Dynamic Duos: Influential Couples of the Bible Part I: The Couple - The Core of the Family Unit

From the beginning of time, God has been about relationships. When He created the world, He didn’t create a government, a business, or a an army— He created a couple. Before there was a church, a school, or a nation, there was the marriage. The very first human relationship that God established was between man and woman: Adam and Eve.

 

Two people. One God. One mission.

 

When two people align themselves under God’s purpose, they become a force that is not easily broken. When God moves mightily,  He often moves through a dynamic duo.

 

Two believers linked together, in faith are able to accomplish what one alone cannot. 

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9 – “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.”

 

When the couple is strong, the family is strong. When the family is strong, the church is strong. When the church is strong, the world is impacted for God’s glory.

 

I. God’s Priority – Central Institution to Society

Genesis 2:24 – “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

• Marriage was established by God Himself

• Marriage was intended to be between a man and a woman

• Marriage is the foundation of human society

• Marriage is a “joining together”

II. God’s Plan – Complement One Another

Genesis 2:18 – “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

• Adam had everything — a job (tend the garden), a purpose (dominion over the earth), and a direct connection to God. However, he was incomplete without Eve. (Life was never meant to do alone)

• Eve was not an afterthought, she was a vital part of God’s plan from the beginning

• God designed man and woman differently, but equal — they complete each other’s assignments

III. God’s Purpose – Reflect His Image

Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

• The marriage unit operates best in the hands of its creator

• Marriage is called to be fruitful and multiply (1:28). It is intended to be life-giving as God is. Healthy people/ healthy marriages produce healthy children and a healthy community.

• Each individual is called to be self-sacrificial as Jesus did for the church. We are called to put each other first (married or not).

• Marriage is not just about the couple, it points to the relationship between Christ and the Church.

IV. Satan’s Strategy – Divide & Devour

• It is important to notice that the serpent’s first attack was against the cornerstone of the family unit: the married couple.

• Satan approached Eve while she was alone and sowed doubt, division, and deception.

• The devil’s strategy was to separate her from Adam, to entice her, and then to deceive her.

• He knew that if he could separate the couple spiritually, then he could corrupt the family and keep them from God’s plan for their life.

• The devil has no new tricks, that is still what he is doing today.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – “Two are better than one… A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

 

When we walk in unity, honor God in all that they do, and stay connected to Him, they are primed to make a difference in a world that is in need of the Lord. When the cornerstone of the family unit partners with God to reflect His image, they reach a broken world in need of a savior; they become… Dynamic Duos.

 

As we go through this series and discuss some of the dynamic duos of the Bible, our goal is to learn from these couples to help us become more fruitful in our life.

 

Here are the 5 Dynamic Duos we will be learning about:

 

1. Abraham & Sarah: First Generation Pioneers

2. Amram & Jochebed: Raising the Next Generation in a Hostile World

3. Ahab & Jezebel: A Warning for Every Household

4. Hosea & Gomer: A Picture of God’s Love for the Church

5. Priscilla & Aquilla: A Team for Christ

Resurrection Truth

 Gtcotr/ss042025

Mark 16 

9 ¶  Now when Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.

10  She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.

11  And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

12  After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.

13  And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

14 ¶  Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

15  And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’

16  “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

 

People who haven’t seen Jesus, often imagine no one has seen Him.

• The disciples were sad and crying, Mary was happy and rejoicing.

• What benefit did they imagine she would gain by lying to them.

• What about the two men walking on the road to Emmaus? 

o Since when can we not believe our friends?

o Sometimes we see things first, sometimes they do …

• Mary saw the resurrected Christ because she was searching for Him.

o She would have served Him even if He was dead … He was good to her, and she felt she owed Him her life.

o Mary would have honorably served the dead body of Christ if necessary … she was committed, and it paid off.

 

Denying God won’t make Him disappear.

• The High Priest, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, Pilate, Herod, the Roman soldiers, and the crowds of false witnesses and protestors tried to hide Jesus in a sealed tomb.

• Perhaps they thought that if they could keep Jesus out of the public eye, people would stop talking and He would soon be forgotten.

• You cannot lock God out.

• Pretending He doesn’t exist won’t make Him go away.

 

Life far exceeds the realms of human capacity.

• We can make people die, but we can’t make them live.

• People don’t ever cease to exist.

• A human soul is born to last forever. (Genesis 2:7)

• Your container will expire, but the contents remain.(2 Corinthians 5:8)

• Jesus was alive the whole time …

o He entered death, alive and well. (Hebrews 2:14)

o He faced and defeated the devil on his own ground and took the keys of death and hell.(Colossians 2:15; Revelation 1:18)

o He preached to those held captive in death and set them free. (Ephesians 4:8-10)

 

We cannot judge eternal realities by earthly experiences.

• 1 Corinthians 2:9  But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

• Isaiah 64:4  For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, Who acts for the one who waits for Him.

• Eternal life is in a realm hidden from view until we pierce that veil. 

 

Truth is not subject to us, rather we are subject to truth.

 

My hope today is that you will open your heart and mind to what Mary saw and said.

 

The truth is that God loves you just like you are. However, He loves you too much to leave you that way. And although He cannot always make everything all about you, He cares when one of His decisions disappoints or confuses you. God wants you to know He has a plan, and He will succeed, and that He will give you a chance to participate. 

 

Mary Magdalene may not have seemed to many to be the best candidate to see Jesus alive and well on that first Resurrection morning. However, she was one of the only ones up and out that early. And she was willing and ready to help. 

 

On the one hand she could be viewed as a failure since no one believed her. But on the other hand, she was a remarkable success. She did what Jesus told her to do and here we are 2000 years later still talking about the impact she has had on countless lives throughout the generations. 

 

I personally think it a little ironic that Jesus chose a former demon possessed single woman to be the first evangelist to the world. With a Savior like this, anything is possible!

 

Have you heard what she said? Do you believe her? What are you going to do about it?

 

Happy Resurrection Day!

The Echo of Easter

 

Acts 1:1-4 NKJV

“The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me…”

 

Last week we discussed the crucifixion of Christ and how He was not the only one:

- Two thieves crucified with Him

- One thief believes in Jesus and promised eternal life

 

Final moments at the cross

- Jesus thirsts

- “It is finished”

- “I release my spirit”

- The veil is torn

- Jesus dies

- Jesus placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea

 

The Resurrection (Appearances)

Sunday, Easter Morning:

- Mary visits the tomb early in the morning

- Earthquake and the tomb stone was rolled away

- Jesus visits Mary

- Jesus appears to two others

- Jesus appears to Peter

- Jesus appears to two disciples

- Jesus appears to apostles (minus Thomas)

 

Following Sunday after Easter:

- Jesus appears to apostles (plus Thomas)

 

Sometime after Easter:

- Jesus appears to some of the apostles fishing (restores Peter)

- Jesus appears to all of the disciples (great commission)

 

Final Appearance 40 Days from Easter Sunday:

- Jesus appears to the apostles at the Mount of Olives

 

Final Instructions

There at the Mount of Olives, Jesus gives the disciples their final instructions. Although they had been commissioned to go into all the world, they were instructed to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father. 

 

The disciples imagined that Jesus was getting ready to establish His kingdom. However, Jesus informs them that it is not their responsibility to know the times. Instead, Jesus tells them to wait to receive power from the Holy Spirit.

 

Acts 1:8 - “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

 

Notice that Jesus says that they will receive power from the Holy Spirit to be witnesses “to Me.” The Holy Spirit was going to give them power in order to be witnesses. The apostles witnessed many things with Jesus: His life, His words, parables, miracles, prayer, His arrest, His betrayal, many things. However, I believe that Jesus is referring to a specific event, the resurrection of Christ.

 

The Holy Spirit was going to give them power to be a witness of what they had seen with their own eyes. This was very important, as the apostles were vital to the growth of the early church in the New Testament. They were instrumental because they were “eye witnesses” of the risen Lord. The oral word of the apostles were important and were given extra credence. Eventually when the apostles began to die off, there became a tremens sense of urgency to make an account of Jesus from some of the remaining apostles. Then the written word of the apostles became what they held on to, which eventually became the gospels.

 

The apostles were called to be witnesses… of Jesus’ resurrection through the power of the Holy Spirit. They were called to be witnesses of the resurrection, of what they had seen with their own eyes. The chief priests tried to disseminate false information in order to get as many people to be deceived into believing a lie concerning the resurrection. Does that sound familiar? The devil hasn’t learned any new tricks. He is still trying to deceive people into believing literally anything else other than the truth.

- Podcasts

- Debates

- Social media

- Youtube channels

- Etc

 

However, the devil could not stop it then, and he still can’t stop it today. Over 70% of America will be in church today hearing the gospel message of how Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. The resurrection mattered then, and it still matters today.

 

Because of the Resurrection:

1. Our faith is not in vain
1 Corinthians 15:14 - “If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.”

• Jesus is alive!

• What we do for Jesus is not in vain

2. Free from the power of sin
1 Corinthians 15:17 - “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”

• All authority has been given to Jesus

• Sin, death, and the grave have been defeated

• We have been given the righteousness of Christ

3. Unshakeable hope in light of eternity
1 Corinthians 15:20 - "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

• Jesus was the first, but Jesus will not be the last; He is coming back

• Because Jesus was raised, we too will be raised

• His resurrection guarantees ours

4. Empowered to live boldly today
1 Corinthians 15:58 - "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

• Lay aside every weight that so easily entangles us

• We can stand firm in the truth; Jesus is risen!

• Allow the Holy Spirit empower you to be a witness

• Know that what we do for Jesus is not in vain