A sermon delivered at Cameron, Ohio, May 15, 1932, by J. M. Cochran, of Graysville, Ohio.

In our study of God’s word we find it interesting to compare the lives of Bible characters, and we believe God intends us to do so. In fact Jesus himself sets the example by comparing himself with others.

But in comparing men with the life of Jesus, there are but few points in the lives of sinful men that can in any way be worthy of comparison with him "Who did no sin."

Solomon compares with the work of Jesus in the building of the Temple, but when we come to the seven hundred wives which Solomon accepted and who wore his name, we must contrast the near seven hundred denominations who claim they are wearing Christ’s name, but whom he does not accept, this shows the opposite in the lives of these two men.

But there seems to be much to compare in the lives of Jesus and Jonah. Jonah undertook to do the opposite of what God commanded him to do.

Jesus came to do the will of his Father. Jonah did his personal preaching after he was delivered from the Fish. Jesus did his preaching before his death. Jonah proclaimed the destruction of Ninevah in forty days.

They repented and were saved. Jesus proclaimed the destruction of Jerusalem, they did not repent and in forty years it was destroyed. Jonah was sent to a Gentile city. Jesus was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Jonah started from Joppa, the same city, that Peter afterwards left to go preach to the Gentiles, and had God not given him the vision on the housetop he would, no doubt, have had as much trouble with Peter as he had with Jonah.

Jonah sailed to go to Tarshish, where in after years, Paul the great apostle to the Gentiles, was born.

The ship, which carried Jonah, was likely to be broken on account of him—(Jonah 1:4).

The whole Jewish nation, among whom Jesus lived, was supposed to be ready to perish on account of him. (Jno. 11:50). When lots were cast by the mariners, the lot fell on Jonah.

When the decision was made before Pilate as to whether Jesus or Barabbas should be crucified, the choice fell on Jesus.

Jonah submitted himself to be cast into the sea, (Sea in prophecy means peoples, nations and tongues, Rev. 17:15), and was swallowed by a fish, (Great Sea Monster), which symbolizes a Government.

Jesus submitted himself to be cast into a foreign power or dominion, the Roman Empire, which was the heart of the earth, even as the Roman Empire is spoken of in Luke 2:1, as the whole world or earth. Rome is spoken of in Matt. 12:40 as the heart of the earth. This refers to the Roman Empire and not the grave of Jesus. Jonah 1:11-13. The Sea wrought and was tempestuous and the mariners rowed hard to bring the ship of Jonah to land but could not.

Pilate sought to deliver Jesus but did not. The Mariners called upon God not to lay upon them innocent blood. Pilate washed his hands and declared himself free from the blood of this just person.

When Jonah was cast out the sea ceased from her raging, and the men offered sacrifice to God.

When Jesus was condemned the Jews ceased their raging and observed the passover.

Jonah was cast into a living organism that had life. Jesus was cast into a living government that had political life. (The Roman Empire). The fish tried to get rid of Jonah, and did so after three nights.

The Roman Empire tried to get rid of Jesus, but did not for three days and three nights.

Jesus was before Pilate at the sixth hour on Thursday. (Jno. 19:14). He was crucified on Friday at the third hour (Mark 15:25).

He was in the heart of the earth, under the rule of the Roman Empire from early Thursday morning (Matt. 27:1-2. All Thursday night, Friday and Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night, three days and three nights under the Roman Government. He was buried the day before the Sabbath (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54). He was raised the day after the Sabbath (Mark 16:1). Thus his rising wagon the third day (Luke 24:46). The great sea monster was alive and moved all over the ocean.

The Roman Government was alive and moved all over the land. The three days spoken of in Matt. 12 :40, are Thursday, Friday and Saturday, also each night. When he speaks of rising the third day he is speaking of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—The Roman Power ended when Saturday night ended, and it had no control on him over Sunday, the third day spoken of in Luke 24:46.

Thus we can see why Christ was so explicit in Matt. 12:40 to not only mention the three nights as well as the three days, all of which time he was subject to the Roman Government.

(Is his reasoning sound?)