Christ is the head of the church and savior of the body. The church is subject unto Christ and the love of Christ for the church is compared to a marriage between husband and wife. Christ loves the church and gave himself for it just as a husband who loves his wife would. Christ gave himself to sanctify (set apart, made Holy) and cleanse the church by the washing of water by the word which indicates we are to be saved, baptized, be filled with the Holy Ghost, and study the word of God so that we become set apart and Holy in the eyes of God which then makes the us eligible to be presented to the glorious church without a spot or wrinkle, without sin.
​The Lord nourishes and cherishes the church because we are then part of Him, members of His body as one flesh and one bones.
Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Ephesians 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
Ephesians 5:27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Ephesians 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
Ephesians 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Isaiah 54:5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
Isaiah 54:6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
Isaiah 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.