Jesse Tree December 14

With Solomon, we end tracing the lineage of Jesus and turn to some prophecies for the inspiration for our symbols. The symbol for the 14th is a large fish -- most think of it as a whale. It is the story of the prophet Jonah and prefigures what will happen years later to the Christ. It is many years after Solomon and the Kingdom of Israel is now just a remnant of what it was in it's glory days. Jonah is sent to preach to the foreign people in the city of Ninevah. Jonah so doesn't want to do this, that he heads the OTHER way. God intervenes and has the great fish swallow Jonah. Jonah remains in the belly of the fish for 3 days and then is given a new life by being spit out of the fish. He preaches to the men of Ninevah and they repent!!

Christ applies this to Himself by saying that this is a miraculous sign that the Son of Man will be in the belly of the earth for three days and will rise again. Jesus, unlike Jonah, willingly went to the cross to die for us. What wondrous love is this? Jesus did not head the OTHER way but came to seek and to save us. We are safe -- His Resurrection becomes our resurrection.

Then stilled are cries and lamentations, Then loosed is Satan's every band;
In death is hope and consolation, The soul is safe in Jesus's hand,
When we shall walk through death's dark vale, His rod and staff shall never fail.