Christian Foundations

We are continuing with our theme that the Lord Jesus is coming for His bride!  Everyone looks a good wedding, especially when the couple are a good match!  So who is – and is not – the Bride? 

A.  A people who choose to follow the Creator

Even before Creation was spoken into existence, the Creator has wanted a people for Himself.  Jehovah claimed a people for Himself in the Old Testament Jewish nation.  This resulted in their rejection of Jehovah and they were sent into captivity until faith in Him was cemented.

1.  Jesus Christ came for His people as well. 

This group of people is called ‘the church’.  Another mystery remains then, what is the ‘Bride of Christ’?

Ephesians 5:31-32:  For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church. (NIV)

2.  A mystery is just that, something unsolved, not clearly seen until you begin to unravel a mystery.

The imagery and symbolism of marriage is applied to Christ and His body, His church.

Come with me and look at some of the pieces of this mystery.

B.  This mystery can be seen in the light of the Old Testament Marriage ceremony:

1. First part of the marriage came with the public announcement of the intentions between the two people to be married.  This part of the ceremony preceded an agreement between the two fathers that marked the start of the ‘betrothal’ period, sealed by a ‘bride price’..

2.  The Betrothal period

Traditionally, this was one year in length.  During this time, the bridegroom returned to his own father’s home.  It was to prepare a room for his new bride.  The room was inspected to make sure it was worthy of her.

3.  The Bride’s process

In the meantime, the bride continued to prepare herself for her great day.  Strange as it seems to us today, the exact day and hour were unknown.  The bridal party and the bride had to be ready as the announcement of the coming bridegroom could come at any moment.

4.  The Wedding Day comes!

The announcement of the wedding day ceremony and feast started when one of the bridegroom’s friends came through the streets yelling “Behold, the bridegroom comes!”

At this point, the ‘sofar’ or special trumpet sounded.  Then the wedding party went to the bride’s house where the bridegroom claimed his bride.  He then took her to the wedding supper with great rejoicing of the people.   Their wedding feast could last up to seven days in the traditional style of ceremony.  They both longingly wait for the day to arrive!

5.  Can you see any similarities in the old traditional ceremony and what is outlined for the Jesus Followers in His return?

Just as there was a betrothal period in biblical times during which the bride and groom were separated until the wedding, so is the bride of Christ is separate from her Bridegroom during what we know as the church age.  At the Second Coming of Christ, the church will be united with the Bridegroom, the official “wedding ceremony” will take place and, with it, the eternal union of Christ and His bride will be actualized (Revelation 19:7-9; 21:1-2).

C.  The New Creation Bride and her Bridegroom

1.  The writer Paul in the New Testament spoke of the symbolism of marriage and our union with Jesus.

The Bride of Christ or bride, the Lamb’s wife is a term used in reference to a group of related verses in the Bible—in the Gospels, Revelation, the Epistles and related verses in the Old Testament. Sometimes the Bride is implied through calling Jesus a Bridegroom. For over fifteen hundred years the Church was identified as the bride betrothed to Christ.

2.  Jesus of Nazareth came and gave His life for His Bride.

He loved ‘the church’, His body of believers so much that He was willing to die to bring her into existence.  He sent the Holy Spirit to help equip and build this bride.

He plans on presenting a ‘…pure and spotless, without wrinkle or any such blemish….’ bride, Ephesians 5:27.  His bride won’t be grabbing her wrinkled dress at the last moment, pretending to be a follower without the fruit of their relationship.

Did you ever stop and think about what they means.  Jesus Christ is so looking forward to the day when He does return.   He loved you so much that He willingly allowed the soldiers to put the nails in his wrists and ties Him to the cross.  It was only His love that kept Him on the cross….His love for YOU!

3.  He has paid the ‘Bride Price’ for you.

Isaiah 61:10 is one of my favourite verses:  “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

D.  So how do we, as the bride prepared ourselves for the return of our Bridegroom?

1.  It is our responsibility to hear and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit, the friend who announces the coming of the Bridegroom.

The process of ‘Sanctification’ means a daily walking and hearing the Bridegroom’s voice.  Forget the gender thing as this picture of a bride and groom goes so far beyond the marriage image of today.

2.  It is her responsibility to be faithful to Him during their betrothal period, 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:24.

Being the Bride of Christ is far beyond just buying n ‘off the rack’ wedding dress and standing at the altar waiting patiently – or impatiently – for the day to arrive.

2 Corinthians 11:2 gives us the marriage proposal, delivered first hand by Paul.

“For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin”.

3.  We are to keep ourselves for the one Bridegroom

Dealing with idolatry and all the daily demands of life come under the heading of getting ready for the Bridegroom.  Allowing the Father to conform us to the image of His Son, Jesus is part of the cleaning up process.  Yes, the price was paid at the cross but it is the Bride who dresses herself and keeps herself pure and spotless.  We need to do the work with the Holy Spirit to get there.

E.  He will build His Church – and it is not man-made!

1.  We need to hold that thought in place when we explore these various topics related to the ‘Counterfeit church system’.

The Bible says there is but one body, or church, into which Jesus calls His end-time people – the bride of Christ. To some, this is unnerving, as there are thousands of different churches today that call themselves Christian. Virtually every one claims to be God’s church, yet they each differ widely in biblical interpretation, faith, and practice.

2.  Not everyone who sits in the church congregation is part of His church. 

Those who join an organizati9on for the approval of others or for their husband’s demand – without a shred of faith in Jesus – will face Him in the end times.  He will separate the sheep from the goats, those who believe from those who do not believe but are practice a ‘religion’ versus the reality of being Jesus Followers.  People may keep the rules of the church and appear to be Christian on the outside – but without any touch of God in their lives.

3.  Remember the Parable of the wheat and Tares?

Both the believer and the unbeliever can be in the same building but without the same heart toward God.

4.  People from every time in history, every colour, tongue and country will be a the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. 

Again, the church is not domination or only one branch of believers.  Heaven will be filled with those we did not expect and those we did expect – He will be the judge of the hearts of mankind.

For more information about what heaven will be like, check my other blog:

www.hearinggod.mentorsnotebook.com/blog

We are working on a series on the Eternal Covenant between our Creator and the Jesus Followers throughout the ages.  I promise you that heaven is far more than just sitting on a cloud with an angel, singling and playing your harp!

I am glad we have a righteous Judge who will give out the rewards for the life we have lived on the earth.  Where will you be in the line-up?

F.  Some interesting websites on this topic:

http://www.jimfeeney.org/brideofchrist.html

http://theresurgence.com/2012/09/28/the-bride-of-christ-is-a-hot-mess

Join us for our next post on the 6 different growth stages for the Followers of Jesus in their process of ‘Sanctification’ and cleaning-up process.

Susanne Fengler, Blog Author

www.christianfoundations.jesus-treeoflife.info/blog

Tags: New Creation bride
Filed under: Challenges to the Christian Faith