Some Wedding Details
Whether in song or passing through scripture, we occasionally come in contact with the word picture of the “Bride” of Christ. But what does that mean? Who is the bride of Christ? Since Christ is God, why would he need or want a bride?
Put most simply, the bride is the Church. The bride is the worldwide community of believers existing as “all nations” (Matthew 28:19). The salvation of all those who would one day accept the Gospel is the purpose of Christ’s coming to earth in human form. The word picture denotes love, an intimate knowledge of someone, authority, and leadership in a way that all men and women can understand.
This idea of a bride is mentioned several times in the Bible.
(1) The nation of Israel acted as a bride who had forgotten they were getting married. (Jer. 2:32) “Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number.”
Jeremiah’s words here show Israel’s current state as the bride, which is quite broken. They’ve forgotten their ornaments and they’ve forgotten their attire – meaning they’ve forgotten their rich blessing from God. We are to be clothed in God’s truth. The word picture shown here is that of a bride forgetting her attire for her wedding day. That’s ridiculous! A bride prepares, without ceasing, for her wedding day. Thought is given to her appearance, the marriage ceremony, who will be invited, flowers, photographs, and what will be served – the list goes on and on. Her every waking moment is focused on her wedding day. Jeremiah shows how far Israel has fallen to be as crazy as a bride who would forget her attire on her wedding day. Imagine a bride forgetting that she should dress up for her wedding day!
(2) We are warned against being unprepared for the Bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13) “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Similar to what Jeremiah says about the ridiculousness of a bride being unprepared to meet her groom, Matthew records Christ’s parable of the 10 virgins. But, again, here we see a lack of preparedness for the goodness coming our way. In the same way that there were wise and foolish women who were told to prepare for their coming bridegroom (and coming wedding), so we are to be prepared because Christ’s return will be as a “thief in the night.” (2 Peter 3:10)
(3) The disciples were like guests at a wedding. (Mark 2:19) “‘Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as the bridegroom is with them they cannot fast.’”
Jesus is catching flack from the pharisees because his disciples are not fasting regularly, and he throws this thought at them. No one would fast knowing that they’re going to a wedding later that day. What would be the point? A wedding is a day of celebration and excitement. It’s not a time normally reserved for fasting and prayer. The disciples are being referred to as wedding guests here – but for what wedding? The wedding for which Christ came to earth! The disciples are given a front row seat to see what Christ is doing as any guest to a wedding would do.
(4) What kind of wedding doesn’t include a best-man? (John 3:29) “‘The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.’”
Contrary to popular culture, a bridegroom should have a man standing at his side who rejoices for the wedding he’s been invited to take part in. He’s excited for his friend, he celebrates the bride, he’s partaken in the preparations of the day and has not been a hindrance. This is John the Baptist speaking. He is the one who has been preparing the way for the wedding. (Luke 3:2-3) He is rejoicing to see Christ’s wedding with the bride – so much so that he says his joy is now complete.
(5) There will be a final wedding feast when the church is forever united with Christ. (Revelation 19:6-9):
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
Our ultimate hope is for the one day when we will be invited to that great wedding feast and we will be clothed in the righteous deeds of the saints. We are shown a picture of heaven – an eternal time of worship in which song comes across like “the roar of many waters” and a call to clothe ourselves in righteous acts.
Prayer
Father, please remind us to never lose sight of our role as the bride. We praise you for we have been fearfully and wonderfully made. You have richly adorned us in blessing that is undeserved. You rejoice at our wedding day, when we will forever enjoy unity with you. Those whose lives are recorded for us in scripture have helped in the planning of the great wedding day – the great feast in which we will be a part. This is exciting stuff – the promise to leave this world and all its problems and enter into time with you forever! Let us go forth today with the joy and excitement that this should bring.
Amen
