Surprised By Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels

In preparation of tonight's message on Jonah, I got some help from Tullian Tchividjian who wrote Surprised by Grace: God's Relentless Pursuit of Rebels.

Click here to order the book from Amazon.

The quote I plan to read tonight came from an interview done with Tchividjian regarding the book. I thought it provided a good summary of how the book of Jonah points us to Christ.

The interview, called "The Gospel According to Jonah" is here.

The quote is here:

“Jesus says that he is 'greater than Jonah.' He is the greater-than-Jonah who succeeded where Jonah failed. For instance, in sending Jonah as his messenger to sinful Nineveh, God showed his boundless grace and faithfulness. But centuries later, God sent another messenger to sinful mankind. Only this messenger went willingly and joyfully because he knew the heart of God. In fact, he was the heart of God. He would be called “the Word” because he himself was God’s message. He was everything God wanted to say to the world—all wrapped up in a person.
Instead of fleeing from God’s call in rebellion and running away from his enemies, this new messenger ran toward his enemies, in full submission to his Father’s will, despite what it would cost him. For 'we were enemies' of God (Rom. 5:10)—all of us—so much so that we rejected and crucified his Son.

"Fully knowing that this death was his destiny, this new messenger nevertheless pursued God’s rescue mission with a totally engaged heart. 'For the joy that was set before him,' the Bible tells us, he 'endured the cross' (Heb. 12:2) so that God’s enemies, you and I, could become God’s friends.

"Like Jonah thrown overboard, this new messenger would be a sacrifice, with the result that others were saved.

"This new messenger, like Jonah, would spend three days in utter darkness. But unlike Jonah, he would emerge with wholehearted determination to pursue his enemies with life-giving love. He went on this mission because he wanted to—not because he had to.

"When God’s mercy was shown to Jonah and to his enemies, Jonah was intensely angered. But this new messenger was the happy extension of God’s grace toward his enemies—not angry and embittered, but 'anointed . . . with the oil of gladness' (Heb. 1:9). Jonah is all about self-protection; this new messenger is all about joyful self-sacrifice. So Jesus and his Good News, rescue of sinners, is all over this story of Jonah."