Was Jesus Married? Part 8—Points to Consider (Pro-Marriage)

This is the last look at the Wiki Answers discussion. After this, things should get a little more . . . well, interesting.

Don’t Make Assumptions

I disagree that if it had happened it would have been recorded. The Bible leaves out some 20 years of his life. Doesn’t the Bible teach he experienced everything that any man alive did? I bet sex and marriage was on that list. He probably got into fights and did a lot of other things we don’t know about.

I would have to agree with most of this statement, taking issue only with the last sentence.

Remember, at age twelve Jesus was “both hearing [the doctors; i.e., the teachers (Greek)], and asking them questions” (Luke 2:46). It’s hard for me to imagine someone with this kind of temperament out in the streets fighting with other kids.

“And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.” (ibid. verse 47.) And apparently the teachers were so impressed with Jesus that they were asking him questions as well as his asking them questions.

Would Jesus being about his Father’s business (ibid. verse 49) include fighting with neighborhood kids? Somehow I doubt it.

And to assume that everything that happened in the life of Jesus, outside of one incident in thirty years, was recorded in the Bible is simply beyond reason. Even during the three years of his ministry we have but very little recorded of his life.

We can’t even begin to imagine what Jesus taught his disciples as they traipsed all over the Judaic landscape. We have but a few incidences that happened while they were walking, or out on the road, but precious little teaching, such as the Sermon on the Mount, or the fig tree incident, although there must have been some conversation, one would think.

One would also think the subject of marriage would come up among so many men over so many miles. But proof that Jesus was married? No.

A Minority Believes Jesus Was Married

There is a minority which believes that he did get married. Jesus married Mary. Jesus loved her. This minority uses interpretation of “The Last Supper” by Leonardo Da Vinci as a supporting evidence for their thesis. They consider the figure left of Jesus to be a woman — Mary. Their clothing is similar. Though we do not know he fathered a child. If he did the maybe was born after his death.

Many people believe Jesus married Mary of Magdala, or Mary Magdalene. However, there is no absolute proof of it, yet we know there existed some sort of relationship there.

It is also true that Leonardo de Vinci placed a woman on the right hand of Jesus at the table in his famous painting of The Last Supper, even sharing the same vestment colors, no less. That idea had to have come from somewhere. I’ve heard some interesting suppositions regarding the placement of Jesus and the woman in the painting, along with their exact positionings.

In light of this, we might recall who it was to whom Jesus first appeared after his resurrection, even before ascending to his Father in heaven:

Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. (Mark 16:9.)

Even before appearing to his faithful disciples, he appeared to Mary Magdalene, who was mourning at his tomb. It was she who Jesus told to go and tell the joyful news to his disciples. This would be a very strange occurrence, were there not some sort of special relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene, wouldn’t you think?

Still, this is no proof that they were married, but it certainly hints at the prospect.

Mary Magdalene called Jesus Lord

Actually from what the Bible doesn’t tell us, Jesus was married. It was a necessity for a “Rabbi” to be married in order to obtain recognition as a teacher. If he was not married there would not be so many calling him by the name of Rabbi or Teacher. Further because it was so rare for a Rabbi not to be married the gospel writers would of, out of necessity, explained [sic] why Jesus was not married but still able to be recognized as a Rabbi or Teacher. Hence, we know from what the Bible doesn’t tell us, that Jesus was in fact married. It is assumed that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. Mary was the first to see Christ after His bodily resurrection from the grave. When she realized it was Jesus she called Him Lord. This was an evidence that Christ was married to Mary in that the wife would call her husband Lord. The original Hebrew shows that she was referring to the Savior as husband and not just Lord. Also the gnostic gospels give more proof to a relationship between Jesus and Marry. [sic]

The idea of Jesus being a Rabbi and thus married was covered in my last post. Obviously, the issue with Mary Magdalene was just covered.

However, the interesting thing here is the reference to Mary calling Jesus Lord, as a reference to him being her husband.

Bible.org says a wife’s calling her husband lord was a sign of her submission, in that she believed God was working through her husband to fulfill His purposes for her. Of course, things are different today, but we can’t judge what was in vogue, so to speak, in ancient times by what we believe today.

Sarah was an intelligent and capable woman. But when she married Abraham she made a decision. She established as her mission in life the task of helping her husband fulfill God’s purposes for him. That was not weakness. It was God’s will for her life: true biblical submission. Some wives [today] have been systematically sabotaging God’s plan for their husbands because they have not been willing to believe God and entrust themselves to His wisdom. They simply will not trust God to work through their husbands to accomplish what is best. They feel they must help God along by trying to dominate their husbands. (ibid.)

Of course, today, a lot of men are likely more interested in who is going to play in the Super Bowl than they are in determining what God’s will is toward his wife. And the wife is often more interested in who is going to win Dancing with the Stars than whether or not her husband is spiritually interesting in her own spiritual welfare.

Of course, this is only a generalization, but you get the idea, perhaps.

The fact is, a wife’s submission is out of vogue in today’s liberated society, but it was not so in Biblical times. And it appears, in agreement with the above comment, that it was evident in Jesus’ day.

Does this prove Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene? I would say a tentative no, with an equal tentative yes. Women didn’t just go around calling every man lord.

We’re now ready to tackle some interesting incidents in the life of Jesus that might surprise you that could lead to our believing Jesus was married.