Good Monday my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends,
Have you ever walked into a chaotic situation and asked, ‘who’s in charge here?’ Or maybe you’ve seen a sign on an office door which says, ‘the buck stops here’. Responsibility and authority are very important aspects of our human race and how we live and work together as families, or communities or nations, right?
You’ll recall we are working our way through the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Christians in the wild and crazy city of Corinth, Greece, in the mid first century. With well armed Roman soldiers visible everywhere in cities like Corinth, the political and military authority of Rome was undeniable. But Corinth was a wild town and as people were trusting Jesus Christ to be their Savior and coming together to form a church of Christ followers, this issue of authority became contentious.
Paul continues his efforts, in 1 Corinthians 11, to define orderly marriage and family and church relations. This one brief statement of Paul’s shook those Corinthians and all others who have ever read it: “I want you to realize that the head of every man is Jesus Christ, and the head of every wife is her husband, and the head of Jesus Christ is God.” (1 Cor. 11:3) Do you understand it my friends and can you see the significance of this authority structure God has designed?
Let’s take it one phrase at a time: “…the head of every man is Jesus Christ”. Oh, but there’s a huge percentage of our world who totally reject any notion that Jesus Christ has authority over them, right? Paul knew that, of course, and that attitude has been prevalent in our world since the days of Jesus. So, Paul wrote this for clarification: “The Son [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God…for in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together….so that in everything He might have the supremacy.” (Col.1:15-19)
John’s first chapter of his Gospel echoes this truth that Jesus is the author of life. (John 1:1-5) And then in Philippians 2:9-11 Paul clarifies that eventually every knee will bow before Jesus Christ declaring Him to be Lord over all! So like it or not, accept it or reject it, Paul’s statement is absolutely true… in all places, in every generation: Jesus Christ has authority over EVERY human being, because He created and sustains every human life, and will one day Jesus will be Judge over every person!
Paul’s second statement: ‘the head of every wife is her husband’ has been rejected by a huge percentage of the human race since the Garden of Eden! Why? In many cases because husbands don’t want that responsibility and in other cases because wives don’t respect their husbands enough to allow them that authority. But as God created planet earth and designed the human species, God designed order from the very beginning so there would not be chaos. What order? Adam was created by God as the first human and God gave Adam responsibility with accountability for working to care for planet earth and specifically the Garden of Eden. (Gen. 2:15-17)
We don’t know exactly how long it was before God declared: “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a suitable helper for him.” (Gen. 2:18) And so God created Eve, but not in the same way God had created Adam. Genesis 2:19-23 describe the miraculous process by which God put Adam to sleep, and God did the first medical surgery, taking out one of Adam’s ribs, and creating Eve from that rib! Then God brought the first woman to the first man as his friend, helper and partner in life!
Paul therefore makes this bold statement in 1 Corinthians 11:8,9 “Man did not come from woman, but woman from man, neither was man created for woman but woman for man.” Now be careful friends. God did not create Eve to be Adam’s slave, but rather Adam’s best friend and partner in every aspect of life! God gave Adam and Eve a profound admiration and pure love for each other. Why do I say, ‘a pure love’? Because Genesis 2:25 reports: “Adam and Eve were both naked and they felt no shame.”
Now my friends, what do you suppose Adam’s first responsibilities were with his new friend Eve? Well, Adam needed to give her an orientation to their home, the God provided Garden of Eden. Adam needed to explain the animals and how everything was living in perfect harmony, right? But Adam also was responsible to explain to Eve that God had given them one warning… stay away from that one tree. (Gen. 2:16,17) Do you see, God expected Adam to take responsibility in protecting his wife Eve by keeping her away from that tree, and understanding why, and helping her find great fulfillment in life with him in the Garden.
Adam was also responsible to help Eve know God as Adam did. But Adam failed miserably, didn’t he? Eve became fascinated by a talking serpent and believed the lie of that serpent and disobeyed Adam. She ate of that forbidden fruit, she broke trust with her husband Adam, and with God. “And she gave some of the fruit to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Gen. 3:6,7) And the utopia God had created for Adam and Eve was destroyed by their selfish rebellion against God and Adam’s leadership failure.
Do you notice what God did in response to this disaster? God came into the Garden, as was His custom, but this time rather than a friendly visit, God called Adam to account as the man God had given responsibility for the Garden and the Woman God had created for him. (Gen. 8,9)
Adam had failed and evil was invited into our world. From that day to this, God still holds every husband responsible for the health of his marriage, and the spiritual and moral leadership of his wife and family. (Eph. 5:22-25) We may not like it, but that is God’s orderly design for marriage and family. And when a God honoring man takes this responsibility seriously, God’s blessing on that family is evident and those within that family feel safe, secure, loved and blessed.
Finally, Paul wrote a third interesting statement: “and the head of Jesus Christ is God.” (1 Cor. 11:3) Now that is so powerful we need to wait till tomorrow to discuss that, Ok?
As you know very helpful “lessons learned” notes are at the link just below and a wonderful worship song will draw your heart to Jesus, and I’ll be here tomorrow ready to continue with you.
Today’s Scripture: 1 Cor. 11:3
Choose below to read or listen.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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