Jesus Loves Like a Husband
This is the message in Ephesians 5 starting with verse 25. The Spirit led Paul to use the image of marriage to describe the relationship between Jesus and the Church that He established. This is a relationship with which we have experience and therefore offers us opportunity to understand the concept better.
The Church is the Bride of Christ. John saw this vision in Revelation 21:2 and 22:17. Paul had told the Corinthians that he had “betrothed them to one husband” (II Corinthians 11:2). He also told the Romans that they were “married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead...” (Romans 7:4). The text of Ephesians 5 ends with the clearest statement of this fact. “This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” (verse 32).
The Church is the Body of Christ. God determined this. “And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:22-23). In the marriage relationship, husband and wife do not control over their own bodies but rather the other does (I Corinthians 7:4). The Body belongs to the husband—Christ.
Christ is the Benefactor of the Church. A good husband is the benefactor of his family and, certainly, of his bride. The bride has value. Value is determined by how much He is willing to pay. Self-sacrifice is the price to be paid. “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her…” (Ephesians 5:25). Self-examination is the guide. “So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies…” (Ephesians 5:28).
A good husband watches out for his wife’s vulnerability. Jesus looks to “sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.” (Ephesians 5:26). To “sanctify” is to make holy. It implies paying continual attention to help keep her holy. The life of holiness began with the cleansing of water in baptism according to the word of God.
A good husband looks for a great victory with her. Jesus wants to present His bride to Himself as a glorious church (Ephesians 5:27). The crowning point of any marriage is for them to be in eternity together. “not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:27). The husband cares for himself and wants his own salvation. Therefore, he wants her salvation as well because he cares for her as he cares for himself.
Because of His love for His Bride, He desires to have children brought into His family. John 1:12 says that any of us have the right to become children of God. We can be a part of His family through the new birth (John 3:3, 5). The new birth occurs in baptism; this is where we are born into the family (Galatians 3:26).
We are blessed to be in a family whose Husband loves us so much!
— Mike Johnson
