Compare Jonah 1:2 with Matthew 28:19-20 on God's mission for believers. Setting the Scene The Lord’s heart for the nations shines through both the Old Testament story of Jonah and the New Testament charge of Jesus. One prophet, one risen Savior—both issuing the same directive: “Go.” The Call to Jonah: Jonah 1:2 “Get up! Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before Me.” • Clear command: “Get up! Go.” • Target audience: a foreign, pagan city known for brutality. • Message: confrontation of sin with God’s truth. • Motivation: the Lord has seen their wickedness and desires repentance (cf. Jonah 4:11). The Great Commission: Matthew 28:19–20 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” • Same opening verb: “Go.” • Scope: “all nations,” leaving no one out. • Strategy: evangelize (“make disciples”), incorporate (“baptizing”), instruct (“teaching”). • Empowerment: Christ’s constant presence guarantees success. Shared Themes • Divine initiative—God sends, believers respond (Isaiah 6:8). • Universal reach—outsiders are in God’s sights (Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 49:6). • Urgency—sin is real, eternity is at stake (Romans 6:23). • Verbal proclamation—truth must be spoken (Romans 10:14–15). Contrasts That Teach Us • Old Covenant prophet vs. New Covenant church. • One reluctant messenger vs. a willing, Spirit-filled body (Acts 1:8). • Warning of judgment (Jonah) vs. invitation to salvation (Matthew). • Limited journey (Nineveh) vs. global mission (all nations). Timeless Principles for Us Today • God’s command is not optional; refusal brings discipline (Jonah 1:3–4; Hebrews 12:6). • Love motivates mission—God cares for lost people no matter how hardened (2 Peter 3:9). • Success rests on obedience, not on personal comfort or cultural acceptance (Galatians 1:10). • The presence of God empowers difficult obedience (Joshua 1:9; Matthew 28:20). Putting Mission into Practice • Pray daily for an unreached people group or an unsaved neighbor. • Look for “Nineveh moments” where the Lord nudges you toward someone outside your comfort zone. • Share the gospel clearly, then invite ongoing discipleship—baptism, Bible study, obedience. • Partner with local and global ministries that keep the Great Commission central. Encouragement from Other Passages • Acts 10:34–35—God shows no partiality. • Romans 15:20—Paul’s ambition to preach where Christ is not yet known. • Revelation 7:9—a future multitude from “every nation, tribe, people, and language” worshiping the Lamb. The God who sent Jonah still sends us. He equips, accompanies, and delights to see nations—ancient Nineveh and today’s world—turn to Him in faith. |
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