In your article Lessons From Jonah, you made a comment that captured my attention. You stated “And just as Jonah had given Nineveh 40 days notice, Jesus waited 40 days after His crucifixion for Israel to recognize Him before finally departing for Heaven (Acts 1:3,9).” During the 40 days after Jesus’ crucifixion, why didn’t Jesus visit the chief priests and the elders? If He had, then there is no way they could have claimed that His disciples came at night and stole Him away (Matthew 28:13) and they would have had to admit that He had given them the sign they asked for.
Through out the time of His earthly ministry, Jesus had done everything possible to demonstrate that He was who He claimed to be. He conspicuously fulfilled hundreds of Messianic prophecies. The resurrection was simply the final one. With over 500 eyewitnesses to His resurrection and the additional confirmation of Holy people from Israel’s past who were resurrected at the same time (Matt. 27:52-53) there is no way the leaders could have remained ignorant of the fact that He had risen from the grave.
Sure He could have gone to the Temple and confronted them. It’s what you and I would have done. But it’s not up to God to prove Himself to man, and besides it was too late. A few days before the crucifixion He had told them, “You will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord.’” (Matt.23:39) It was up to them to come to Him in recognition of Who He is.
Make no mistake, Jesus had to die for the sins of the people. Their sin was not in having Him executed. It was in rendering His death meaningless to them. Had they come to Him as required, their sins would have been forgiven and their Kingdom would have been restored.