Covenant Love: God’s Design for Marriage

Bible Passage: Mark 10:1–12

Summary: In Mark 10:1-12, Jesus teaches about marriage, highlighting God’s design for it as a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman and addressing the harsh realities of divorce stemming from human sinfulness.

Application: This passage can guide Christians to reflect on the sanctity and importance of their marital vows, prompting them to pursue healing and reconciliation rather than separation. It encourages individuals in broken relationships to seek God’s grace for restoration and understanding, recognizing their own vulnerabilities.

Teaching: The sermon could teach that understanding God’s original intent for marriage is essential for fostering healthy relationships. It emphasizes the concepts of commitment, mutual benefit, and the significance of looking to God for strength in challenging times.

How this passage could point to Christ: In this passage, Jesus embodies the grace that upholds marriage while also calling attention to the need for repentance and redemption in the face of sin. His teachings about marriage echo the covenant relationship He has with His people, illustrating the depth of love and commitment.

Big Idea: God's design for marriage is a covenant meant to reflect His grace and commitment to humanity, urging us to embrace it while acknowledging our human failures.

Recommended Study: As you prepare this sermon, consider exploring the historical context of Jewish marriage customs in the first century through Logos to better understand Jesus' audience. Examine the different translations of specific key terms related to marriage and divorce to enhance your interpretation. Engage with commentaries that discuss the pastoral implications of divorce and remarriage, particularly how these issues are addressed in both the Old and New Testament contexts.

1. God's purpose in creating marriage informs how we understand it. (1-4)

The question is a kind of trap when you consider this was the reason for John’s beheading.

Jesus confronts their question by pointing to what Moses declared in Deut. 24:1-4, which declared that a man could divorce his wife if he found an indecency in her.

Many mistake Deut. 24:1-4 as God sanctioning divorce. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is a response in which God condescends to mankind.

Indecency has a broad meaning. Conservatives believed this only meant divorce. More liberal Rabbis taught that indecency could include a wife serving a bad meal.

“Matthew’s parallel seems to reflect this rabbinic debate over legitimate grounds, since the question there is whether divorce is allowed “for any and every reason” (Matt 19:3).” -Mark Strauss

App: Embrace God’s purpose in marriage by reminding yourself of his everlasting covenant with his people.

2. Divorce is the result of hard hearts and human sin. (10:5-9)

Moses’ stipulation in Deut. 24:1-4 was a concession to a present reality of something that already happened. This legal provision protected the wife from being passed around like property.

Gen. 2:24 demonstrates God’s intended pattern for marriage—one man, one woman, one lifetime.

The union of one flesh is a sacred covenant established by God for the purpose of mutual helpfulness in serving him.

God having joined a couple together should therefore pursue him together.

App: We should selflessly work to pursue and maintain healthy marriages.

3. God redeems broken marriages. (10-12)

Jesus points out the gravity of divorce—that it causes the offending partner to commit adultery.

Romans 12:18 “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (ESV) As much as one might try to overcome sin in their marriage, the other could still decide to leave.

Jesus declares female agency in marriage, which contrasts the popular customs of the time.

What are grounds for divorce? Many suggest adultery (Matt. 5:32) and abandonment (1 Cor. 7:15). However, to say one should or must divorce when these grounds are met is to limit the power of God in redeeming broken marriages.

Can one remarry after divorce? First, this question should not be asked while one is still married because it puts one’s desires at the center instead of God. Second, to say no is to deny or limit God’s ability and power to heal, renew, and restore broken people.

App: We should seek to support and restore those who’ve suffered through divorce.

Big App: We can support healthy marriages through honesty, compassion, and encouragement.

We can support those impacted by divorce through love, listening, and practical assistance.

Practical assistance:

Childcare

Financial Support

Mentoring & Discipleship