Marriage is an institution created by God.

“Now the Lord God said, It is not good (sufficient, satisfactory) that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper meet (suitable, adapted, complementary) for him.” Gen.2:18

God said it was His mindset, His thoughts, and His vision for the coming together of a man and a woman. Failure to recognize God as the author of marriage is the confusion you see today in our modern-day society. The rejection of God as the creator or architect of marriage is why 8 out of 10 marriages end up in divorce; why 95% of marriages today are heading for the rocks; why 85% of couples are unhappy with their marriages; why the majority of Americans feels marriages can never be “happily after.”

God, as the one who conceived marriage (not a man or woman, not the government, pastor, or any religious leader, and not you and not me), is beautifully revealed in the story of the Marriage at Cana. John 2:1-11.

John 2:1-12English Standard Version (ESV)

“On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.[a] 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”

What does this story reveal? Discuss.

1. We organize and get involved in relationship or marriage, without recognizing Jesus as the Chief Guest;
2. We use all kinds of manuals, inspirations, counsel, directions for marriage, and neglect the Real Manual;
3. We soon discover that marriages contracted without God at the start or onset, soon ends in futility;
4. We only seek God’s intervention and mediation after the marriage turns out sour or hits the rocks;
5. We start to enjoy marriage and get the sweetest of the relationship as Jesus gives us the true joy of marriage;
6. We can always and should go boldly to seek God’s grace, wisdom, help, and intervention for our marital deficiencies and lack;
7. We should never get involved or engage anyone in marriage without first asking and seeking for the Master’s direction and advice;
8. We must understand that God is interested and wants to be involved with our marriage;
9. Gen.1:26-27. Is Spiritual. God is a Spirit. Jn.4:23-25; If God is a Spirit, it means the marriage has a spiritual purpose, means, and insight, and that it starts with God and ends with God. Marriage is God-centered — the coming or union of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The mystical union of Christ and the Church. Eph 5:22-32.
10. Gen 2:24. Leaving to Cleave. “For this purpose shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall become one flesh.” There cannot be a coming together (unification of spirit, body, and soul) of a husband and wife until there is a separation from the dictates and influence of the parents. The parents of both couples are important in the lives of the married but must not control or assert their will upon the couple.
11. Eph 5:21-25. Submitting to each other. Marriage is a partnership. The wife is not subservient to the husband. Both are special and have their assignments in the sight of God. However, from God’s perspective, the husband is the head of the home and the wife is the body. The man has been given the leadership role or authority. 1 Cor.11:3. The wife submits to the husband is to accept his leadership in Christ and support his guidance and directions for the home, instead of opposing him. But to the degree to which this can work, is to the degree to which the husband can share and involve the wife in decisions making and direction for the home or family.

1 Peter 3:1-7.
“Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives.