Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily devotional as we continue in our God Vision for the Church series. Today we reflect on and seek fresh joy and security in Jesus’ love for us who are a part of His beloved bride.
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‘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 their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body.’ (Ephesians 5:28-30)
A powerful true story of a husband laying down his life for his wife comes from the devastating 2011 Joplin, Missouri tornado, one of the deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history. Don Lansaw and his wife, Bethany, were at home when the massive EF-5 tornado, with winds exceeding 200 mph, tore through their neighbourhood. As the tornado approached, they realised they had only moments to seek shelter. The couple took refuge in their bathroom, as their house began to tremble under the force of the storm. Fearing for Bethany’s life, Don made a split-second decision that would save her. He laid his body over her, using himself as a shield against the debris and destruction. As the tornado ripped their house apart, Don held on to her, covering her completely as their home collapsed around them. Bethany later recalled that Don kept repeating, “I love you,” even as the tornado’s roar grew deafening. In the end, Don’s body bore the brunt of the storm’s devastation. He was tragically killed by the debris, but his sacrifice saved Bethany’s life.
i. Jesus’ love is the only perfect love
Husbands are told to aim for the ideal - aim to be like Christ in their love toward their wives. Oftentimes men are given very poor role-models regarding relationships. Our culture’s message to avoid ’toxic masculinity’ is beautifully fulfilled in this positive message of men modelling themselves on Jesus. However, as beautiful a vision of marriage as this is, it’s more fundamentally about Jesus’ love for His bride - the church. No husband will ever fully embody the image of Christ, but Jesus is the perfect husband who does all that’s required for our flourishing. Whether we are single or married, we are married to Christ and loved by our husband. All marriages are temporary and last, ideally, only until death; however, the marriage relationship between Jesus and His church is eternal and perfect and is shared by all Christians.
ii. Jesus, the perfect husband, loves as He loves himself
Jesus reminds, often neglectful husbands, that they ‘ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.’ However, in saying this, we are meant to see that Jesus, the perfect husband, loves us as He loves Himself. As I write this I have a check in my thinking; I ask myself, “can it be true that the holy and infinite God loves me as He loves Himself? Wouldn’t this be a sort of idolatry?”However, Christians are gifted with Jesus’ righteousness and, therefore, His love for us must match the way that He loves Christ! A husband is to aim at this sort of love but it’s good to know that each of us have this kind of love lavished on us from our heavenly husband!
iii. Jesus, the perfect husband, feeds and cares for His body
Husbands, who are often selfish are urged to remember ‘…no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body…’ This informs the marriage relationship, but it is a promise that Jesus will meet our needs. He’s working for our good. All His work in our lives is motivated by love and, however painful, is good.
Response
If you are a husband, how are you doing at modelling yourself on Jesus’ love for His bride? If you are single, do you understand that marriage, whilst being a good gift from God, is only a shadow of the true and lasting marriage between Jesus and His church? For all of us, are we secure and taking joy in being loved by the perfect husband who does all that’s best for us?
Let’s pray together as we finish:
“Lord Jesus, I thank you for your perfect love for me and your bride, your church. Fill me, Holy Spirit, with fresh joy in Jesus’ love. Help me, in the various relationships that I’m in, to be a model of your love toward others. Amen.”
Community Group Notes
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
Our message on Sunday from our God’s Vision for the Church series was on how the church is The Bride of Christ. As such she is to receive Jesus’ love, Love Jesus and love the church which is so loved by Christ.
Please read Ephesians 5:22-33 and discuss:
Did God speak to you about anything from Sunday’s message?
As important as what this text says about marriage is, in this study, I want us to focus on what it says about the church’s relationship to Jesus; what does this say to us about the church’s relationship to Jesus?
As His bride, what does this say to us about Jesus’ love for us?
What does this say about how we are to love Jesus?
What does this say about how we are to love the church - the bride of Christ?
SIV - How will our seeking to live as the bride of Christ help us to reach our community for Christ?
SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ recently?
SIV - Spend some time together talking and praying about who and how you are seeking to bring your community to Jesus.
Let’s pra
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