Bone Of His Bones

Bone of His Bones

God has always had it in his heart not only to create humanity, but also to become human and to relate with us as one of us. In making man in his image, he made him for relationship.

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him. ” . . .

So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the LORD God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.

“At last!” the man exclaimed.

“This one is bone from my bone,

and flesh from my flesh!

She will be called ‘woman,’

because she was taken from ‘man.’” (Genesis 2:18, 21-23)

At this point, the biblical writer injects some perspective on what God has done: “This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one” (Genesis 2:24).

Much later, another biblical writer points us to what God did in this union to help us to understand not only marriage between a man and a woman but also the mysterious union between Christ and his church: “As the Scriptures say, ‘A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one” (Ephesians 5:31-32).

The joy Adam expressed in this being who was drawn from his body is a foreshadowing of the joy Jesus takes in his church, which is his very body. As the woman came from Adam’s side while he was in a deep sleep, so the church came from the bleeding, wounded side of Jesus when he was in a three-day deep sleep of death. “The church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ” (Ephesians 1:23).

The day is coming when Jesus will rejoice over his bride, the church, like Adam did when he shouted, “At last!” Finally Christ’s bride will be with him, in his presence forevermore.

How is it that I could be united as one with you, Jesus? What a glorious and mysterious work you have done to make me worthy of such infinite oneness!