Sermon Notes
Matthew 5:31–32 NIV
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
Matthew 19:1–11 NIV
1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given.”
Deuteronomy 24:1 NIV
If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house …
ervat davar:
Something indecent
“a thing of nakedness” or “a naked thing”
“For Jesus, the only thing a marriage cannot survive is a closed heart”
— John Mark Comer
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Series Resources
Go deeper with additional resources from our teaching team.
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Discussion Igniters
(1) How have you been impacted by divorce?
(2) Read Matthew 5:31–32 and Matthew 19:1–11.
Why does Jesus care so much about marriage and divorce?
(3) What do you think is God’s purpose for marriage?
(4) Read Romans 8:1–6 and 8:26–28.
How can this truth about God give us hope for our marriage, after a divorce, or if we are not married?
(5) What are some things we can do to keep a soft heart towards others?