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2 Corinthians 11:2 (ERV)-I am jealous for you with a jealousy that comes from God. I promised to give you to Christ. He must be your only husband. I want to give you to Christ to be his pure bride.
As we come to the conclusion of our study of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, we are left with the sobering reality that reports of a marriage between these two are fictitious and farfetched.
Jesus and Mary Magdalene were not married.
But actually….
In a way, they are married!
“What do you mean, preacher? Haven’t you been arguing in all eighteen of these studies that they were not husband and wife?”
Yes, I have.
But there is a very real sense in which Mary WAS married to Christ.
As a member of His church, Mary Magdalene is married to Jesus the same way that every other Christian is.
You see, Christ DOES have a wife!
The church of Christ is the bride of Christ!
Ephesians 5:22-33-Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
There are many in our world who teach that the church is not important, that you can be saved apart from the church. Yet the Bible is clear that the church is extremely important, for she is the wife of Christ! Interestingly enough, Paul teaches us when it is that we as believers in Jesus who have repented of sin are married to the Lord. Look carefully:
Ephesians 5:26 (GNB)-He did this to dedicate the church to God by his word, after making it clean by washing it in water,
Interestingly enough, this reference here connects both baptism and marriage!
“There is very likely a reference to baptism in 5: 26. Christ gave himself up for the church “in order that he might sanctify her, purifying her by the washing [τ λoυτρ, bath] of water with the word [ἐν ῥήματι].” The context compares the relations of husbands and wives with the relations of Christ and the church. In view of this marriage context elements of a wedding ceremony that could be related to Christian practice are likely being drawn on. The bride took a bath before the wedding, hence the reference to a washing expressly said to be in water, which would parallel the baptism of Christ’s “bride,” the church, taking place in the conversion of each of its members. There was also a wedding contract, an exchange of vows, hence the reference to a “word.”” (Everett Ferguson, Baptism In The Early Church: History, Theology, And Liturgy In The First Five Centuries, 3503-3509 (Kindle Edition); Grand Rapids, Michigan; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company)
In the act of baptism, the repentant believer enters into marriage with Jesus and the Lord then and there graciously washes away his or her sins.
Are you a member of Christ’s church?
Have you been sanctified and cleansed by the washing of water with the word?
If not, turn to Jesus today!
If you are part of Christ’s church but have become spiritually unfaithful, isn’t it time to return to Him and renew your vow to Him (1 John 1:9)?
We are here to assist you.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all. Amen.