For God so loved the Broken Family
John 3:16 Series
In the beginning, God created us male and female in His image (Genesis 1:27). He placed that image within the family, establishing marriage as the foundation of human relationships. Later, He would reveal that marriage was designed to point us forward to His Son, Jesus Christ, and His love for the Church (Ephesians 5:31-32).
Though God designed these relationships, sin entered the world and fractured the family. As part of the curse, strife and pain became part of marriage and childbearing (Genesis 3:16-19). The very first family not only experienced the first marriage but also the first act of murder—Cain killed his brother Abel in jealousy and rage (Genesis 4:8).
Yet in Christ, broken marriages can be redeemed. Families that have endured the painful reality of divorce can find healing. There is hope in Jesus Christ. No person is beyond redemption. No family is beyond restoration.
God sent His Son, Jesus, to take upon Himself the death that sin brings (Romans 6:23). He came to bear the weight of the sins that divide families and destroy relationships. At the cross, He defeated the power of sin, meaning it no longer has to control our lives (Colossians 2:13-15).
God loves the broken families, and the Church must as well. We are called to care for the abused, to comfort those who have been abandoned, and to walk alongside those experiencing heartbreak. We must care for children who suffer the consequences of their parents’ actions.
Take time today to pray for those in your community who are living in broken and struggling homes. If you are someone experiencing this brokenness, look to Christ. He is a Savior who loves you and will restore you, no matter where you have been or what has happened.
Consider Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4. She had been married five times and was now living with a man who was not her husband. Yet Jesus did not condemn her—He revealed Himself as the Messiah and offered her the living water of eternal life (John 4:13-14, 25-26).
Jesus died for her, just as He died for those in our communities who are struggling in broken relationships. He died for the person on their fourth or fifth marriage. He died for the children of divorce. He died to redeem what sin has shattered. In Him, there is forgiveness, healing, and restoration.