"Jesus Manifested In Our Marriage!" Ephesians 5:22-33

Second Sunday After the Epiphany                                 14-January-2024

Sermon Text: Ephesians 5:22-33

Sermon Theme: “Jesus Manifested In Our Marriage!” I. Called To Humbly Serve Each Other! (Vs.22-27) II. United As One By God!(vs.28-30) III. Recreated In Christ To Live Love! (Vs.31-33) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert.

I.N.R.I. “Gen 2:18 And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone;” On the sixth 24hour day of the existence of our universe, the Lord God carefully molded man from the dusty clay of the earth. Kneeling down our Creator breathed into the first man the breath of life and Adam lived - a body and soul creature crafted in God’s image. Creation was not yet complete. The Lord God said, “"It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." Man’s best friend would not be found in any other created animal. The Creator caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep, opened up his side and from his living flesh built a woman. The Lord woke Adam up to marry husband and wife. Blessing them He spoke, “Gen 1:28 ..."Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

    Rejoicing in his Bride Adam exclaimed, “Gen 2:23 ..."This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." The Creator gifted mankind with marriage -Gen 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Finally our Creator saw His creation was “very good!”

    Marriage isn’t a social construct of the patriarchy. It is the gift of nature’s God written upon the chromosomal reality that we are born either male or female. Marriage is for the procreation of children and therefore can only be between a man and a woman. It protects and raising children within a family and so the Creator willed it to be a life long union, that children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren might be raised in His Word.

    Satan hates marriage. He hates maleness and femaleness. He hates the gift of sex given only to the married couple. He hates babies. He hates the lifelong union of husband and wife. He masquerades as a white devil, a super spiritual being, that promises self-chosen paths to godhood if we forget our interdependence on one another and isolate ourselves in his lie. Our first parents listened to his lie. Turned from God’s life giving Word and food. Rebelled against their Creator. Ate and fractured their marriage. Marital love was replaced by blaming God and “that woman” He had given.

     The Word didn’t abandon the lost. He came as the Good Shepherd calling Adam back to Himself. He called the first couple to honestly admit their sin. Turn from it, and cling to His Promise - that through the woman a Male Seed would be born to crush Satan and reclaim mankind for the Creator.

    Today in the first miracle the Word made flesh - Jesus - reclaims marriage for joy. In the second Sunday after the Epiphany learn well: “Jesus Manifested In Our Marriage!” I. Called To Humbly Serve Each Other! (Vs.22-27) II. United As One By God!(vs.28-30) III. Recreated In Christ To Live Love! (Vs.31-33)

I. God the Holy Spirit through St. Paul teaches us Christ’s doctrine of the Church in his letter to the Ephesians. The Church isn’t a building we occupy for an hour on Sunday. It is the gathering together of sinner/saints to hear Jesus’ Word and receive His cross won - empty tomb certified gifts - forgiveness, life, and salvation. Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." Jesus promises. Baptized into Christ’s Church we are members of His body joined individually to Jesus and one another. Church never ends.

     We live Church in our homes, in our marriages. (Vs.22-24) Our Creator is the God of Order. He establishes order to love, honor, and care for us through the hands of fellow Christians. Submission is a dirty word in our power hungry culture. Satan’s lie puffs up in pride isolating us from each other in power struggles. Liars teach that marriage is man’s invention to suppress women. Destroying marriage in our culture - women are dishonored, children abused, aborted, neglected and manhood is lost. The Lie leads men and women to treat each other as mere objects - playing marriage by shacking up - until they lose interest and move on to use another for their personal pleasures.

    Jesus didn’t shack up with the human race for three decades, then dump us. He humbled Himself, willingly submitted to the Father’s good and gracious will to save His Bride - the Church. Jesus is our Bridegroom, we are His Bride. He took our debt of sin, hell, and death as His own - fully paid it once for all - that we might truly be His own and live under Him as our Head.

    Jesus manifests His glory in a Christian wife submitting herself to her husband within the home. The husband is the head of the household - responsible for all that goes on in the home - he honors, cares, protects his wife and children. He brings the children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord - teaching them from infancy the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer. He is to care for the physical needs of his wife - just as Jesus is the Savior of our bodies. He create our bodies, not as objects, but to be temples of the Holy Spirit, the sanctuary where the Father and Son dwell through His Word. Husbands thrive in marriage through their wife building them up with respect.

    Husbands, headship isn’t dictatorship - it is “Savior”-ship. Listen.(vs.25-27) Husbands love your wife with Christ’s self-giving, self-sacrificing love. A love that gives all it has, not to get favors, but to build up his wife in Christ. Jesus manifested His glory on the cross - and by His resurrection declared us restored - sealing our adoption in baptism. We live in baptismal waters richly and daily washing us forgiven in Christ’s blood by His Spirit - covering our sins - making us new creations. Wives thrive in marriage through their husbands self-sacrificing love.

    Husbands manifest Jesus to your wife by loving them, covering their sin, explaining everything in the kindest possible way. Bless and sanctify her through Christ’s Word in daily family devotions. See her through Christ’s eyes as the beauty of your bride will grow deeper through each decade. See her beauty through the Holy Spirit’s eyes 1Pe 3:4 .... the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

    Marriage frees husband and wife to humbly serve one another in the Church at home. Wives by respect. Husbands by love.

II.  Jesus was invited to the wedding at Cana of Galilee. The Creator enjoys feasting with His creatures. The week of feasting would’ve ended, but Mary brought her concern to Jesus. Though it wasn’t His time to set creation right again through His sacrifice - He would bless this young couple with joy. Mary’s last words recorded in Scripture are, “Do whatever He tells you.” Perhaps we should adopt these as the mottos of our marriages. Listen and live Jesus’ Word towards each other. Jesus speaks. Water jars are filled. Drawn out. Tasted. The best is saved until last. So it is with Christian marriage. The oneness of a husband and wife shines forth as they pass decades of marriage together. The two truly become one flesh - joined together by God - the result is greater than the sum of their parts. Young couples in your struggles - seek the counsel and wisdom of older Christian couples - learn the blessing of life long marriage.

      God’s institution of marriage frees us from the prison of self. Sin turns us inward following selfish destructive desires. Jesus’ frees us to life. Life by fully giving of self to another. (Vs.28-30)Gen 2:24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Marriage is leaving one home to establish another. It is cleaving of husband and wife publically promising their lives to one another. In the mystery of marriage - they become one flesh.

    Marriage frees men to become men - living outside of themselves to care for their wife as their own body. Nourishing her with Christ’s love. Cherishing her as one so loved by God that He sacrifice His only-begotten Son washing her sins away to be His own. When sin convinces us to strike out at our spouse - we only injure self - seek to be honest enough to confess your sin to one another - seek to be Christian enough to pronounce absolution - “I forgive you all your sins in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Let Christ’s love cover a multitude of sins.

    Christians you are members of Christ’s body of His flesh and of His bones! Treat your spouse as you would treat Jesus. Honor, love, cherish them for Christ is in them by faith. Build each other up as one flesh - don’t allow your sinful flesh, the devil, and the world to tear you apart.

III.  Moses beheld God’s glory through his ears - . Exo 34:6-7 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, (7) keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and the fourth generation." Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are merciful, gracious, patient, forgiving, and just. His Word is fully revealed in the God/Man Jesus - Our Bridegroom united to our flesh to bring us into God’s family - the Church - our local congregation.

      See His glory through your ears! (Vs.31-33) Male and female, sexual beings, we are created for marriage. Some are called to singleness, but where nature prevails - marriage is the manifestation of creation reclaimed by Jesus. The love lines of marriage flow here in the Church - as the Holy Spirit gospels you keeping you in Christ’s Word and grace - where daily and richly you are forgiven to forgive each other in marriage.

       Christ’s love for His Bride the Church is a great mystery, but also is Christian marriage. The more you study, ponder, live the mystery of marriage the greater it becomes - shining forth with Jesus’ love, mercy, patience, and forgiveness. Strengthen your love through your ears - Hear Christ’s Word preached, forgiving, bless each other with the words of your baptism, feast on Jesus living body and blood - then rejoice husbands to love your own wife as yourself. She is God’s gift of daily bread to you! Rejoice wives to respect your husband as God’s gift to you. Amen.