The Prevailing Love of God

In the second sermon of our Jonah series, we looked at how God displayed His sovereign power over creation in order to display His prevailing love for sinners. In a moment of desperation in the middle of a storm, the sailors with Jonah cast lots to determine why the storm was occurring. God's sovereign hand guided the lots to fall on Jonah, revealing his disobedience in running from the Lord to be the cause of the storm. In his guilt and shame, Jonah offered himself as a sacrifice for the sailors. While the sailors didn't want Jonah to give his life and tried to save themselves, God made the storm get worse, causing Jonah to be thrown overboard before calming the waters. Jonah didn't save the sailors and the sailors didn't save themselves; God saved them. This passage reminds us of our inability to save or fix ourselves, while also reminding us that the Gospel is about Jesus dying to save us through His prevailing love.