CHRIST AND THE CHURCH

Ephesians 5:22-32

How many of you have heard messages preached from this passage of the Bible before?

This is one of our favorites to use

• In counseling couples both before and after marriage and
• In a message delivered during a wedding ceremony

• Preachers refer to it often in preaching on the family and the home
• Husbands will use it frequently, when they want to get their wives to follow them

And the passage is good for all of that.

But there is an interesting phrase found in the passage that we seldom spend any time meditating upon.

Ephesians 5:32 says of this passage

“This is a great mystery, but I speak of Christ and the church.”

In other words the Bible says,

• “I know this is a difficult concept
• I know this is a little more tough to grab hold of
• I know that this is more on the fuzzy side of your mind

But I am not talking about husbands and wives primarily, they are the shadow of the truth; 

• The body, 
• The larger subject, 
• The more important message here is

Christ and the church”

How many of us, who have read this passage with any kind of frequency have not done something like this….

We read the passage and in our minds eye, we make bold the words having to do with people, and we let the words having to do with Christ and the church sort of zoom out of focus.

Eph 5:22-25

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (KJV)

We tend to think of Christ and His relationship to the church as an illustration of what marriage ought to be like.

But that is exactly the opposite as the emphasis the Bible places on it.

God’s word uses the marriage relationship as an illustration of Christ’s relationship to his church

I want to try to preach this morning on the subject “Christ and the Church.”

There is no greater love story in all of the world than is the love story between Christ and the church.

Illustration

When God looked down upon Adam and said “it is not good that man should be alone.”

He caused that deep sleep to fall upon Adam and God took one of Adam’s ribs and made woman from it

Adam looked at Eve and said “this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.”

The beauty of that picture is found in how it represents Christ and the church

Illustration

When Isaac was 40 years old and ready to have a wife.

Abraham sent his servant back to Abraham’s family to find a bride for his son.

Rebekah willingly left all she had ever known to travel with a virtual stranger to a land she had never seen to marry a man she had only days ago even heard of.

The Bible says 

Gen 24:63-67

And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.

For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a vail, and covered herself.

….

And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: …. (KJV)

The beauty of this love story is in how it represents Christ and the church.

Illustration

When Jacob spotted Rachel tending to her father’s sheep

The Bible makes it clear that Jacob fell in love with her at first sight.

Jacob approached her father asking for her hand in marriage and the deal was made that Jacob would serve Laban seven years before he could marry his daughter and the Bible says, 

Gen 29:20

And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her. (KJV)

The wonder of that statement is in how it represents Christ and the church

Illustration

• Ruth and Boaz
• David and Michal
• Esther and Ahasuerus
• The Shepherd and the Shulamite

Every great love story in the Word of God is recorded for how it represents Christ and the church

Illustration

And may I say that each and every great marriage we are able to witness in our lifetimes, are beautiful to behold, most of all for how they portray Christ and the Church

• Every loving glance between a husband and a wife
• Every tender touch of the hand 
• Every kind word, softly spoken

It wonderful to witness because it represents Christ and the church

There are at least three great truths in Ephesians 5 concerning Christ and the church.

Christ is

I. THE SOVEREIGN OF THE CHURCH

Vs 22-24

Jesus is the head of the church.

Obviously it speaks of authority for the church is “subject unto Christ.”

But there is so much more here than mere dictatorship over even the church because He is the Saviour of the body (which is the church)

The head provides

A. Function

Every body part works either voluntarily or involuntarily through the direction of the brain (head).

As I said a few weeks ago on a Wednesday night, Jesus

“uphold all things by the word of His power.”

• Every function of the church
• Every working part 
• Every member of the church

Comes to us through Jesus Christ the head.

• Every accomplishment of the church
• Every achievement of the church
• Every good work of the church, either done purposefully or one that just happens

All happens because Jesus ordered it so.

The head provides

B. Education

The processes of thought all occur through the head.

And that is exactly what Jesus does for His church.

He has given to us everything we need to think about.

Even the Holy Spirit, the Bible says 

John 16:13

…. shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: …. (KJV)

Jesus told us what things to think about in

Phil 4:8

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (KJV)

And we are told how often to think about them in 

Ps 1:2

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (KJV)

And we are told 

Prov 19:27

Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. (KJV)

That that Jesus provides all that ought to occupy our minds all the time.

And then the head provides

C. Direction

Both in the abstract and the concrete meanings of the word.

It is through our minds that we make either wise or wayward choices in what to do in life.

We take the instruction we were provided and use that wisdom to guide our direction in long term and short term choices.

And 

It is through the eyes that we have direction in the more concrete choices.

Illustration

I heard a story the other day from one of our church members.

They said years ago they were making an all night road trip through the southern states.

Just before daylight, he was so tired he could hardly keep his eyes open.

• So he closed one eye – just to give it a rest.
• It felt so good, he closed them both for only a second.

And he noticed he stayed straight in the road.

So he thought maybe he could close them 

Just a moment or two longer and 

A moment or two longer.

And the next thing he knew he was driving off the road at 60 miles per hour.

You just can’t keep a car going the right direction with your eyes closed.

The Lord Jesus Christ gives function, education and direction to his church 

He is the head, the sovereign of the church

Notice secondly that Christ is

II. THE SACRIFICE FOR THE CHURCH

Vs 2 Vs 25

There is a subtle difference between these two verses, but there are also some important similarities between them.

A. Differences

Vs 2 speaks of “us”

Vs 25 speaks of “the church”

Verse 2 refers to you and me as individual children of God

Verse 25 refers to you and me as we are members of the local church

Jesus is our Saviour individually.

No body gets saved under a group policy.

You are not saved 

• Because you were born in America
• Because your parents have been good Christians
• Because your best friend and you went forward when you were kids

A person gets saved 

• Personally, 
• Independently, 
• Individually

But it is not God’s intention that we stay that way.

Yes Christ died for us as individuals,

But He also gave Himself for us to be a part of His body, the local church.

B. Similarities

Notice that in both verses there is the same motivator and the same action.

• Jesus is motivated out of love and
• Love moved Him to give Himself

The Bible says of Christ’s sacrifice that is was a “sweetsmelling savour” to God.

God the Father did not enjoy watching Jesus die.

• He turned His back on Christ on the cross and
• He caused the sun to stop shining in the middle of the day to hide His horrific agony

But He was so pleased with the results!

Can you imagine how much God must love us that He would consider to death of His only begotten Son for us a “sweetsmelling savour”?

Christ is the sovereign of the church

Christ is the sacrifice for the church

Finally Christ is

III. THE SUPPLIER OF THE CHURCH

Vs 26-29

There are three phrases I want to point out in this portion of the text:

A. Sanctify and cleanse

Vs 26

This is a separating work.

When a young couple get married there is a time of growing together.

They must leave some old friends and change their relationships with some others.

It can be a tough time on the new marriage. 

The old self wants to have all the benefits of marriage without any of the losses.

The old self wants everything to stay the same in the world around them and only add onto it this one new thing – marriage.

And it just doesn’t work.

A process has to happen as the couple learns how to live as one new flesh.

The same is true in the spiritual realm.

• We get saved and 
• We get baptized and
• We become members of this new body, which is Christ’s

There is a process of cleansing – as Christ removes us from the old sins and past lifestyle

And

Then there is this process of sanctifying – as Christ leads us into a life dedicated to the things of God

B. Nourisheth and cheristheth

Vs 29

• The word nourish means to mature or build up
• The word cherish means to brood and warm up

I think Anita and I have pretty much learned how to live together.

35 1/2 years now, and our lives are so intertwined it is difficult to find where one’s interests leave off and the other’s begins.

You know what we do now?

We nourish and cherish what we have. 

We build up and brood over our marriage

• I have always loved Anita, 
• I have always thought we had the perfect marriage

But our relationship is so much warmer these days than has ever been before.

And 

While Jesus is sanctifying and cleansing His church, He is also fanning the flames of love so that we – who are part of His church may love Him more and more the longer we know Him.

C. Present it to Himself

Vs 27

I love this;

The word present means “to stand beside.”

In my mind I am picturing that moment in the wedding ceremony when the couple turn, standing side by side, to face the congregation and I am privileged to say the words

“Ladies and Gentlemen; may I present to you Mr. and Mrs……” 

And they walk out of the room to begin a new life together.

One of these days Jesus Christ will take His bride, the church, to His side

He will call us into the glory of his presence and

Side by side, we, as members of His church, will walk side by side into eternity.

Conclusion

Ephesians 5 ends by saying

Eph 5:33

Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband. (KJV)

There are some great lessons in the chapter for our marriages today.

But let’s never forget the 

bigger, 

grander, 

more wonderful 

message of Ephesians 5 

…… I speak concerning Christ and the church. (KJV)

Let’s Pray

Preached at 

Bellingham Baptist Family Life Conference 2-16