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Matthew 19:4-6 – Rachel and James' Wedding
Saturday, August 18, 2007 – St. Mark Lutheran Church, Conroe, TX
In the name of Jesus. Amen. Mine. Mine. Mine. Christ says of His Church – she's mine. She's mine and no one else's. She's mine and there is no one like her, no one more beautiful, no one more perfect.
“My Church.” Bought with My blood. My Church washed clean in the waters of her Baptism. I cleansed her. I made her clean.
She doesn't deserve Him. We sin daily and much. We deny Him – both in our words and our actions. We betray Him. We forsake Him.
He will hear none of it. That'll be true over Christ's dead body! And we did just that – He is crucified.
“From heaven he came and sought her to be His holy bride and with His own blood He bought her and for her life He died.”
From the Cross, from the agony of suffering for your sins, my sins, comes the proclamation: “She's mine. My Church. My beautiful Bride. Mine.”
He chose her to be His Bride before the creation of the world. He won her salvation on the Cross. He makes His ours forgiveness in Baptism. He loved her – giving up His life for her.
Now, from the looks of it yesterday, Rachel did the choosing. She all but said “I will” for James at the rehearsal. She'll probably try to do that in a bit too..
That's what it looks like, let me tell you what actually has gone on. The Lord, who does the choosing, choose James for Rachel.
He made Rachel for James then gave her to him. He does the choosing. We do the receiving. That's His way. And in this wedding we see the picture of how it is between Christ and His Bride, the Church.
Rachel, this is your James. Yours. James is the Greek word related to the Hebrew name Jacob. James, like Jacob, means “He grasps.” Jacob was the father of God's people, Israel.
James, this is your Rachel. Yours. Her name is the Hebrew word for “ewe” or “sheep.” I'm sure that's gonna get me in trouble, but bear with me.
Now in the Scriptures, Jacob had a wife. Her name was Rachel. Jacob had to do a lot of shepherding to win Rachel's hand from her father. I'm sure Mr. Yeager is going to give Rachel to you as gift or with simply a “take her, she's yours!”
So, this particular Rachel goes with this particular James from this moment on – you for you and you for you until death parts you.
God has done this. He has brought you two together. No accidents. No mistakes. No do-overs. What He joins together, let no one put asunder. No one separate.
Don't be pulled apart. Don't doubt. He's done this. Rachel, you didn't do it. You didn't do it, James. Christ has done it.
The Lord brings together – Eve for Adam. Rachel for Jacob. Rachel for James. That bringing together, that promise, His Word carries you through each day – through arguments, through disagreements, through growing, through changing, through richer, through poorer, through sickness, and through health.
James, be Christ for Rachel. Make sure she hears the Word. When she sins, wash her. Cleanse her with Christ's words. Love her, care for her, protect her, be her husband, her shepherd, until death parts you.
Always put her needs ahead of your own. Treat her as the most beautiful woman in the world – for that is who she is to you. Serve her as Christ does the Church.
Rachel, respect your husband. Receive from him. Submit to Him. Love Him. Let him give His life for you – in everything he does, in everything he says, in everything you do. When he sins, forgive him.
Marriage is hard. It takes work. But the work isn't done by you two. That would fail. Christ does the joining. He does the work – He took upon Himself your sins. Lived the life you should live. Suffered the punishment that you deserve for your unfaithfulness and died the death you deserve.
He rose on the third day. You rose with Him in Baptism. There in the font you were washed, your spots and blemishes forgiven, and declared holy!
Holy is His. He declared you His own. Declared, “Mine. Mine. Mine.” She's mine and no one can have her. She's mine and there is no one like her, no one more beautiful, no one more perfect.
That's you in Christ, Rachel. That's you in Christ, James. This is how God gives. This is your James, Rachel. This is your Rachel, James. There are no longer two, but one. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
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