What Does Easter Mean for Your Marriage?
Photo by Daria Magazzu
Easter is a sacred invitation—not just to remember what Jesus did on the cross but to live in what He did there. May this year be the one where Easter becomes personal for you. May it move from history into your heart. May the love of Jesus—raw, sacrificial, and victorious—become your compass for life and love.
For many of us, the image of Jesus crucified is familiar. We’ve seen the films, read the Scriptures, and felt a sense of awe at the weight He carried.
But there is a deeper knowing that goes beyond the mind and enters the soul.
One night I (Salomé) encountered that knowing. I didn’t just understand that Jesus died for the world—I realized He died for me. He wanted me free. He wanted me alive. He wanted to give me His Spirit. That love broke me open in the best way. It’s still breaking and remaking me to this day.
Recently, as I’ve reflected on His great act of love, the Lord began highlighting another dimension of the cross: how it speaks to marriage.
Even if you happen to be single right now, this article is still for you. Consider it an investment! So that one day you can step into marriage with the joy of knowing what love, sacrifice, and “practical resurrection” mean for you and your spouse.
The Cross and the Covenant
Marriage was never meant to be a contract. It’s a covenant, and covenants are written in blood. Christ’s relationship with the Church, His Bride, is the ultimate model of what marriage is meant to be. Ephesians 5 lays it out clearly:
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. (NIV)
That is not just poetic theology. It is intensely practical. Jesus died—actually died—so His Bride could be holy, radiant, healed, and whole. That kind of love is fierce, and it isn’t built on convenience. It is built on sacrifice.
To love your spouse like Christ loved the Church means dying to self daily. Not just when it’s easy. Not just when you “feel like it.” It’s about surrendering your time, your pride, your comfort, and your plans—for the sake of love.
What Does “Dying to Self” Really Mean?
If we’re being honest, dying to self sounds noble…until we’re tired and our spouse needs to talk. Until they criticize us. Until the dishes pile up. Until our schedule doesn’t go our way.
But that is where resurrection power shows up. The cross is not the end of something—it’s the door to new life.
Dying to self can look like:
Listening with patience, even when you’re misunderstood.
Coming home early to be present with your spouse—not just physically but emotionally and spiritually.
Choosing prayer over passive silence.
Leading with humility, not dominance.
Supporting your spouse in their calling, even when it costs you your preferences.
One husband put it beautifully:
“Sometimes, loving like Jesus is just listening—even when it’s hard, even when you feel accused. You stay present because she matters more than being right.”
One wife challenged:
“How can we expect to be led if we’re not also willing to be led? God invites both husband and wife to reflect Christ—not by grasping for power but by laying it down.”
The Beauty of Mutual Submission
Yes, Ephesians 5 tells wives to submit to their husbands…but we need to read the full context. This is how the passage begins:
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
This isn’t about hierarchy. It’s about honor. Christ was equal to God the Father, and yet He submitted to the Father’s will even unto death. Why? Because love compelled Him. Because we were worth it to Him.
In the same way, marriage is a holy dance of mutual submission. Not because one spouse is greater than the other, but because both reflect the image of Christ. The husband is called to lead like Christ—not as a tyrant but as a servant. The wife is called to honor as unto the Lord—not in weakness but in strength.
Practical Resurrection in Your Marriage
This Easter, as we celebrate the risen Christ, let’s ask a vital question: “How does the resurrection change my marriage?”
Do we allow the Holy Spirit to correct and soften our heart?
Do we love with endurance, not just emotion?
Do we serve with joy, not resentment?
Do we speak life, not criticism?
Marriage is not about finding “the one.” It’s about becoming the one. The one who lays down their life, like Jesus. The one who reflects His glory—not because they’re perfect but because they are submitted.
Let It Be Personal
Beloved, Jesus didn’t go to the cross just to give you a better life. He gave you His life. And now He calls you to do the same—not just in your ministry, not just in your calling, but in your home. In your marriage. In your everyday choices to love like He does.
So, this Easter, ask the Holy Spirit:
“What does it look like for me to die to myself today, so my spouse can live more fully?”
And then, whatever He shows you, do it in faith, knowing that every “death” in Christ leads to resurrection.
That is the beauty of Easter.
That is the mystery of marriage.
That is becoming the one. One with God, one in marriage.
Happy Easter!
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