Here Comes the Bride (2)

Subtitle: Rediscovering Our Identity as the Beloved of Christ

Series: Who are we?

Opening Paragraph : This afternoon, I’ll have the honor of officiating the wedding of Tyler Weldy and Laura Avery. Over the last several years, we’ve watched God shape their lives through the love of this community, and the deep discipleship they embraced through The Potter’s Clay. Today, they step into a covenant of marriage—but it’s more than a ceremony. It’s a visible picture of an invisible reality: Christ and His Church.

Tyler and Laura’s journey is a testimony that love is more than a feeling—it’s a refining fire, a shaping hand, and a sacred promise. Their union is a beautiful symbol, but it points to something eternal. Before either of them ever stood on the edge of an aisle, they were already standing in something far greater: the love of Christ. And so are you.

Too often, when we read Ephesians 5, we flip the message and think that Christ’s love for the Church is a metaphor to help wives honor, and husbands love better. But the truth is far deeper: marriage exists to illustrate Christ and the Church. Marriage is the shadow—Christ and the Church is the substance. This means our ultimate identity is not found in being a husband or wife, but in being the Bride of Christ.

Hook Phrase: “I am the Bride—chosen, cherished, and called.” Say it until you believe it. Say it until you live it.

Preview: The Journey Toward Unity Ephesians 5:22–33 reveals the spiritual journey of the Church as the Bride of Christ. Each movement in this passage builds toward a spiritual reality—not just in understanding our identity, but in experiencing unity with Christ. First, the Bride learns to trust her Groom. Then, she receives His love and transformation. As she is made new, she becomes one with Him in intimacy and lives with expectant devotion. This progression is the path to spiritual union and flourishing as His radiant Bride.

The Five Movements of the Bride:

Yielding to Christ’s Headship (Trust)

Receiving Christ’s Sacrificial Love (Treasure)

Becoming Radiant Through His Word (Transform)

Walking in Intimate Union with Christ (Tether)

Living to bear fruit (Testify)

Sermon Outline: "Here Comes the Bride"

Movement 1: Yielding to Christ’s Headship (Trusted)

Ephesians 5:22–24 ESV

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Christ’s Headship Is Loving and Sacrificial

Paul doesn’t begin by telling the Bride to submit without first revealing who she’s submitting to: Christ, the Head of the Church.

Headship is not a position of dominance, but of divine responsibility.

As the Head, Christ takes initiative, carries the burden, sets direction, and sacrifices Himself for the good of the Body.

Colossians 1:18 ESV

18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

When we understand Christ’s headship properly, submission becomes a response to love, not a reaction to power.

The Church doesn’t submit to a tyrant but to a Savior who laid down everything for her.

Submission is not suppression—it is alignment with Christ’s loving leadership

In our culture, there's growing tension over the roles of men and women, especially in marriage and leadership. Some argue that in Christ, all distinctions are erased and that headship is outdated or even oppressive. But Scripture teaches a more beautiful truth: equality in worth does not mean sameness in role.

Likewise, in marriage, the Bible teaches that the husband is the head (Ephesians 5:23), and the wife is the responsive helper, not because of a lack of ability, but by divine design. The Church is not competing with Christ for leadership—it flourishes under His covering. In the same way, a godly wife flourishes under godly headship.

Submission is not silence, weakness, or passivity—it is unity in mission. 

Quote: “Headship is not about control; it’s about responsibility. Submission is not about passivity; it’s about trust.” — Tim Keller

The Bride submits not because she’s less, but because she is loved.

Love Aligns with the Lord’s Will

The Church lives under His headship by aligning with His will—not just out of duty, but out of love (John 14:15). Love expresses itself through joyful obedience and spiritual discernment.

John 14:15 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Ephesians 5:17 ESV

17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Illustration: Imagine a couple on a ballroom dance floor. The music begins softly, and the man gently places his hand on his bride’s back. With every movement, she mirrors his lead—not because she’s powerless, but because she trusts the one leading her. They glide across the floor in perfect harmony. The beauty of the dance isn’t in who’s in control—it’s in how unified they are. When she follows his lead, the dance becomes fluid, powerful, and full of grace. It’s not domination—it’s coordination. The same is true in our relationship with Christ: when we trust His lead, our lives begin to move with purpose, rhythm, and elegance we could never choreograph on our own.

Reflection Question: How is your dance with the Lord? Where do you need to stop resisting and start trusting His lead?

Application: To flourish spiritually, we must realign our hearts to Christ’s leadership. 

Movement 2: Receiving Christ’s Sacrificial Love (Treasured)

Ephesians 5:25 ESV

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

Love Initiates with Sacrifice

Jesus didn’t wait for our perfection, but redeemed us in our brokenness.

Love required the first man to give of himself, but it required the Second Man to give His very life.

Illustration: In Genesis 2, God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. While he slept, God opened Adam’s side and formed his bride from a rib taken from him. Adam had to give something of himself—his very flesh—for his bride to be created. It’s a foreshadowing of a greater love story: Jesus, the Second Adam, would also fall into the sleep of death. His side would be pierced, and out of it would come blood and water—the ingredients of redemption and rebirth. Just as Eve was born from Adam’s side, the Church was born from Christ’s sacrifice. The first bride came at the cost of a rib; the second came at the cost of a cross.

Love Redefines Our Worth

Titus 3:4–7 ESV

4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Reflection Question: Have you considered the depth of what Christ gave to create and claim you as His Bride?

Application: Your identity isn’t rooted in how lovable you feel, but in how deeply you are loved. I am the Bride—chosen, cherished, and called.

Movement 3: Becoming Radiant Through His Word (Transformed)

Ephesians 5:26–27 ESV

26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Sanctification Comes Through the Word

“Sanctification is the process by which God makes us more like Christ in our actual lives. It is a progressive work that begins at conversion and continues until we meet Christ face to face.”

— Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology

The Word of God washes away the lies, shame, and stains of the past. As we saturate our hearts with Scripture, Christ transforms us from the inside out.

John 17:17 ESV

17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Sanctification is a process

Christ isn’t just saving you; He’s preparing you.

Revelation 19:7–8 ESV

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.

Holiness is the wedding gown Christ is dressing His Church in.

Isaiah 61:10 ESV

10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult 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 like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

That’s what sanctification is like. Jesus has provided the righteousness—the garment of salvation (Isaiah 61:10)—but the Church must respond by readying herself. Revelation 19:7 says, “The Bride has made herself ready.” Through the washing of the Word, Christ prepares us, and through obedience and devotion, we participate in that preparation. The wedding day is coming—and we’re being made ready by Him and with Him.

Reflection Question: What areas of your life still need to be prepared for the wedding day?

Application: Don’t resent the process—He’s preparing you for the wedding day. Radiance is revealed in the refinement.

Movement 4: Walking in Intimate Union with Christ (Tethered)

Ephesians 5:28–30 ESV

28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body.

We are not only the Bride but the Body of Christ

Christ takes care of His Body because he takes care of himself.

You are made one with Christ

John 17:20–21 ESV

20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

This is not just a relational ideal, it’s a spiritual reality.

In Christ, we are not just reconciled, we are united with Him in a bond that reflects the very unity of the Trinity.

Union with Christ produces communion, security, and shared life.

Illustration (True Story): Ian and Larissa Murphy were a young Christian couple planning to get married when tragedy struck. In 2006, Ian suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car accident. He was left unable to walk, speak clearly, or care for himself. Most people expected Larissa to move on. But she didn’t.

Instead, she leaned in. She stood by his side through recovery, therapy, and unimaginable challenges. Four years later, they were married. In their wedding video, Larissa said, “Marrying Ian meant that I was choosing to be his primary caregiver for the rest of our lives—but it also meant I was saying yes to loving him as part of myself.”

Ian could no longer offer her the kind of romantic love the world defines as ideal. But her love reflected something greater—a covenant love that cherishes, nurtures, and sacrifices because of union. Not convenience.

That’s the love Christ has for His Bride. When we are weak, He carries us. When we can’t speak, He intercedes for us. When we can’t walk, He holds us. He doesn’t leave when we’re broken—He draws closer. Because we are not just someone He loves—we are part of Him.

Reflection Question: When you feel weak, can you still believe that Christ sees you as worth cherishing—not because of your strength, but because of your union with Him?

Application: Let Christ’s care for you reshape your confidence. You are one with the King

Say it with me: “I am the Bride—chosen, cherished, and called.”

Movement 5: Living to Bear Fruit (Testified)

Ephesians 5:31–32 ESV

31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

Christ Holds Fast to His Bride 

Just as a husband leaves his family and cleaves to his wife, so Christ left heaven to pursue and unite Himself with the Church. This bond is not fragile or fickle—it is covenantal and eternal.

The Greek word for “hold fast” (proskollaō) means to be glued together, inseparable.

Jesus is not casually connected to His people—He is permanently joined to us in love.

Romans 8:38–39 ESV

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Mystery Is Marriage, but the Meaning Is Christ.

As Paul reveals this mystery, he intentionally echoes the language of Genesis 2:24: "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This is no accident. Paul sees Christ as the Second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45–47). Just as Eve came from Adam's side, the Church is born from Christ's pierced side.

What the first couple failed to do—live in obedience and multiply God's image—the Church now fulfills through spiritual union with Christ. As the Bride, we don’t just wait—we bear fruit. We produce spiritual children through the gospel (cf. John 15:5, Galatians 4:19). We live in anticipation, but also in mission, multiplying disciples until the Groom returns.

Reflection Question: Are you multiplying what Christ has planted in you—or simply maintaining what He gave?

Application: Don’t just wait for the wedding—work the harvest. The fruitful Bride prepares not only herself, but multiplies others for the joy of the Groom.

Conclusion and Next Steps

You’re not just a believer—you’re a Bride, and Christ is not just your Savior—He is your Groom.

Next Steps (Using the Change Model):

Dissatisfaction – Identify one area in your life where you’re not living like the radiant Bride of Christ. Are you discouraged, complacent, or distracted? Write that down and bring it before the Lord this week.

Vision – Envision what it would look like to fully embrace your identity as the cherished Bride. Meditate on one verse that speaks to your union with Christ (e.g., Ephesians 5:27, Revelation 19:7–8).

First Step – Take action this week: Share the Gospel with someone, invest in a disciple, or intentionally serve as one who is preparing for the return of the Groom.

Altar Call / Communion Invitation As the Bride of Christ, we don’t just hear about His love—we respond to it. And today, we do so through Communion.

This sacred act reminds us of the covenant love that Christ has sealed with His Bride through His body and His blood. As we take the bread, we remember His body broken for us. As we take the cup, we remember His blood shed to cleanse and claim us.

Come to the table not as strangers, but as the Bride—pure, loved, and eagerly awaited.

"I am the Bride—chosen, cherished, and called."

Lead the congregation to take the elements together—first the bread, then the cup.

YouTube/Streaming Synopsis You’re not just saved—you’re spoken for. In this powerful message from Ephesians 5, discover how Christ’s love for His Church reveals your true identity as His Bride—submitted, loved, radiant, united, and eagerly awaited. Embrace the love that transforms and the calling that elevates. #BrideOfChrist #IdentityInChrist #GospelLove #RadiantBride #LivingLoved