Jonah 1: 11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?" --NIV
In the name of the once for all sacrifice, amen.
There were men on a boat who feared for their lives. The wrath of God was blowing strong, and they wanted to know what they should do. They asked the same question that many asked of Jesus: "What must we do to be saved?" "Sacrifice me," was the answer. Ultimately, it is the same answer that Christ had.
Think of it this way: all human beings are on a boat of sorts. The boat is the earth. God's wrath is blowing strong against us, and our boat threatens to break up. His wrath is blowing because of the sins that we have committed. There doesn't seem to be any hope at all. We try and try to make it right, but God's wrath continues to blow more and more. In our fear we turn to the One Whom God made to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5: 21). We nail Him to a cross as He speaks those words, "Father forgive them." The storm grows fiercest as He splashes into the sea of death...and then all is quiet. The storm has passed.
After three days in the belly of the earth, the grave spits Him out alive. The forgiveness that He prayed for is ours. At this we greatly fear the Lord and make our vows and offerings to Him. Praise be to God our Father Who worked such a marvelous salvation for us! Amen.
Prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, Your are worthy of glory and praise forever and ever since You carried out salvation for us in a way that is beyond our imaginations. More than this You showed Your people in ancient times what that salvation would be like, by ordering the lives of Your prophets to reflect what would come. By Your Holy Spirit, help us to stand in awe of our Salvation all the days of our lives. We ask this in our Savior Jesus' name, amen.