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Going deeper into God
- The Bride & the Bridegroom

Another picture of the deep relationship that God has planned for His followers is that of the Bridegroom and the Bride. This is one for the church as a whole, not just individual Christians, although each Christian needs to be involved in being a worthy part of the relationship. Look at the Bible references in turn and let the idea spark your imagination.

 This thread (Going deeper into God):
  1. Listening to God
  2. Centring down
  3. Opening my heart
  4. The Vine and the Branches
  5. The Bride & the Bridegroom

John 3:27-30

It is John the Baptist who first uses the idea of Jesus as the Bridegroom and his followers being the bride. He points out his own place as simply a friend of the groom (like the Best Man), smoothing the way for the happy couple.

27To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.

 

Revelation 19:7-9

The book of Revelation contains an extended pictorial message of encouragement to Christians who are undergoing great difficulty and persecution, and reveals something of what will happen at the end of time when Jesus returns and all things are put right according to God's end plan.

6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

"Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear."
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
9 Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'" And he added, "These are the true words of God."

The notion of Jesus the Bridegroom and the Church as the Bride reappears as the wedding finally takes place.

 

Revelation 21:1-4

Towards the very end of Revelation one picture is laid over another, and the Bride is referred to as the New Jerusalem. This is itself an image of the church - the people of God - who will be finally joined to Jesus in full intimate relationship at the End of all things.

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

 

2 Corinthians 11:1-2

1 I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that. 2 I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.

Paul writes to the church in Corinth, and uses the Bride metaphor. He has been in the role of the Bride's helper who has presented her in her maiden purity to the Groom.

 

Ephesians 5:25-33

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church - 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Here Paul uses the idea of the church as the Bride of Christ to show how husbands ought to love their wives, while at the same time using the well understood image of a good marriage to show what the church's relationship is to Jesus.

 

The implications

A bride and groom relationship presumes mutual love. We are being told clearly that Jesus loves His church, and that we are called to love Him.

Several times the idea of purity of the Bride is mentioned. Our lives are meant to reflect the goodness of our Husband, Christ.

Preparation is also mentioned. We are familiar wit the realities of a wedding and all the preparation that goes on. So we as followers of Jesus are spending our time on earth preparing ourselves to be fit for eternity with Him.

 

Any questions?

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