Jesus and Noah are alike in the Bible

 

Another passage that is often discussed is Matthew 12:38–40, where some of the scribes and Pharisees ask Jesus to perform a miraculous sign to prove his authority. The Gospel records:

"Teacher, we want to see a sign from You."

Jesus responds:

"An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. 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." (Matthew 12:39–40)

According to this interpretation, Jesus deliberately draws a comparison between himself and the prophet Jonah, calling attention to what is known as "the sign of Jonah." The argument is that Jesus intended his audience to understand his experience by comparing it to Jonah's experience.

The first point emphasized is that Jesus compares himself to Jonah the prophet. Just as Jonah was a prophet sent by God, Jesus also presents himself as one sent by God. From this perspective, the comparison reinforces Jesus' prophetic role rather than identifying him as God.

The second point concerns Jonah's condition during those three days and three nights. The biblical account states that Jonah remained alive inside the great fish. Although he was hidden from the people and believed by many to be lost, he continued to live and even prayed to God from within the fish (Jonah 2). At no point does the book of Jonah state that he died.

Based on this observation, proponents of this interpretation argue that Jesus intended the comparison to extend beyond the length of time involved. They contend that, because Jonah was alive throughout his three days and three nights, the parallel suggests that Jesus likewise remained alive during the period referred to as being "in the heart of the earth."

According to this reasoning, if the essential sign is that Jesus would be "just as Jonah was," then the similarities should be maintained. Therefore, they argue:

• Jonah was a prophet; therefore, Jesus is likewise a prophet.

• Jonah remained alive during the three days and three nights; therefore, Jesus also remained alive during the corresponding period.

• The comparison, they argue, does not explicitly state that Jesus would die in the same way later Christian theology describes, but rather emphasizes that his experience would parallel Jonah's.

For this reason, proponents conclude that the "sign of Jonah" supports the view that Jesus survived, just as Jonah survived, and that the analogy is intended to highlight deliverance rather than death.