Was Jesus Married?
Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene.
That’s what author Dan Brown alleges is in his best-selling book, The Da Vinci Code. His book has sold well over 60 million copies and ridden the top of the sales charts for weeks since being published in April 2003. What has gotten the book so much attention is not excellent prose or well-developed characters. Instead, the author has managed to tick off almost all who espouse some form of Christianity with his dogmatic assertion of fiction as fact. The book is based around the belief that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and that they had a child. Brown states that the Roman Catholic Church, starting with Constantine, has been involved in a plot to suppress this knowledge.
The book is certainly an interesting and fast moving read and was made into a recently released mystery thriller movie. But, are author Brown’s assertions fact? Was Jesus Christ married to Mary Magdalene? Was He even married at all?
The truth is most Bible scholars, whether they are liberal or conservative, do agree on this question. They believe that there is overwhelming evidence to support the conclusion that Jesus Christ did not take a wife while on this earth. The ones who want you to believe that Christ was married are a varied group. Some give credence to what is written in the Gnostic gospels and other spurious books that are not part of the New Testament canon. Others, like neo-pagans, want to make the perfect and sinless Savior into just another wise teacher, like Confucius or Mohammed, and deny that He was the actual Son of God. Having Him married would fit their belief system. Post-modern philosophers who deny the revelation and authority of God’s Word and espouse a belief that all truth is the creation of man certainly find the idea of His being married very appealing.
Which is true? What evidence supports Biblical scholars’ belief that Christ was not married?
The Statement of Those Who Knew Him and His Family
The New Testament makes no mention in any place of Christ being married to anyone. When Christ’s family is named by those who knew Him in Nazareth – cited in Mark 6:3, Matthew 13:55-56, only His mother, brothers, and sisters are mentioned. If His countrymen knew He was married and had a child, surely this would have been a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge the fact.
Mark 6:3
Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" So they were offended at Him.
Matthew 13:55-56
55 Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?"
Christ’s Statement at His Death
At the end of His life, while He was hanging on the stake, whom did Christ mention?
John 19:25-27
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
This passage in no way mentions a wife. It certainly emphasizes Christ’s concern for His mother Mary and His close relationship with the apostle John. Christ here shows that, even as He neared death, His thoughts were on making sure His mother was taken care and that He was willing to entrust her care to His close friend. Mary Magdalene, though mentioned, was treated no differently than His aunt. If He were married and had a child, it would have been a major slight to for Him to show no concern for the welfare of His own immediate family. Christ was not married to Mary Magdalene or anyone. If He had been, He would have been deeply concerned about leaving a grieving widow and a fatherless child.
Jewish Practices
Some try to make a case that He had to be married because supposedly all Jewish men were married. They ignore the fact that there were certain Jewish sects in that time period who practiced celibacy. Josephus and others cite the fact that celibacy was a common practice of the Essenes. Even at least one of the apostles – Paul, who was a strict Pharisee before conversion - was unmarried.
1 Corinthians 9:5
5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
I Corinthians 7:7-8 shows Paul was not married. If Christ were married, why did Paul not cite Him as an example of one who was married rather than Peter and the other apostles?
1 Corinthians 7:7-8
7 For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. 8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am;
Christ Was Already Married
The real truth about this question is ignored by all the theologians and philosophers who want to weigh in on the subject. The real truth is Christ could not marry while here on this earth as a human. He was not free to marry at that point; He was still bound to another relationship.
Ezekiel 16:8
"When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine," says the Lord GOD.
Jeremiah 3: 14, 7-8
14 "Return, O backsliding children," says the LORD; "for I am married to you.”
7 And I said, after she had done all these things, 'Return to Me.' But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce;
The LORD of the Old Testament, the one who came to this earth as Jesus Christ, had entered a marriage covenant relationship with the nation Israel. The Israelites played the harlot and committed spiritual adultery. The Lord God put Israel away and gave her a certificate of divorce. According to the law, even with a bill of divorcement, if Christ had entered into another marriage relationship, He would have been guilty of adultery. If He had married Mary Magdalene or any other woman, He would have violated the seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14), and could not have been our Savior. Christ’s death ended the Old Covenant marriage relationship with Israel and freed Him to enter the New Covenant relationship with the church.
Revelation 19:7-8 speaks of a future marriage between the Lamb and the church. Paul tells us that our marriages should reflect this future relationship between Christ and His church (Ephesians 5). He says in 2 Corinthians 11:2 that we are being presented as a chaste virgin to Christ, that we are now betrothed to Him.
Revelation 19:7-8
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
2 Corinthians 11:2
For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Conclusion
The truth is Christ did not enter a physical marriage with Mary Magdalene or any other woman while on this earth as a human being. Those who reject true Biblical revelation and instead subscribe to the vain philosophy of men want you to believe a different story. Satan uses all sorts to obscure the real truth about Christ and the relationship that His church can have with Him. The real truth is not hidden in some Da Vinci painting or revealed by finding the elusive Holy Grail. The real truth is revealed by God in His word, the Bible. His word shows us that the true Bride of Christ is the Church, not Mary Magdalene.
That’s what author Dan Brown alleges is in his best-selling book, The Da Vinci Code. His book has sold well over 60 million copies and ridden the top of the sales charts for weeks since being published in April 2003. What has gotten the book so much attention is not excellent prose or well-developed characters. Instead, the author has managed to tick off almost all who espouse some form of Christianity with his dogmatic assertion of fiction as fact. The book is based around the belief that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and that they had a child. Brown states that the Roman Catholic Church, starting with Constantine, has been involved in a plot to suppress this knowledge.
The book is certainly an interesting and fast moving read and was made into a recently released mystery thriller movie. But, are author Brown’s assertions fact? Was Jesus Christ married to Mary Magdalene? Was He even married at all?
The truth is most Bible scholars, whether they are liberal or conservative, do agree on this question. They believe that there is overwhelming evidence to support the conclusion that Jesus Christ did not take a wife while on this earth. The ones who want you to believe that Christ was married are a varied group. Some give credence to what is written in the Gnostic gospels and other spurious books that are not part of the New Testament canon. Others, like neo-pagans, want to make the perfect and sinless Savior into just another wise teacher, like Confucius or Mohammed, and deny that He was the actual Son of God. Having Him married would fit their belief system. Post-modern philosophers who deny the revelation and authority of God’s Word and espouse a belief that all truth is the creation of man certainly find the idea of His being married very appealing.
Which is true? What evidence supports Biblical scholars’ belief that Christ was not married?
The Statement of Those Who Knew Him and His Family
The New Testament makes no mention in any place of Christ being married to anyone. When Christ’s family is named by those who knew Him in Nazareth – cited in Mark 6:3, Matthew 13:55-56, only His mother, brothers, and sisters are mentioned. If His countrymen knew He was married and had a child, surely this would have been a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge the fact.
Mark 6:3
Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?" So they were offended at Him.
Matthew 13:55-56
55 Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?"
Christ’s Statement at His Death
At the end of His life, while He was hanging on the stake, whom did Christ mention?
John 19:25-27
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.
This passage in no way mentions a wife. It certainly emphasizes Christ’s concern for His mother Mary and His close relationship with the apostle John. Christ here shows that, even as He neared death, His thoughts were on making sure His mother was taken care and that He was willing to entrust her care to His close friend. Mary Magdalene, though mentioned, was treated no differently than His aunt. If He were married and had a child, it would have been a major slight to for Him to show no concern for the welfare of His own immediate family. Christ was not married to Mary Magdalene or anyone. If He had been, He would have been deeply concerned about leaving a grieving widow and a fatherless child.
Jewish Practices
Some try to make a case that He had to be married because supposedly all Jewish men were married. They ignore the fact that there were certain Jewish sects in that time period who practiced celibacy. Josephus and others cite the fact that celibacy was a common practice of the Essenes. Even at least one of the apostles – Paul, who was a strict Pharisee before conversion - was unmarried.
1 Corinthians 9:5
5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
I Corinthians 7:7-8 shows Paul was not married. If Christ were married, why did Paul not cite Him as an example of one who was married rather than Peter and the other apostles?
1 Corinthians 7:7-8
7 For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. 8 But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am;
Christ Was Already Married
The real truth about this question is ignored by all the theologians and philosophers who want to weigh in on the subject. The real truth is Christ could not marry while here on this earth as a human. He was not free to marry at that point; He was still bound to another relationship.
Ezekiel 16:8
"When I passed by you again and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine," says the Lord GOD.
Jeremiah 3: 14, 7-8
14 "Return, O backsliding children," says the LORD; "for I am married to you.”
7 And I said, after she had done all these things, 'Return to Me.' But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. 8 Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce;
The LORD of the Old Testament, the one who came to this earth as Jesus Christ, had entered a marriage covenant relationship with the nation Israel. The Israelites played the harlot and committed spiritual adultery. The Lord God put Israel away and gave her a certificate of divorce. According to the law, even with a bill of divorcement, if Christ had entered into another marriage relationship, He would have been guilty of adultery. If He had married Mary Magdalene or any other woman, He would have violated the seventh commandment, “You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14), and could not have been our Savior. Christ’s death ended the Old Covenant marriage relationship with Israel and freed Him to enter the New Covenant relationship with the church.
Revelation 19:7-8 speaks of a future marriage between the Lamb and the church. Paul tells us that our marriages should reflect this future relationship between Christ and His church (Ephesians 5). He says in 2 Corinthians 11:2 that we are being presented as a chaste virgin to Christ, that we are now betrothed to Him.
Revelation 19:7-8
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
2 Corinthians 11:2
For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
Conclusion
The truth is Christ did not enter a physical marriage with Mary Magdalene or any other woman while on this earth as a human being. Those who reject true Biblical revelation and instead subscribe to the vain philosophy of men want you to believe a different story. Satan uses all sorts to obscure the real truth about Christ and the relationship that His church can have with Him. The real truth is not hidden in some Da Vinci painting or revealed by finding the elusive Holy Grail. The real truth is revealed by God in His word, the Bible. His word shows us that the true Bride of Christ is the Church, not Mary Magdalene.
posted by Manuel at 10:01 PM
2 Comments:
Paul was not married?!!! I guess I need to do a deeper study into 2 Cor. 12:7!
Just kidding ladies, just kidding.
Are you planning to post the John 3:16 serm'ette? I missed most of it fooling with Noah.
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