Communion With the Christ:: The Marriage Union

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18)

A relationship rooted in God A growing, maturing love relationship with Jesus Christ is the foundation of every relationship we experience in life.

Through Him, we learn how to love, serve, and walk in unity with others. From the very beginning, God designed humanity for relationship—not just with each other but with Himself. Created in His image: designed for community God used Himself as the pattern when creating mankind: Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness. (Genesis 1:26)

So God created mankind in His own image; in the image of God He created them; male and female. (Genesis 1:27) Male and female: expressing God’s nature

Each gender—male and female—finds its origin and purpose in God Himself. Through the union of opposites, marriage becomes a living testimony of God’s completeness and love.

What one lacks, the other supplies.

This reflects God’s design—where two distinct persons become one, experiencing unconditional love, mutual sacrifice, and deep intimacy. Marriage: an ordained relationship, not an institution God declared that humanity should live in relationship: It is not good for man to be alone. (Genesis 2:18)

This was not about creating an institution but rather ordaining a deeply personal connection. So God brought forth Eve from Adam, demonstrating that they are both of the same essence yet distinct: So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep… Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man. (Genesis 2:21–22)

Upon seeing Eve, Adam recognizes their unity: This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called “woman,” for she was taken out of man. (Genesis 2:23)

Thus, marriage is a sacred bond, where each partner is free to be who God created them to be while experiencing deep, mutual love.

Marriage as a reflection of God’s love Through marriage, God teaches humanity about divine relationship—intimacy, trust, and unconditional love: Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. (Genesis 2:25) There was no fear or division, only perfect unity and openness— just as God desires with us.

St. Paul’s admonition: mutual deference in marriage St. Paul instructs husbands and wives to submit to one another in love: Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21)

This command is often overlooked, yet it reveals the key to a thriving marriage: Each should put the other first over their own self and graciously serve one another. This mutual love mirrors Christ’s love—selfless, unwavering, and rooted in grace. Mutual submission in marriage St. Paul offers key instructions on the husband-wife relationship, yet everything he says must be understood in light of mutual submission: Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21)

St. Paul begins by addressing wives, encouraging them to defer to their husbands—not as an act of subjugation but as an act of trust and respect:

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:22

A wife’s submission is rooted not in inferiority but in confidence that her husband prioritizes her well-being—just as Christ leads and cares for His church. Husbands: loving as Christ loves the church.

St. Paul then turns to husbands, revealing the true mystery of marriage—that it is to be a living representation of Christ’s love for His people: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. (Ephesians 5:25)

What does Christ’s love look like?

His divine love is unconditional (given freely, regardless of merit); sacrificial (laying aside personal desires for the good of another); and sanctifying (nurturing holiness and growth).

St. Paul makes it clear: Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. (Ephesians 5:28) Just as Christ laid down everything for the church, husbands are called to lay down their wants, plans, resources, and even their very lives for their wives.

Marriage is not about control—it is about selfless, boundless love, reflecting God’s heart toward us. Marriage as a divine symbol St. Paul reveals that this sacred union mirrors the relationship between Christ and the church: This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the Church. (Ephesians 5:32)

The joy of selfless love Jesus endured the cross for the joy of bringing us into eternal life: For the joy set before Him, He endured the Cross. (Hebrews 12:2) His joy was not in the suffering but in knowing that His sacrifice secured eternal life for His people. This is the same kind of love husbands and wives are called to show each other—a love that finds joy in selfless giving.

Marriage ordained for God’s kingdom Solomon, in Ecclesiastes, paints a beautiful picture of this God ordained relationship:

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10)

This passage reinforces that marriage is not just about companionship—it is about strength, support, and spiritual endurance.

When Jesus is the cord that binds two people together, their marriage can withstand any storm life may bring: A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:12)

Conclusion: marriage as a pathway to Christ Marriage, in its fullest expression, deepens our relationship with Jesus Christ—and reflects His heart toward His people. It is not merely a partnership but a holy union, blessed and strengthened by God’s presence.

Benediction May we each and all advance God’s kingdom through deep, abiding love, building relationships that reflect Christ’s love and sacrifice, today, tomorrow, and forevermore. Amen