WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.179 Mark's Gospel and chapter 10. We're in the second half of Mark's account of the life 00:00:10.179 --> 00:00:19.000 of Jesus, focusing on Jesus' journey to the cross. He's clearly aware that he is heading 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:30.120 towards Jerusalem to be crucified. And here we find him on a journey and he's teaching. 00:00:31.300 --> 00:00:38.579 And today we're going to see what does Jesus teach about marriage and divorce. And we'll 00:00:38.579 --> 00:00:45.659 also hopefully see how this connects with the journey that Jesus is taking to go to the cross. 00:00:45.659 --> 00:00:50.019 So let's read together from Mark chapter 10, the first 12 verses. 00:00:51.159 --> 00:00:58.039 Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again, 00:00:58.219 --> 00:01:04.459 crowds of people came to him and as was his custom, he taught them. Some Pharisees came 00:01:04.459 --> 00:01:10.340 and tested him by asking, is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? What did Moses command 00:01:10.340 --> 00:01:16.079 you? He replied. They said, Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and 00:01:16.079 --> 00:01:22.600 send her away. It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law, Jesus replied. 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:28.659 But at the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. For this reason, a man will 00:01:28.659 --> 00:01:34.240 leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. 00:01:34.239 --> 00:01:42.039 So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate. 00:01:42.819 --> 00:01:48.239 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, anyone who 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:54.000 divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her 00:01:54.000 --> 00:02:02.819 husband and marries another man, she commits adultery. Amen. This is God's word. And so we find 00:02:02.819 --> 00:02:11.639 ourselves clearly in a very important subject today, a subject of marriage, divorce and remarriage. 00:02:12.139 --> 00:02:18.000 And the question is, how do we most helpfully tackle it? There's so many different ways that we could 00:02:18.000 --> 00:02:26.719 approach this. We can have a sermon that simply affirmed God's design for marriage, like Jesus does. 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:34.620 Jesus wants to focus most of his attention on God's creation design for marriage. But we could also very 00:02:34.620 --> 00:02:44.479 helpfully spend a sermon thinking about the impact of divorce on people's life. A personal experience 00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:53.919 perhaps for many of us, myself included, either ourselves or family members have gone through the pain 00:02:53.919 --> 00:02:59.859 and struggle of divorce. And to think, what does Jesus say? How can Jesus bring comfort? What should 00:02:59.859 --> 00:03:06.799 the church say and help? How can the church help in that situation? We might also speak really usefully 00:03:06.799 --> 00:03:16.379 about how do we speak on marriage and divorce in our own day in society? We live in what seems widely 00:03:16.379 --> 00:03:23.459 recognized as an easy divorce culture, where there are new definitions of marriage. What should we think, 00:03:23.460 --> 00:03:32.100 as a church, as a church, as a church on this subject? And we could spend a lot of time on each of these. 00:03:32.100 --> 00:03:37.780 And perhaps somewhat frustratingly, we're just going to try and touch on each of them today. 00:03:38.340 --> 00:03:43.760 But because of that, it's quite possible that you'll have questions that will be unanswered. 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:49.439 You might have a situation that won't be dealt with exactly. And if that's the case, 00:03:49.439 --> 00:03:56.620 then please follow up. Please either follow up with me, take some time to talk to me, or speak to a 00:03:56.620 --> 00:04:03.919 Christian that you trust on this subject. If you want pointers for things to read, books to read, 00:04:03.979 --> 00:04:09.780 then again, you can speak to me on this, because it's a really important subject. It's really important 00:04:09.780 --> 00:04:15.800 that we handle it well. And sometimes time makes that a challenge to deal with all the issues. 00:04:15.800 --> 00:04:21.579 But having said that, let's get into the subject. But let's begin by thinking, 00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:27.240 why does Jesus teach about marriage and divorce in the first place? What prompts this? 00:04:28.340 --> 00:04:32.180 And look with me at verse number two, and we discover why he teaches on it. 00:04:32.939 --> 00:04:38.220 Because the Pharisees are again coming to test him. Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, 00:04:38.220 --> 00:04:48.120 is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? So here is an example of a moral issue, which is being used to 00:04:48.120 --> 00:04:58.480 challenge Jesus, to see if his opponents can undermine him, if they can divide popular opinion on Jesus. 00:04:59.420 --> 00:05:04.300 Now this might be a familiar experience for you as a Christian. You might have found people 00:05:04.300 --> 00:05:10.500 bringing moral issues so that they can seek to undermine or challenge Christianity. 00:05:10.860 --> 00:05:17.340 Now, for Jesus, what's the test here? The Pharisees say, is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? 00:05:17.420 --> 00:05:22.120 Now, they knew that in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 24 and verse 1, 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:30.920 Moses permitted divorce for indecency. But that indecency was not spelled out exactly what that 00:05:30.920 --> 00:05:37.780 looked like in that particular text. And so in the time of Jesus, two schools of thought had emerged. 00:05:37.939 --> 00:05:43.520 There was a conservative school. They basically said that indecency is to do with morality, 00:05:44.220 --> 00:05:49.860 particularly sexual immorality, unfaithfulness in marriage. That's what indecency looks like. 00:05:50.980 --> 00:05:57.400 But then there was a more liberal side. And bearing in mind, this is a culture where men had the keys to power. 00:05:57.399 --> 00:06:06.159 And they basically said yes for marital unfaithfulness. But also, if your wife embarrasses or annoys and doesn't meet up to standards in some way, 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:11.659 you are permitted to divorce. And so there's these two different views in society. 00:06:12.259 --> 00:06:16.500 And so the Pharisees are wondering, where does Jesus stand? And they're hoping either way he's going to lose favor. 00:06:17.299 --> 00:06:22.939 But more than that, it's also really important to notice where this conversation is taking place. 00:06:22.939 --> 00:06:29.899 Look at verse 1. We're told Jesus left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. 00:06:30.019 --> 00:06:33.899 Now, at the beginning of Mark's gospel, we're introduced to a man called John the Baptist. 00:06:34.459 --> 00:06:40.199 John the Baptist had the job of getting the people ready for Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior of the world, 00:06:40.500 --> 00:06:43.300 to come and be engaged in public ministry. 00:06:43.300 --> 00:06:54.920 And as John was teaching, one of the things that he said to Antipas, the leader, the governor of the time, and his wife Herodias, 00:06:55.020 --> 00:06:57.199 he said to them, you should not be married. 00:06:57.660 --> 00:07:03.040 Because Herodias had been divorced from her husband, Philip, who was also Antipas' brother. 00:07:03.379 --> 00:07:06.680 So she divorced one brother and married another brother. 00:07:06.960 --> 00:07:10.120 And John the Baptist had been very public in saying this is wrong. 00:07:10.120 --> 00:07:14.379 And so he'd been put in prison, and eventually Herodias had had him executed. 00:07:14.699 --> 00:07:17.199 All this had been happening in this region. 00:07:17.340 --> 00:07:22.420 So it seems quite likely that the Pharisees are trying to stir up some political trouble for Jesus. 00:07:22.899 --> 00:07:26.620 Let's see if we can get him in trouble with the ones who already killed John the Baptist. 00:07:26.780 --> 00:07:29.060 Let's see if we can get rid of Jesus. 00:07:31.060 --> 00:07:33.879 It's interesting to see how Jesus approached the text. 00:07:33.879 --> 00:07:38.100 Notice when he's asked a question, he responds with a question. 00:07:38.699 --> 00:07:41.100 And his question is driving them back to the Bible. 00:07:42.180 --> 00:07:47.800 For Jesus, he wants to deal with this from the foundation of trusting in the authority of the Bible. 00:07:48.219 --> 00:07:50.920 That's where his argument is going to come from. 00:07:51.180 --> 00:07:52.920 What does the Bible say? 00:07:54.019 --> 00:07:56.379 That's a great place for us as Christians. 00:07:56.620 --> 00:08:01.079 That's our foundation on moral, ethical issues. 00:08:01.079 --> 00:08:03.079 What does the Bible say? 00:08:03.979 --> 00:08:12.459 And when we do that, that gives us the opportunity to respectfully invite people to recognize that when they disagree with us, 00:08:12.519 --> 00:08:14.519 they're not disagreeing simply with us. 00:08:14.579 --> 00:08:16.180 They're disagreeing with Jesus. 00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:17.680 They're disagreeing with the Bible. 00:08:17.800 --> 00:08:19.579 We're not standing on our own authority. 00:08:20.500 --> 00:08:27.219 If we're speaking truth from God's word, we're speaking on behalf of God and his values. 00:08:27.220 --> 00:08:30.100 So that's where the test comes from. 00:08:30.200 --> 00:08:34.639 And that's how Jesus begins to teach about marriage and divorce. 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:35.920 But what does he actually say? 00:08:36.019 --> 00:08:38.019 First of all, what does Jesus say on marriage? 00:08:38.460 --> 00:08:43.680 Let's begin with a statement and then we can think about it as we go. 00:08:43.820 --> 00:08:44.500 Here's the statement. 00:08:44.500 --> 00:08:55.159 Marriage is a union established by God between a man and a woman intended to last for a lifetime. 00:08:55.159 --> 00:09:03.699 Jesus brings all of that to the Pharisees from Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. 00:09:04.799 --> 00:09:06.819 So the Pharisees are asking what's permitted. 00:09:08.079 --> 00:09:10.759 And Jesus is interested in what's God's ideal. 00:09:10.759 --> 00:09:17.779 Notice now Jesus in verse 6 at the beginning of creation and then he begins to explain. 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:25.460 He wants to raise the level of discussion from just what's permitted to what is God's design for marriage? 00:09:25.819 --> 00:09:28.159 What's God's desire for marriage? 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:35.019 And so he takes them to primarily Genesis 1, 27 and Genesis 2, 24. 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:38.960 He takes them to God's design for marriage before sin. 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:42.320 Before the sin that began to spoil relationship. 00:09:43.620 --> 00:09:49.240 When things were perfect, here is how God intended marriage to be. 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:51.840 Here is the ideal in other words. 00:09:52.720 --> 00:09:54.200 First of all, verse 6. 00:09:54.700 --> 00:09:57.540 Marriage is between a man and a woman. 00:09:58.080 --> 00:10:02.639 At the beginning of creation, God made them male and female. 00:10:03.860 --> 00:10:06.840 Secondly, marriage creates a unity. 00:10:06.840 --> 00:10:16.120 For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and the two will become one flesh. 00:10:16.180 --> 00:10:18.500 So they are no longer two but one. 00:10:18.840 --> 00:10:22.759 This is both in the sense of there is a physical unity, a physical oneness. 00:10:22.860 --> 00:10:26.100 But also there's a new family unit that's being established. 00:10:26.100 --> 00:10:33.800 So you leave your father and mother's home and you set up a new home that is a new unit being established. 00:10:34.320 --> 00:10:38.500 And this marriage union is established by God. 00:10:38.659 --> 00:10:39.100 Verse 9. 00:10:39.259 --> 00:10:43.240 Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate. 00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:46.100 We're perhaps used to hearing that at weddings. 00:10:46.100 --> 00:10:51.740 As a reminder that a man and a woman, when they make vows, are entering into a covenant. 00:10:52.259 --> 00:10:59.759 A covenant that should not be broken by people since it's made established by God. 00:10:59.759 --> 00:11:05.840 So we see as we look at this discussion, this conversation between the Pharisees and Jesus, 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:07.460 they're coming at it from different points of view. 00:11:07.559 --> 00:11:11.419 The Pharisees' interest is, when is it okay to get out and how can I get out? 00:11:11.779 --> 00:11:16.899 Whereas Jesus is reminding us from God's design, here's why the ideal is always to stay in. 00:11:16.980 --> 00:11:20.240 Here's the aim in the ideal. 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:22.539 Marriage is God's design. 00:11:22.939 --> 00:11:24.039 It's God's gift. 00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:25.939 And it's not to be taken lightly. 00:11:26.980 --> 00:11:29.939 In Jesus' day, there were people who were taking it lightly. 00:11:30.319 --> 00:11:35.059 And so Jesus wants to raise the bar and remind them of God's creation ideal. 00:11:36.139 --> 00:11:44.759 Now, at this point, it's maybe helpful to stop and think about a question that maybe many of us have had conversations about. 00:11:45.419 --> 00:11:46.439 And it's this question. 00:11:46.839 --> 00:11:52.379 What about permanent, faithful, loving, same-sex relationships? 00:11:52.379 --> 00:11:57.019 Why not redefine marriage in the 21st century? 00:11:57.159 --> 00:12:00.320 Why not get on board with that as a church? 00:12:02.080 --> 00:12:03.500 Maybe you've had that question. 00:12:03.639 --> 00:12:05.700 Maybe you've had those discussions. 00:12:06.620 --> 00:12:11.480 The first thing to say is there's a really helpful website. 00:12:12.620 --> 00:12:17.879 There's three ministers all based in England who are all same-sex attracted. 00:12:17.879 --> 00:12:24.259 And they've got a website called Living Out, which has got really helpful articles and resources on this. 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:30.279 So here I'm drawing from one of those, a guy called Ed Shaw, a pastor down in Bristol, I think it is. 00:12:30.700 --> 00:12:37.659 The first thing to say is to recognize that we recognize common grace in the lives of others. 00:12:37.659 --> 00:12:47.899 And by that, it shouldn't be a surprise to us when we see honesty, when we see faithfulness, when we see love outside of the Christian faith. 00:12:48.039 --> 00:12:49.839 God has made us all in his image. 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:55.659 Therefore, it should not surprise us when we see the imprint of God in the lives of others. 00:12:55.659 --> 00:13:04.299 But, Ed Shaw says, I'm quoting here, the good in something does not make it right in God's sight. 00:13:05.539 --> 00:13:07.719 And that's a distinction that we need to draw. 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:21.159 Jesus has spoken clearly, the Bible has spoken clearly, that nothing sexual outside of God's created design is right in God's sight. 00:13:21.419 --> 00:13:23.339 Even when there is love there. 00:13:23.340 --> 00:13:34.620 And one of the most helpful things about that Living Out website is the reminder of how marriage, biblical marriage, is intended to point to the gospel. 00:13:34.800 --> 00:13:41.600 So Ed Shaw talks about the union of different sexes pointing us to the gospel. 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:49.780 That's why, in one sense, we read from the book of Revelation, because it reminds us of one of the key images of the good news of the Bible, 00:13:49.779 --> 00:13:59.919 is that God has established this plan of salvation so that God and his people might be together forever. 00:14:00.059 --> 00:14:02.240 Now, God is different from us. 00:14:03.699 --> 00:14:12.439 And marriage is intended to be a picture of here as two different people coming together in covenant for life. 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:19.520 It's to be a reminder of the goal of the gospel, Jesus and his church together forever. 00:14:20.300 --> 00:14:26.980 And because marriage is so important, marriage between a man and a woman is so important to this truth, 00:14:27.040 --> 00:14:31.940 we must uphold and defend that view of marriage. 00:14:31.940 --> 00:14:39.260 Therefore, there are practical implications for us to draw from Jesus' teaching on marriage as a church. 00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:43.740 We want to affirm the biblical view of marriage. 00:14:43.860 --> 00:14:49.880 We want to support marriage in our church and in our community where we can. 00:14:49.960 --> 00:14:56.840 We want to prepare people who are getting married to understand what the Bible says about it, the importance of it. 00:14:56.840 --> 00:15:07.500 We want to pray for marriage and church and family and society because we see that it's God's design that gives stability to family units and in society. 00:15:07.500 --> 00:15:14.320 We also want to recognize the authority of the Bible in our life, 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:21.539 to allow Jesus and not the prevailing culture to determine our approach to any issue, 00:15:21.940 --> 00:15:28.740 and particularly here, not to determine our approach to marriage based on culture, but to hear from Jesus. 00:15:30.299 --> 00:15:34.759 But even as we say that, we need to recognize that our attitude matters when we're talking to people. 00:15:34.759 --> 00:15:41.120 It's important that we discuss and we disagree with respect and with care, 00:15:41.700 --> 00:15:47.220 and that we value God's honor above our own reputation, 00:15:47.220 --> 00:15:51.919 so we're willing to say what we believe, what the Bible teaches, 00:15:52.700 --> 00:15:56.759 rather than trying to hide it or trying to twist it, trying to give a false view of the Bible 00:15:56.759 --> 00:15:59.500 because we're more concerned for our reputation than God's honor. 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:04.200 But also, I think it's really important when we're having these kind of conversations 00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:09.480 to keep a person's biggest need in mind, which is that they would know Jesus as Savior, 00:16:10.280 --> 00:16:15.020 that they would come to receive God's grace in their own lives, 00:16:15.060 --> 00:16:19.460 that we don't make this the single issue that we focus on. 00:16:20.600 --> 00:16:26.680 So that's what Jesus had to say on marriage to those who were testing him. 00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:33.519 Now let's think for a few minutes about what Jesus had to say on divorce. 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:39.919 And again, let's begin with a statement and then see how Jesus works this out. 00:16:40.639 --> 00:16:41.539 Here's the statement. 00:16:41.659 --> 00:16:51.620 Divorce and remarriage are permissible, but not required on the grounds of marital unfaithfulness. 00:16:51.620 --> 00:16:58.360 So let's remind ourselves of that conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees in verses 3 to 5. 00:16:58.440 --> 00:16:59.740 What did Moses command you? 00:16:59.879 --> 00:17:06.960 Jesus replied, they said, Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away. 00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:11.980 It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law, Jesus replied, 00:17:12.500 --> 00:17:13.660 but at the beginning of creation. 00:17:14.359 --> 00:17:15.339 And so it goes on. 00:17:15.339 --> 00:17:22.459 So we've seen this, we've seen already that the Bible teaches Deuteronomy 24 verse 1, 00:17:22.819 --> 00:17:28.559 it is permitted to give a certificate of divorce on account of indecency. 00:17:28.939 --> 00:17:33.519 And as you read around the Bible, as we see what that means, 00:17:33.899 --> 00:17:40.799 that certainly includes sexual immorality and adultery that was recognized in Jesus' day. 00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:49.720 We go to an important passage like 1 Corinthians 7, where we find a talk of desertion in marriage also. 00:17:49.980 --> 00:17:55.279 Sometimes a person just leaves and then divorce is permissible. 00:17:55.980 --> 00:18:05.099 We would also consider abuse or neglect of various kinds under that heading of desertion. 00:18:05.099 --> 00:18:10.980 The Pharisees are saying, and this is important for us to hear this, 00:18:11.059 --> 00:18:13.319 the Pharisees are saying divorce is permitted. 00:18:14.099 --> 00:18:16.779 What does Jesus say in response? 00:18:17.899 --> 00:18:21.339 Jesus doesn't say, no, I disagree with you. 00:18:22.919 --> 00:18:28.259 Rather, Jesus agrees that there are times when divorce is permitted. 00:18:28.519 --> 00:18:31.159 He does remind them divorce isn't the ideal. 00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:33.919 Marriage for life is the ideal. 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:35.980 But divorce is not always wrong. 00:18:36.340 --> 00:18:38.259 Divorce is not always sinful. 00:18:40.980 --> 00:18:44.560 Verse 5, Jesus does take issue with hard hearts. 00:18:45.960 --> 00:18:50.380 Jesus does take issue with hard hearts that would wreck marriages and families. 00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:54.720 But he does say divorce is permissible. 00:18:55.259 --> 00:18:59.340 Not required, but permissible on the grounds of marital unfaithfulness. 00:19:00.620 --> 00:19:03.180 That divorce is permissible is clear from the Old Testament 00:19:03.180 --> 00:19:05.440 because God himself actually uses the same. 00:19:06.080 --> 00:19:10.779 In Jeremiah chapter 3 and verse 8, this is what God says. 00:19:10.840 --> 00:19:14.140 So remember, one of the big pictures in the Bible is it's God and his church, 00:19:14.200 --> 00:19:15.660 and they're in a covenant together. 00:19:15.660 --> 00:19:19.000 And God says, Jeremiah 3 verse 8, 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:28.720 I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:35.480 God's people, the people of Israel, consistently with the illing, walking away, choosing other gods. 00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:37.039 And so God uses this picture. 00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:38.620 I've given her a certificate of divorce. 00:19:39.160 --> 00:19:42.839 So divorce is clearly not always wrong because God uses the synergy of himself. 00:19:42.839 --> 00:19:48.039 But we also need to remember the whole picture of the gospel. 00:19:48.220 --> 00:19:53.459 The same God in love pursues unfaithful people. 00:19:54.799 --> 00:20:02.220 Jesus is going to go to the cross to pay the price for our spiritual adultery 00:20:02.220 --> 00:20:08.439 so that reconciliation and peace and unity might be possible. 00:20:08.440 --> 00:20:15.380 So while we hear Jesus' positive emphasis on marriage, 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:21.160 and he really wanted to get that across in a day when divorce, in many cases, was very easy, 00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:26.360 he's encouraging people to aim for God's best, to take a positive view of marriage. 00:20:26.460 --> 00:20:30.660 But he is aware that we live in a broken world, a sinful world. 00:20:30.900 --> 00:20:34.860 He is aware, as we are, that breakdowns happen. 00:20:34.859 --> 00:20:45.199 And therefore, as a church, it's really important for us to follow the pattern of Jesus' life, 00:20:45.959 --> 00:20:54.639 to be a people and a place of compassion, to recognize the pain and hurt that divorce causes, 00:20:55.740 --> 00:21:02.699 that we want to be a church that offers a welcome, that seeks to show grace, 00:21:02.700 --> 00:21:08.900 that wants to be a place of fellowship and family, where perhaps a person has lost them. 00:21:13.600 --> 00:21:16.240 That's not all Jesus says about divorce. 00:21:17.460 --> 00:21:22.080 He finishes his conversation with the Pharisees, and then he goes to speak to his disciples. 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:27.419 And again, let me make a statement and then see it in Jesus' words. 00:21:28.819 --> 00:21:34.159 Divorce and remarriage are not always permissible. 00:21:35.299 --> 00:21:37.960 So we need to hear verses 10 to 12 again. 00:21:38.460 --> 00:21:41.619 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 00:21:41.720 --> 00:21:42.179 He answered, 00:21:42.180 --> 00:22:01.660 Now, Mark has left unwritten an assumption in the culture. 00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:06.799 Matthew 19 verse 9 records that unwritten assumption. 00:22:06.799 --> 00:22:12.240 If you want to compare Mark 10 and Matthew 19 verse 9, you'll read, 00:22:12.779 --> 00:22:18.079 Anyone who divorces his wife except for marital unfaithfulness, 00:22:19.839 --> 00:22:22.480 and marries another woman, commits adultery against her. 00:22:22.539 --> 00:22:29.779 The point is that biblically, it was well understood that there are proper grounds for divorce. 00:22:29.779 --> 00:22:34.639 Mark doesn't record them because Jesus has just spoken on it. 00:22:35.160 --> 00:22:41.399 But unfaithfulness and divorce and desertion, rather, are the permitted grounds for divorce. 00:22:41.500 --> 00:22:45.200 But that means that there are also improper grounds. 00:22:46.099 --> 00:22:53.099 That outside of that, a person shouldn't break a covenant bond that was established by God. 00:22:53.099 --> 00:22:59.459 And so Jesus says remarriage in those circumstances would be adultery. 00:23:00.179 --> 00:23:08.059 So again, to hear Jesus in his day, he's affirming that John the Baptist was right to say to Herodias and Antipas 00:23:08.059 --> 00:23:13.219 that they were guilty of sin before God because of their divorce and remarriage. 00:23:13.220 --> 00:23:24.420 What is the Bible message if we find ourselves today in this situation? 00:23:26.059 --> 00:23:32.339 What's the message if we, someone that we know, divorced without proper grounds 00:23:32.339 --> 00:23:36.460 or remarried after divorcing without proper grounds? 00:23:36.460 --> 00:23:45.559 I think in the first instance, we need to understand that this is not the unforgivable sin. 00:23:46.360 --> 00:23:49.279 That there is grace available through Jesus. 00:23:50.240 --> 00:23:57.019 I think there are times when the church has got this wrong and has just not extended grace. 00:23:58.539 --> 00:24:01.940 But we need to remember that all of us are sinners. 00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:04.240 That all of us break God's law. 00:24:04.240 --> 00:24:09.620 And all of us look for hope and for mercy to the cross of Jesus. 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:14.519 So as with any sin, if we find ourselves in this place, 00:24:15.319 --> 00:24:20.120 we're called to run to Jesus and to his cross to find mercy and to find forgiveness. 00:24:21.380 --> 00:24:24.960 We'd be encouraged to make amends wherever possible, 00:24:25.140 --> 00:24:29.799 to say sorry for wrongs done in the past where that is possible. 00:24:29.799 --> 00:24:34.960 And we are to stay in the condition that we are in. 00:24:35.379 --> 00:24:37.119 If divorced, to stay divorced. 00:24:37.599 --> 00:24:39.639 If remarried, to stay remarried. 00:24:39.819 --> 00:24:43.319 We don't fix covenant breaking by breaking covenant. 00:24:43.319 --> 00:24:51.279 But it's important that we frame all this around the gospel to remember. 00:24:51.480 --> 00:24:54.519 Here is Jesus teaching as he's on a journey. 00:24:54.879 --> 00:25:00.159 He's on a journey going to the cross to be the sin bearer of the world, 00:25:00.599 --> 00:25:03.599 to come to carry sin and guilt and shame. 00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:11.019 And so for all of us, that journey can be a journey of hope. 00:25:11.019 --> 00:25:15.519 And just to tie this in with what we read in Revelation, 00:25:15.740 --> 00:25:19.740 Jesus' journey is vital to Jesus' marriage. 00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:24.359 That picture of final salvation that we read of 00:25:24.359 --> 00:25:29.180 is of Jesus and his bride, the church, together forever. 00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:32.900 Of Jesus and his church sharing love and joy 00:25:32.900 --> 00:25:35.980 in a perfectly restored world forever. 00:25:36.360 --> 00:25:39.060 And the wedding supper of the Lamb. 00:25:39.160 --> 00:25:42.519 This is the great hope of the gospel. 00:25:42.680 --> 00:25:46.320 This is the great love of God extended to us. 00:25:46.860 --> 00:25:48.800 And the love that we all long for, 00:25:48.840 --> 00:25:50.519 a love that will last forever, 00:25:50.940 --> 00:25:52.800 a love that is unconditional, 00:25:53.000 --> 00:25:54.400 that comes to us by grace. 00:25:54.519 --> 00:25:57.500 It's offered to us through Jesus. 00:25:59.420 --> 00:26:00.580 But here's the tension. 00:26:00.579 --> 00:26:04.079 How can Jesus ever love people like us, 00:26:04.500 --> 00:26:06.159 delight in people like us? 00:26:06.199 --> 00:26:07.480 So when we examine ourselves, 00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:08.740 when we're honest about ourselves, 00:26:08.839 --> 00:26:11.039 we are morally unclean. 00:26:11.679 --> 00:26:15.240 We are guilty of spiritual adultery. 00:26:16.139 --> 00:26:18.299 We are not pure and clean and holy. 00:26:19.019 --> 00:26:20.399 Jesus is God. 00:26:22.099 --> 00:26:25.919 That's where we find good news in Jesus' journey, 00:26:26.359 --> 00:26:28.039 in Jesus' journey to the cross. 00:26:28.039 --> 00:26:33.259 His blood is the price to redeem us, 00:26:33.700 --> 00:26:34.920 to wash us, 00:26:35.259 --> 00:26:36.579 to make us holy. 00:26:37.539 --> 00:26:39.359 Jesus, in his marriage, 00:26:39.460 --> 00:26:41.359 is the ultimate servant 00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:44.299 who pays the highest price, 00:26:44.799 --> 00:26:46.700 who shows the greatest love 00:26:46.700 --> 00:26:48.259 to wash us, 00:26:48.379 --> 00:26:49.019 to buy us, 00:26:49.099 --> 00:26:50.720 to bring us to himself. 00:26:50.720 --> 00:26:53.539 And so for all of us, 00:26:53.600 --> 00:26:54.620 will we have Jesus 00:26:54.620 --> 00:26:56.759 as our spiritual husband? 00:26:56.920 --> 00:26:59.759 Will we be part of the bride of Christ? 00:27:00.579 --> 00:27:02.380 Will we find our identity 00:27:02.380 --> 00:27:04.880 in the love and the stability 00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:05.799 and the covenant 00:27:05.799 --> 00:27:07.819 that he offers to us 00:27:07.819 --> 00:27:09.640 in his life and his death 00:27:09.640 --> 00:27:11.019 and his resurrection? 00:27:11.019 --> 00:27:11.460 He says, 00:27:11.500 --> 00:27:12.900 he claims that he is a threat 00:27:12.900 --> 00:27:13.019 unto his spirit 00:27:13.019 --> 00:27:13.920 that theachts under the burden 00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:14.339 He claims that he has 00:27:14.339 --> 00:27:15.480 the 4000 and система 00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:35.660 to create that