The first is an event, the second is a process.God provides for our sanctification through gifts that bring joy, trials that bring sorrow, and experiences that bring pain. God used the worm and the wind to save Jonah from a vine-centred life—from loving God’s gifts more than the God who gives them.Here are two signs that you may be living a vine-centred life:1. You are angry with God“I do well to be angry, angry enough to die” (4:9). Jonah was first angry about Nineveh (4:4). And now, the anger is back. The vine masked Jonah’s problem. Family, friends, money, and success can do that. But, if your greatest joy is in the vine, you will live a vine-centred life. And when the vine is gone, you will be angry toward God.2. You are losing your reason to live“It is better for me to die” (4:8). Jonah found such comfort and joy in the vine that when it was gone he no longer felt he had a reason to live. The extraordinary thing is that Jonah is saying this to God who is the reason to live! If your greatest joy lies in God’s gifts rather than in God Himself, then when the gift you cherish most withers, you will lose your reason to live. The reason to live is not the gifts but the Giver.Do you see any signs that you may have slipped into living a vine-centred life?

Jonah went out of the city… and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city.Jonah 4:5Put yourself in Jonah’s shoes. You are feeling miserable and resentful. And here you are, sitting in the sand outside a city you really don’t like. The sun is beating down on you, so you make a shelter. Then God steps in.The Vine“The LORD God appointed a plant… that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort” (4:6). The vine was a gift from God, an expression of His kindness. Notice, Jonah was “exceedingly glad because of the plant” (4:6). God’s gift brought comfort, joy, and blessing.The Worm“God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered” (4:7). Jonah woke to find that the vine had been chewed up. “God, what are you doing? One day you pour out your blessing, the next day you take it away!” The worm brought sorrow, loss, and disappointment.What is your worm? You want children, but a child is not born. The person you love is taken from you. Your ministry sees success, but then the worm destroys your good work. The Lord gives. The Lord takes away. That’s what Jonah is learning, and it’s painful.The Wind“God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint” (4:8). It’s bad enough to lose your vine. But now the sand was blowing into Jonah’s face, and the sun was beating down. “God, if you are going to take my vine, you might have done it on a cool day.”What is your vine? Your worm? Your wind? Think about the gifts of God that bring you comfort, joy, and blessing, and thank God for them.

What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says… “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy.”Romans 9:14-15Here are three common reactions to the grace of God:1. God’s grace makes some people angrySome folks believe that God must treat everyone the same, opening the door of salvation and waiting to see who will come in. But the Bible speaks of a greater love, in which God takes the initiative. Why did God set His love on you? Because He loved you. No other reason. God extended this saving love to Nineveh. Why Nineveh? Our God does whatever pleases Him (Ps. 115:3). And that made Jonah angry.2. God’s grace makes some people worshipIf you are a Christian, why is it that you believe and someone else in your family does not? Here’s why you believe: God set His love on you. He drew you to Himself. He gave you new life, and you did nothing to deserve it! Apart from God’s grace, you would never have come to Christ. Let God’s grace lead you to worship. You will find yourself asking, “Why me?”3. God’s grace makes some people prayIf all God could do is open the door of salvation and then leave it up to us, there would be little point in praying for the lost. The reason we pray is that God takes the initiative. If God can swoop into your life uninvited, He can do that for others as well.God’s grace will either make you angry or lead you to worship and prayer. God gently led Jonah away from being angry about grace and into worship and prayer, which is why he ends his great song of praise with “Salvation belongs to the LORD!” (Jon. 2:9).Are you more inclined to be angry, worshipful, or prayerful in response to God’s grace?

“That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish.”Jonah 4:2Why is Jonah complaining to God? What is going on in his heart? “That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish.” This is a marvellous example of undermining your own repentance.Jonah repented, and God forgave him, but now Jonah wants to explain why he went to Tarshish. He feels that there was some justification, some defence for what he did. As soon as you start explaining why you sinned, you undermine your own repentance.Repentance says, “I did this. I am sorry, I take full responsibility, and I trust myself to the mercy of God.” Self-justification says, “You need to understand why I did this. There is a good reason. Let me explain my disobedience.”A great struggle goes on in every human soul between repentance and self-justification. You think, “Well, there’s another side to this. Look at the pressure I was under, the lack of support. It would have been amazing if I hadn’t fallen!”Does this sound familiar? A man has an affair. He repents. He takes responsibility, and he says he is sorry. But later, he begins to explain himself. And the explanation undermines the repentance.There’s a subtle change going on in Jonah. He used to see himself as a sinner who finds hope in God. Now he sees himself as a man who can explain the wrongs in his life before God!“I went to Tarshish, and I know that was wrong, but actually, God, it’s your fault! If You judged the wicked like You should, there wouldn’t have been a problem, but I knew that you are a God who relents from sending calamity. That is why I was so quick to flee.”When you feel that there is an explanation for your sins, you undermine your own repentance, and you will become angry toward God.Can you think of a time when you undermined your own repentance with explanations?

“O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country?... I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.”Jonah 4:2Let’s begin by noting something that Jonah did right. “He prayed to the LORD” (4:2). In chapter 1, Jonah was unhappy with God, and he ran from the Lord. In chapter 4, Jonah was unhappy with God, and he prayed to the Lord. That’s progress.But Jonah’s prayer is a complaint against God—not just about what God does, but about who God is! “I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.” He is quoting one of the great statements of the character of God. It comes from Exodus 34:6-7, and it was regularly repeated among God’s people as an expression of praise.But Jonah turns it back to God as a complaint: “God is too slow in dealing with evil.” The people of Nineveh were wicked, and they would return to evil even if they stopped for a time. Jonah was sure of this, and he was right!A later generation of Ninevites destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel with great brutality. The book of Nahum lays out the excruciating evil that could have been avoided, if only God had destroyed Nineveh. Jonah saw this coming, and God’s mercy made him mad!Haven’t you wondered about God’s strange providence in ordering the world? Think of the evil and suffering that could have been spared if God had wiped out Hitler or Stalin or Bin Laden early in life. Yet He let them live! Why?Reflect on the ways God has been gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love in your own life.

It displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry.Jonah 4:1You would think that a man who had seen miracles of grace in his own life and in his ministry would be full of praise and thanksgiving. Here we see something different.Jonah was a mature believer. He was a prophet. He was a missionary. You would think that he would be filled with joy in serving God. But he is angry and frustrated and out of sorts with the God he served.Jonah was not the only one to experience this. Asaph was the director of worship for King David. He says, “My feet had almost stumbled.” Why? “I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Ps. 73:2-3). It seemed that God was kinder to His enemies than to His friends! So, Asaph said, “All in vain have I kept my heart clean” (73:13).There is a particular darkness that can come to those who work hardest in the Lord’s service. Resentment towards God is the special temptation of mature believers who serve Him well. It is easy to feel that God owes you.How is it that we can experience God’s grace in our own lives and ministry and still struggle with the God we love? How is it possible to be in the middle of a great work of God and yet to find no joy in it?Jonah shows us one of the most common ways in which a mature believer can avoid a God-centred life. You serve God and end up resenting the God you serve.If you have sacrificed much for Christ, you are likely to experience this trial. And you need to know how to deal with it. We will see how this resentment grew in Jonah’s life and how God dealt with Jonah to deliver him from it.When have you felt this temptation of resentment towards God?

The people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.Jonah 3:5What happened in Nineveh was remarkable. This kind of transformation does not always happen when we bring God’s message. Why not?There’s God’s Word, and there’s God’s man or woman, but there is also God’s time. You can’t force that. But you can pray for it. You never know when He is going to change a person’s life.Some may say, “We should just sit back and let God do what He wants to do in His own time.” No! Revival is God’s gift. Evangelism is His command. We don’t sit back and wait for God’s moment. We follow Jonah’s example. We bring God’s Word, and we pray that in His mercy He will move in the hearts of those who hear.Some question if there was a genuine revival in Nineveh. One generation later, the Assyrians invaded the northern kingdom of Israel, and God’s people scattered. A century later, Nineveh was destroyed. That’s what the prophecy of Nahum is about—God’s judgement on the city.In heaven, you will meet many people who lived in Nineveh during the time of Jonah. But you may not meet many who lived there a century later. When Jonah went to Nineveh, it was God’s time for that great city.All we can do is offer all that we are and all that we have for the advance of the gospel in our time. Every generation stands responsible before God for what we have done with the sacred trust of the gospel.Are you sitting back and waiting for God’s moment, or are you offering all you have for the advance of the gospel?

“As Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.”Luke 11:30Did Jonah tell the people of Nineveh about his own experience? It seems likely he did, for two reasons:1. The words of the king“Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish” (Jon. 3:9). Where did the king get that idea? How would he have had any hope in the mercy and compassion of God? If the king knew Jonah’s story, he could say, “If God saved Jonah, perhaps He will have compassion on us.”2. The words of Jesus“As Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation” (Lk. 11:30). How was Jonah a sign to the Ninevites? Jesus says, “Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Mat. 12:40). If being in the fish was a sign to the Ninevites, Jonah must have told them about it with a passion born from his own experience:“Let me tell you what happened to me! When God called me to come here, I did not want to come. So, I got on a boat headed for Tarshish, but God sent a storm. I felt sure I was finished. But the God whose judgement I deserved saved me. He sent me to tell you that your wickedness has come before Him, just as mine did. Forty days and Nineveh will be destroyed.”God never wastes a thing. He can use your failures, your trauma, your shame, the desperate moments of your life to advance the gospel.Is there a failure in your own life that God could use to reach others?

Jonah… called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”Jonah 3:4Nineveh was a large city. People in the great cities of the world live relentless lives. We are consumed with what is happening now: running businesses, raising families, enjoying sports.Jonah arrives and says, “Let me tell you what’s coming. Forty more days and Nineveh will be destroyed.”Authentic gospel preaching always engages people with eternal issues. That is where Jesus began: “The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mk. 1:15). Paul begins Romans with the awful reality of God’s judgement: “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men” (Rom. 1:18).Jonah begins there too: “Forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” Whatever you are doing now, there is God, and there is eternity, and it is nearer than you think.This probably wasn’t the only thing that Jonah said. But it was the core of his message, and everyone knew it. God burned that one sentence into the hearts of the people of Nineveh.Cities change when people hear the Word of God.Even if people are not converted, hearing the Word brings an awareness of God into the culture, and “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1:7). More than that, where God’s Word is heard, lives will be changed. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17).So many people in our cities are comfortably absorbed in their daily lives and do not think about eternity. It would be a good thing if more of them heard God’s Word.How might you share God’s Word in your city?

The word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”Jonah 3:1It was not a foregone conclusion that Jonah would go to Nineveh when God called him a second time. Nothing had changed in Nineveh, so Jonah still had at least four objections to overcome:1. FearThe Assyrians were still known for terror and torture. Jonah still had to face his old fears.2. ShameJonah had failed the Lord greatly. His sin had been exposed, and he must have wondered, “How can God use me?” Jonah had to get over his shame to obey God’s call.3. Self-InterestThe Assyrian army was the greatest threat to God’s people, and Nineveh was one of the great Assyrian cities. Jonah feared that God would have compassion on Nineveh (4:2).4. UnbeliefCan God really change a wicked city through one man speaking God’s Word? Nineveh had not changed, but by grace Jonah had, and when God’s Word came the second time, Jonah rose obediently and went to Nineveh (3:3).What happened in Nineveh was an extraordinary work of God. The Ninevites believed God, and they declared a fast and put on sackcloth (3:5). Even the king sat in sackcloth in the dust (3:6) — an expression of humility and penitence before God.The king issued a proclamation that everyone “call out mightily to God… [and] turn from his evil way... God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish” (3:8-9). By any standard, this is an amazing transformation.Which of these four barriers to obedience are you struggling with now?

Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.Jonah 1:16Here are three things we learn from the ship’s crew about pursuing a God-centred life:1. Turn to God and ask Him for mercy“They called out to the LORD” (1:14).The crew saw that their religion was worthless. They abandoned all other gods. What mattered was finding peace with this God who made the land and the sea, who sends storms, and who speaks through prophets to save them! So, they cried, “O Lord, let us not perish for this man’s life… for you… have done as it pleased you” (1:14). In other words, “Lord, have mercy on us!”2. Abandon self-rescue and stake your life on Jesus Christ“They picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging” (1:15).These men saw their guilt in the sacrifice. Yet to their amazement they found salvation through the sacrifice. “We crucified the Son of God—that’s our guilt. Yet He laid down his life as a sacrifice to placate God’s wrath for us—that is our salvation.”3. Pledge your redeemed life to Jesus Christ“They offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows” (1:16).Many people make vows to God in the middle of a storm. These men made vows to God after He delivered them. That shows a real change of heart. These men knew that they had come back from the dead. And their new life had been bought with a price (Jonah’s). They felt that they were no longer their own, so they pledged their redeemed lives to God.Which of these steps could you take today?