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