JESUS ANSWERS THE QUESTION OF DIVORCE

Mark 10:1-12

 

Intro.: In Christ’s later public ministry (Judea), He deals with some 
  special problems: in this text – Marriage & Divorce.

 The Question of the Pharisees was with the intention to discredit 
  and entrap Jesus. 

I. Jesus Saw Divorce as Hardness of Heart.      v.5 

• Written by Moses in Deuteronomy 24:1-4.

 
 

II. Jesus Rejected Both Schools of Thought on Divorce.  vv.2-6 

• Shammai = Divorce allowed if the wife committed adultery.

 

• Hillel = Divorce allowed if the husband was displeased with the wife.

 

III. Jesus Reemphasized God’s Original Creation Plan.  vv.6-8 

• Divorce was never God’s intention.

 

• Marriage involves “Leaving” and “Cleaving”.

 
 

IV. Jesus Recognized Marriage As a Spiritual Union.   v.9 

• “Let not man put asunder” = a Prohibition of anyone disrupting the union God had established!

 
 

V.  Jesus Does Not Provide for Divorce.      vv.10-12 

• The “Exception Clause” [Matthew 5:32; 19:9] does not mean “marital unfaithfulness.”
• The word “fornication” cannot be restricted to marital unfaith fulness here; Jesus would have used the word “adultery”.  Rather, this word when used in context of marriage would refer to incestuous marriages, sodomite marriages, and betrothal unfaithfulness – during the Jewish engagement.

 

Concl.:  

Name	Size	Type	Last Modified
11-16-08am	5.8 MB	MP3 Audio	11/16/2008 3:52:05 PM