A Profound Mystery!

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Ephesians 5:25-32

I’m not much into genealogy but one of my ancestors is very interesting if not totally intriguing. I am, if the record is correct, related to King Olaf of Norway. Olaf was responsible for bringing Christianity to Norway and to most of Scandinavia. I don’t know the story well but Olaf had a long lasting and significant impact on the spread of Christianity during his life and since even though he was born in 995 A.D.

I know a man who is a distant relative of one of the Presidents of the United States, and has the same last name. Almost every time I am with him, usually during church services, I am reminded of how an ordinary man can be used to perform extraordinary deeds.

Truthfully, being a “blood relative” of an important person may mean nothing at all about who you are or how you live your life. There are many instances of close relatives of sitting Presidents who did not do well in life. However, two people, married to each other, greatly impact their individual lives. What would I be like without my wife? Only God knows and I’m truly glad that He is not revealing that to anyone!

What would she be like without me? Of course, I don’t know, but I hope I have and will continue to encourage her to be what God created her to be.

Now, sit back and drink this one in. The Bible clearly says that the church is the Bride of Christ! I can’t even begin to image the eternal implications of that reality. I am a “member” of the Bride of Christ! How awesome is that? When that union is completed, (remember the marriage supper of the Lamb is coming) I will be “one flesh” with the Creator! Of course Jesus is not “flesh” like we have it here, but He does have a resurrected body and I will too.

Let’s get together the smartest people on earth and try to identify and quantify the relationship of Christ and His Bride. The brainiest of us cannot even fathom the truth of that relationship. Read Ephesians 5:25-32 and go ahead and let your jaw drop as you ponder it’s true meaning. It is simply a profound mystery!