The Temporal Nature of Marriage

There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. And the second and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. Afterward the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.” And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” For they no longer dared to ask him any question (Luke 20:27-40).

Marriage is a precious gift of God. It has an eternal purpose and a temporal nature. It is an expression of the social nature of the Trinity in a broken and hurting world and it is the foundation of the family. However, Jesus said in the resurrection there will be no need for the temporal nature of marriage.

Marriage reflects the triune nature of God. God’s first created institution was marriage. God intended the marriage of a man and a woman to be an image of Himself… “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). The child that is born of the father and the mother in marriage is a reflection of the Holy Spirit that proceeds from the Father and the Son in the Trinity… “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me” (John 15:26). In the resurrection, we will be like the angels, forever in the presence of God… “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven” (Hebrews 12:22-23). In the resurrection, a reflection of God’s triune nature is unnecessary in His true presence.

Marriage remembers the temporal nature of life. God’s first command to man was fill the earth with human life… “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth’” (Genesis 1:28). The consequence of the fall was death… “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Christ has conquered death… “Our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). For God’s elect, there is no death in eternity… “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more” (Revelation 21:4). In the resurrection, the temporal nature of life is transformed into eternal life, leaving no need for reproduction through temporal marriage.

Marriage reveals the true nature of the Church. Truly born again and maturing disciples live in a mysterious and revealing relationship with Christ… “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:31-32). Maturing disciples are being prepared as a bride is prepared for her groom on their wedding day… “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7). Marriage is a revelation of the growth in holiness that prepares us for our place with Christ in eternity… “So that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27). In the resurrection, the true nature of the Church will be marriage with Christ.

As we grow up into Christ, we enjoy the blessings but anticipate the transformation of…

The Temporal Nature of Marriage.