The Book of Jonah: God’s Scandalous Mercy

A Prophet Who Ran. A City on the Brink. A God Who Pursues.

Though small in size, the book of Jonah has left a monumental mark on culture, faith, and imagination. Across centuries, it has inspired artists, poets, theologians—and even modern musicians like Bruce Springsteen, whose haunting lyrics reflect the depths of being “Swallowed Up (in the Belly of the Whale).”

But why does Jonah’s story still resonate today?

At the heart of this four-chapter narrative is a truth that cuts across time, culture, and belief: God’s mercy is scandalous.
It confronts sin.
It pursues the undeserving.
It overturns human expectations.
And it reveals a God whose love cannot be boxed in by borders, prejudices, or self-righteousness.

What to Expect in This Series

In this verse-by-verse journey through Jonah, we’ll explore:

• God’s Sovereignty and Compassion over all peoples and nations

• The Heart of a Reluctant Prophet who knows the law but not the love of God

• The Power of Repentance and Mercy in the darkest of places

• What It Means to Truly Know God—not just in our heads, but with our hearts

Each message will challenge us to reflect on our own hearts:
Do we love what God loves?
Do we run from mercy or run to it?
Are we willing to be agents of grace, even to those we find hardest to love?

Resource: Kevin J. Youngblood, Jonah: God’s Scandalous Mercy, ed. Daniel I. Block, Second Edition, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2019)