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 12:40)
Michael Packard, a lobster diver, was momentarily swallowed by a humpback whale before being miraculously spat out. His brush with death brings to mind the story of Jonah—not because of marine biology, but because of what it points to. Jonah’s survival pictured Christ’s burial and resurrection. Jesus truly died, was sealed in a tomb and rose again after three days—victorious over death. For all who trust in Him, death is no longer final. As Scripture promises: Death is swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54). Just as Jonah emerged alive and Michael was spared, Jesus rose to offer us eternal life. The tomb is empty. In Christ, so is death’s power