Jesus' straight talk on marriage! mark 10 1-12 - oct 6, 2013

The Essential Jesus as

Revealed in the Gospel of Mark

Defense of Marriage Act

(DOMA)

Passed by Congress in 1996

Struck down by the Supreme Court

on June 26, 2013

Redefining marriage

Today its “same sex marriage” Tomorrow …“multiple spousal marriage?”

BUT how do we who desire to follow Jesus

Christ, how do we respond to all of this? What is our answer to

“the new normal?”

2 Peter 1:21 For no prophecy

was ever produced by the will of man,

but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Talks Straight about Marriage! Mark 10:1-12

Jesus’ straight talk on MARRIAGE!

Mark 10:1 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

Beyond the

Jordan (“Perea”)

Capernaum

Judea


Mark 10:1 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them.

Mark 10:2 And Pharisees came up


and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

The Pharisees were trying to . . . 1. Discredit Jesus


Matthew 19:3 Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason? SCHOOL OF HILELL -- divorce for any reason at all

SCHOOL OF SHAMMAI -- divorce only for the reason of marital unfaithfulness


The Pharisees were trying to . . . 1. Discredit Jesus 2. Destroy Jesus


Mark 10:1 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan . . .


Beyond the

Jordan (“Perea”)

Herod Antipas


In Mark 6, Antipas had imprisoned and then executed John the Baptist.

John’s “crime?”

Speaking against Antipas’ illicit marriage to his brother’s wife!

By “baiting” Jesus to weigh in on the controversy of divorce . . . the Pharisees

were trying to at a minimum discredit Jesus and at best destroy him!


Mark 10:3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?”

Mark 10:4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”


Deuteronomy 24:1 When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house. . .


School of Hilell - indecent thing anything that would bring embarrassment or shame upon the husband

School of Shammai - indecent thing is marital unfaithfulness


Mark 10:5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment.”


1. One man, one woman Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’

God’s definition of marriage (4 phrases)

2. A strong bond Mark 10:7-8 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh.


1. One man, one woman 2. A strong bond 3. One flesh


3. One flesh Mark 10:7-8 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh.



If you take the number 1 and divide it --- what is the result? A fraction! (not a whole number!)

1. One man, one woman 2. A strong bond 3. One flesh 4. A work of God

Mark 10:9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”


Jesus makes it very clear that from the very beginning of human existence, God’s definition of marriage was . . .

One man, one woman A strong bond,

One flesh, A work of God!


Mark 10:10-12 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”


Matthew 19:9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.


When a spouse who is not a Christian abandons his marriage to a Christian husband or wife (1 Corinthians 7) When a person is divorced before becoming a Christian (2 Corinthians 5:17)


Jesus makes it very clear that from the very beginning of human existence, God’s definition of marriage was . . .

One woman, one man, A strong bond,

One flesh, A work of God!


Today’s Takeaway

We who choose to follow Jesus must take a stand for God’s plan for marriage!

We must not just KNOW God’s plan for

marriage, we must LIVE it out!

Knowing and Living God’s plan for marriage!

1. Take stock of your own marriage. - Husbands – are you intentionally

striving to love your wife as Christ loves His church?


1. Take stock of your own marriage. - Wives – are you intentionally doing all

you can to show respect to your husband as the leader of your home?


1. Take stock of your own marriage. - Both – are you truly committed to your

marriage relationship ABOVE every other commitment beside your commitment to Jesus Christ?


2. Consider the cost of taking God’s side on this issue!


“Being a convictional Christian (especially in matters related to sexuality, morality, and marriage) will likely mean the loss of cultural clout and respectability. We will

pay a personal and social cost for our beliefs, and we need to be prepared.”

(Trevin Wax, Managing Editor of the Gospel Project).


John 6:66-69 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”


1. Take stock of your own marriage. 2. Consider the cost of taking God’s

side on this issue! 3. Be encouraged – as the darkness

grows darker, the light shines brighter!


Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.


Russell Moore, President of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty

Commission

“This (redefining of marriage) gives Christian churches the opportunity to do

what Jesus called us to do with our marriages in the first place: to serve as a

light in a dark place…”


“Same-sex marriage is headed for your community. This is no time for fear or outrage or politicizing. It’s a time for forgiven sinners, like us, to do what the people of Christ have always done. It’s time for us to point beyond our family values and our culture wars to the cross of Christ as we say: “Behold, the Lamb

of God who takes away the sins of the world.” And that’s good news.”

Jesus' straight talk on marriage! mark 10 1-12 - oct 6, 2013

Spiritual

Transcript of Jesus' straight talk on marriage! mark 10 1-12 - oct 6, 2013