We Christians recognize that marriage is sacred. It is holy. It is God’s, not ours. He is the one who invented it, and gave it to us.
Genesis 2:18–24 (ESV)
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” 19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
So, since this is God’s, not ours… How should we view it today?
Is this the same as the world’s view of marriage?
What does it mean for a husband and wife to become ‘one flesh’?
Purposes of Marriage
There are several “secondary” purposes of marriage. Consider that Genesis 2 passage we looked at, and read the following verses. Talk about what those secondary purposes might be.
Proverbs 18:22 (NLT)
The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.
Malachi 2:15 (NLT)
Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth.
The Main Purpose
In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul is really clear about the primary purpose of our marriages, isn’t he? He willingly admits that marriage is something of a mystery, but it also has incredible meaning…
Ephesians 5:32 (NLT)
This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
SO the primary purpose of marriage is finally clear… It illustrates something much more important than simply the sum of it’s parts… On Sunday, I said “Marriage draws a picture of what we can’t yet see.” What is marriage drawing a picture of?
It is no wonder that from Matthew through Revelation, we Christians are described as “the Bride of Christ.”
In Revelation 19, John sees the final outcome of all of the end times. After all that we are currently going through, and after all of the tribulation and judgment, John sees a great celebration. There are songs of victory in heaven, and the bride and groom are finally united at the “wedding feast of the Lamb.”
Revelation 19:7–8 (NLT)
Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to him.
For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.
8 She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.” For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.
That’s why wives and husbands have distinct Biblical roles in marriage… Because each spouse is portraying part of that picture… Look how Paul describes it in Ephesians.
Here’s how that picture starts to be drawn:
Ephesians 5:21 (NLT)
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
What does it mean to “submit to one another?” What does that look like in your marriage?
Paul describes the submission roles for each spouse next:
Ephesians 5:22–24 (NLT)
For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.
In the picture, which role does the wife portray?
Develop that out.. How is she to look like the church?
Ephesians 5:25–28 (NLT)
For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself.
In the picture, which role does the husband display?
Develop that out… How is HE to look like Christ?
How is a husband’s love like Christ’s love, according to verses 26 and 27?
So, marriage draws a critical picture. Who sees that picture?
Okay.. Let’s be honest. Do our marriages measure up? As a spouse, am I effectively showing the church’s relationship with Christ in my marriage?
What are things we can all put into practice to better draw that picture?
