Lighthouse Fellowship

Bride

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Dear Lighthouse,

 

            Many things in the Bible are used to foreshadow or stand as examples (types) of things to come.  Jonah’s experience foreshadowed Christ who was in the tomb for three days as Jonah was in the fish.  The tabernacle foreshadowed the temple which itself was a symbol of the Christian’s own body which would one day house the Spirit of God.  Another such example is the institution of marriage. 

            The first married couple were Adam and Eve.  Their union was brought together by God Himself and was to intended to be a permanent, fruitful relationship crafted in love.  Marriage was intended to be an example of unity and commitment.  It is fitting, then, that Jesus uses marriage as an example of His relationship with the believer.  Pick up the references in Matt. 9:15  and John 3:29.

 

            “Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them?  The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”

 

            “The bide belongs to the bridegroom.  The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him...He must become greater; I must become less.” (John the Baptist speaking)

 

            Interestingly, we find that Jesus’ disciples felt no burden to fast while they were at His feet.  No, instead their relationship was within arms length.  They were overjoyed at the opportunity to learn directly from the Master.  He was there healing and teaching in Person.  What a special time!  But, He says that when He is gone they will fast.  As we discussed in Sunday School, this fasting helps strengthen the bond and reinforces the realism that you are in a relationship with God and dependent on Him.  While Jesus remains in Heaven, we need the crutch of fasting to firm up the connection with Him.  I encourage you to consider this discipline for your own life.

            Secondly we find John playing the role of the ‘best man’ at Jesus’ wedding.  He knew his place and it was not to usurp the Christ who had come.  So, if Jesus is the bridegroom with a best man and wedding guests, then who is the bride?  Answer:  You and me.

            The bride in this imagery is the Church that Jesus came to save.  Recall John 3:16, God sent His only Son so that all may have everlasting life with Him.  Now, you and I - all the believers in Jesus, all who have surrendered to the Lordship of Christ, all who have been washed in the cleansing waters of baptism which represents our public commitment to God - those people comprise the Church which is the bride of God’s only Son. 

            So my question is this:  What kind of bride are you making?  Are you faithful or adulterous?  Are you joyful and comfortable with your future husband away or are you hopeful and waiting - watching from the window for His return?  Are you taking care of your husband’s affairs while He is gone or are you allowing His enemies to tend His fields and entertain His wedding guests? 

What kind of bride are we?  Where is our desire?  Is it for our husband to be or for the many treasures this world has to offer?  Where is your heart?  Jesus said in Matt. 6:21 “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  The heart of the church must be centered on Jesus Christ and Him alone.  If it is not, then our relationship is a failure and our glory is in our shame.

I beg you to consider your relationship with the bridegroom now, at the beginning of the year.  Consider how you can become a better bride.  Consider how you would like to be found the day He returns.  We need to keep ourselves pure and clean.  We need to learn to submit to Him in love (see Eph. 5:21).  We need to pursue that which pleases Him and not ourselves.  For those of you who are married, consider what makes your marriage good and imitate that in your marriage to Christ.

Revelation 19-22 reveals the final scenes that will unfold when Jesus returns to claim His bride, the church.  Those of us who stand the tests of time, the temptations of the evil one, and the adulterous lure of the world will meet our Savior in radiance and glory.  He will be proud indeed to wed the kind of bride described here. 

But perhaps the most amazing verse is Rev. 22:17 that reads, “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let Him who hears say, ‘Come!’  Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the fee gift of the water of life.”  

Did you catch it?  The Spirit and the bride are together, they are one, the rift between God and Man is gone.  The wedding invitation has gone out.  Heaven is for the taking.  All you need is to know the groom.  Do you? 

Jesus has paid for this wedding and reception with His very life blood for our forgiveness.  The least we can do is honor Him by being a worthy bride.  Don’t miss the best party this universe will ever see!!

See you there.

 

 

Serving Him with you,

 

Evan