ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 Sapate ‘Epeleli 18, 2021 

behold, something greater than Jonah is here

vakai, ‘oku ‘i heni ha me‘a ‘oku lahi ‘ia Siona 

Matiu 12 (Matthew 12)

(v. 38-41) 38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For 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. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.

(v. 38-41) 38 Na‘e toki tali kiate ia ‘e he ni‘ihi ‘o e kau sikalaipe mo e kau Fālesi, ‘o pehē, Tangata‘eiki, ‘oku mau fiema‘u meiate ko e ha faka‘ilonga ke mau sio ki ai. 39 Ka ka tali ‘e ia ‘o ne pehē kiate kinautolu, Ko ha to‘utangata faikovi ia, mo ha to‘utangata alafia kae fe‘auaki, ‘oku tangi ki ha faka‘ilonga: ka ‘oku ‘ikai ha faka‘ilonga ‘e ‘ange ki ai, ngata pē ‘i he faka‘ilonga ‘o Siona ko e palōfita: 40 he ‘oku hangē ko e ‘i he kete ‘o e fu‘u ika ‘a Siona, ‘o ‘aho tolu mo pō tolu; pehē ‘e ‘i lolofonua ‘a e Fanautama ‘a Tangata, ‘o ‘aho tolu mo pō tolu. 41 ‘E hopo mo e to‘utangata ni ‘i he fakamaau ‘a e kakai Ninive, pea te nau fakahalaia ia: he na‘e fakatomala ‘e kinautolu ‘i he malanga ‘a Siona: kae vakai, ‘oku ‘i heni ha me‘a ‘oku lahi ‘ia Siona.

 

*Commentary: David Guzik Study Guide on Matthew*

Because Jesus here refers to three days and three nights, some think that Jesus had to spend at least 72 hours in the grave. This upsets most chronologies of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and is unnecessary – because it doesn’t take into account the use of ancient figures of speech. Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah (around the year ad 100; cited in Clarke and other sources) explained this way of speaking when he wrote: “A day and a night make a whole day, and a portion of a whole day is reckoned as a whole day.” This demonstrates how in Jesus’ day, the phrase three days and three nights did not necessarily mean a full 72-hour period, but a period including at least the portions of three days and three nights. There may be other good reasons for challenging the traditional chronology of Jesus’ death and resurrection, but it is not necessary in order to fulfill the words of Jesus here.

ii. If Jesus rose from the dead on the first day or on the fifth day, we could say “Jesus was a liar and a false prophet. He said He would rise again on the third day, but He got it wrong.” But Jesus didn’t get it wrong. He never does.

iii. Yet we should not miss the central point here. “You are asking for a sign – I am God’s sign. You have failed to recognize me. The Ninevites recognized God’s warning in Jonah; the Queen of Sheba recognized God’s wisdom in Solomon.” (Barclay)