Was Jesus Married?

I was reading around the web a while back and came across a post that asked a question which I suspect is probably very common today. It’s derived from the Da Vinci Code but our response doesn’t have to be framed in that context.

I am listening to radio shows and people are calling in and saying ?It hurts me to hear that Jesus was married because he wasn?t. It takes away his divineness to say that?. Okay ? HELLO ? FICTION people and not only that?.why would a human being married hurt?..Jesus was human and fallible (not that marriage is a mistake but that is a subject for another time). If he WAS by some chance married and had children?how does that take away his divineness?..I believe in Jesus and such a circumstance would never take away his glory in my eyes?.why? Oddly enough, doesn?t God want us to marry? The fanatics are screaming ?these are all lies and everyone is believing these lies?. Again, HELLO ? most people have brains and are capable of believing in WHATEVER the heck they want to.

Now I won’t tell you where I found this (that would be unfair to the author and they can reveal themselves if they so choose). I just wanted to share my position on the issue here (rather than on their blog – again, that would be unfair) so the question is…

Does the idea of Jesus being married take away from his divinity?

Jesus was man, so marriage is not unthinkable.
But He is God and perfect so would not need a spouse to compliment Him.

My initial reaction is this – marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman because “it is not good that the man should be alone” so God provided a “helper suitable for him”. (Gen 2:18)

Paul says “Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” (1 Corinthians 7:8,9)

I think we can all agree that Christ, who is perfect, could surely “control himself” so marriage was not necessary.

And finally, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)

So this is the direction my thoughts are going. Of course, someone might say that Christ, in His perfect obedience, would “be fruitful and multiply” which would suggest He would marry and have children. So both sides could use scripture to support their position. Thus we need to find a deeper understanding of Christ’s divinity and holiness to be able to confidently answer this question. In the end we may find that both are possible or find no answer at all. But at least I can say that I’ve tried to understand – even if it’s not revealed to me.

There are no definitive statements in scripture that affirm or deny Christ?s bachelorhood. Debating such a hypothesis, as far as I have seen, has been based on inductive reasoning which is by its very nature always inconclusive. Not having been exposed to a deductive proof of Christ?s marital status leaves us with one of two conclusions.

1) The axioms necessary for a valid deductive proof of Christ?s marital status exist in scripture, but such a proof has not been discovered or at least I am unaware of such a discovery.

or

2) Christ?s marital status is not relevant to the truths that God chose to reveal.

I do not believe that Christ was married, but hold to the second of the above conclusions. Christ’s marriage is very relevant, but not as one man and one woman. His imminent marriage is relevant as the Lamb to the Church.

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” Revelation 19:6-9