Dear friend, welcome back to the course! Today we wanted to share with you an experience we had through a revelation. No, not some revelation from heaven revealed to us through a vision, but a thought of appreciation for women who have given birth and share a remarkable similarity with Jesus. Join us as we look into the life of Jesus through childbearing.
One day I stood face to face with my wife Sylvia. As I was looking intently into her eyes I told her that I loved her stretch marks and that I was thankful for what she had to go through. I don’t think I have ever conveyed that to her, at least not in a way that was from the heart. As I told her, she looked at me (with a smile of disbelief) not thinking I was serious. She thought her body was “out of whack” for me. Could I blame her? Most of her feelings about her body have come directly from my lack of interest in her body and too much interest in other bodies that haven’t been altered by children.
So there we stood, face to face. I began to reiterate my feelings and love for her. I simply repeated what I had said. This time, however, I explained in more detail how I felt. How I thought of the sacrifice, the pain, the scars, and the marks on her body. Many of which would never go away. I told her they were the “price she paid” for the “gift she gave.” The gift of childbearing comes at the high price of giving up one’s body to give life to another.
But greater still is the similarity between what our wives gave (if you have a wife) and what Jesus Christ gave while He hung on the cross bearing our sins. He bore the pain, He wears the scars, and He bears the marks on his body, the “price He paid” for the “gift He gave,” to give life to another! Dear friend, let us look at their bodies with thanksgiving in our hearts for the gift we have received from Jesus and our wives.
Your wife: Her body went through tremendous change and alteration carrying each child, torn, marred, and altered from its original state.
Jesus: His body was torn to pieces “marred beyond human likeness” while carrying each sin He bore on the cross to bear children of God (Isaiah 52:14; Isaiah 53:5).
Your wife: Endured the sacrifice, bore the pain, and bears the marks on her body. Jesus: Endured the sacrifice, bore the pain, and bears the marks on His body (Isaiah 53:5; Psalm 22:16; 1 Peter 2:24)
Your wife: Her body was given and her blood was shed so that the gift of children could be born. Jesus: His body was given and His blood was shed so that the gift of spiritual children could be born (1 John 3; John 3:16).
Your wife: Her body was stretched beyond the limits that any human should have been, to carry, care for and nurture the child.
Jesus: His body was stretched out on a cross as a criminal, to carry, care for and nurture you as His child and part of the body of Christ (Isaiah 53:9; 1 Corinthians 12:27; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Your wife: Should proudly display her marks and scars as the “price she paid” for the “gift she gave” (Psalm 127:3). Jesus: Displayed his marks and scars for us as “proof of purchase”, the “price He paid” for the “gift He gave” (Colossians 2:14; John 3:16; John 20:27).