Knowing the Word - Bride of Christ

Knowing the Word Bride of Christ Intro / Welcome / Interact below - ask questions, answer questions... Background on knowing the word - I really enjoy the Bible - and really enjoy studying it and learning about God and about how my walk with God is transformed by Knowing Him better. What I've come to realize over the last 25 years is that there can be some pretty confusing things in here. Some things that I've read I thought they might not be important or I didn't fully understand them but after spending a little time on those things I realize how important they are. So Knowing the Word is about tackling some of the most overlooked, confusing or challenging concepts in scripture, and why they are important to us today. If you've got an idea for a future confusing topic - post a comment below or drop me an email at steve@thevineyard.org - I'd love to hear from you. So grab something to drink, settle in for a bit and we'll dive in to today's topic, which I'm titling "the bride of Christ"....or the wedding imagery or the concept of a husband (a groom or bridgegroom) and a wife (a bride) that shows up all throughout the bible. As I've journeyed through this topic I've come to appreciate the depth of the images that are used - But just being transparent, in my Christian journey this metaphor of a wedding, the bride, the bridgegroom language in scripture hasn't been entirely clear and so I want to try to, as best I can, to simplify it a bit, give some context about what it means and share why it's important to us today. Now to start.... think about a wedding (any wedding - could be your own or someone else's). Now pause....if you are single this isn't about getting married.... Stay with me... I've been to many... you get to hear about the bride and groom and a little about their engagement, and there's tradition rolled in there. Think about some of the traditions in weddings that you've been to... (Post them in the comments...). A few for me - bridesmaids, groomsman, flower girl, ring bearer, the speeches by the best man and brides maid.... The giving of the bride by a family member - like when you think about it there are all sorts of "traditions" that are part of a wedding. - It's an interesting picture that transcends generations and cultures because most everyone realizes what the image of a wedding, or the image of a husband and wife represents and if we realize that the traditions of a Jewish wedding, and weddings of that time looked a little different than our weddings today we can really get some good depth from scripture and make it practical today. So let's dig into scripture on this topic of "The bride of Christ" - it's a term that has come up from time to time and it references the church - that the church is the bride and Jesus is the groom. To start let me first share that the words "bride of Christ" are not in scripture - if you open your bible, or search in google for the biblical location of where it says "Bride of Christ" you just won't find it - so let's anchor in a few verses to launch us today... Ephesians 5:25-27 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] 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. The image in letter to the Ephesians is that of a husband and wife interwoven as the image of how Christ as the groom and the church as the bride. This picture or metaphor is actually used throughout scripture as a reference to the relationship between God (the groom) and his people (the bride). Now we've got to bring in a word that isn't used much anymore, but is used in scripture and the word is bridegroom - we've shortened it today to be the "Groom", but it means the husband. OT Is 62:5 - as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. Ez 16:8 - 8 "'Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine. Jeremiah 31:31-32 - "The days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to[a] them,[b]" declares the Lord. From Song of Solomon, Genesis chapter 2 with Adam and Eve being joined as one flesh, and even the book of Hosea (which is quite interesting when you realize that Hosea represents God and Gomer, the unfaithful wife, represents the people of God) - all throughout the OT we see God referencing his relationship to the people of God as a husband unto a wife. There are good references where the metaphor is used in a functioning relationship - like the relationship is good between them - and then there are references that seem like the bride (the people of God) are unfaithful and getting it all wrong in a dysfunctional way. Which happens a lot. Once you start to notice this imagery you realize it's a frequent way God uses to describe his relationship with his people. In the NT, Jesus continues with this picture of a bride and groom (sometimes referred to as the bridegroom) as he talks about himself. This imagery would have been relatively familiar with the Jewish people that Jesus was interacting with. Watch... here's an example in the book of Matthew Jesus, when speaking to the disciples, refers to himself as the bridge groom. The disciples of John came to [Jesus], saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. (Mt 9:14-15) I could pick dozens of references beyond these that indicate this picture of Jesus as the groom and followers, or the church, being the bride... So I want us to use that metaphor or that image as a backdrop and I'm going to try to make this practical and why it's important to us today. [Pray] A few items to consider As followers of Christ: 1. We're headed for a wedding celebration * Even though the image is that of a bride and groom - many of the biblical references around the marriage or wedding seem to indicate that a bigger wedding ceremony is coming.... Which means I need to give a little more context... * 1st century weddings - weddings during the time of Jesus - the engagement lasted around a year - engagements then were a little different than engagements that we think of today. Today engagements seem to explore the process of getting married - pre-marital counseling happens, you learn about your future spouse, but at times, prior to the wedding, the couple can call off the wedding. It's not binding. Well in Jesus' time that wasn't the case - you get engaged it's binding - it's as binding as marriage - once you are engaged the only way you break the wedding off is to get a certificate of divorce EVEN BEFORE THE WEDDING - it was a big deal. * Which is why, if we pay attention to the details in scripture, this little nugget shows up - parents of Jesus (Joseph and Mary) - NOT MARRIED - Mary ends up pregnant - that's an issue....Matthew 1:18 18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[b] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. * In that time you had to get a certificate of divorce to separate in the engagement period - it was a big deal! * The picture that scripture gives us NOW is that we are sort of in that ENGAGEMENT PERIOD - sometimes the bible calls it the betrothal period... * As it relates to US - Paul in the NT 2Cor 11:2 - I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. * Ephesians 5:25-27 - 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] 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. * Going back to the time of Jesus when a couple was preparing for marriage both would remain faithful and prepare themselves - they would also consider a room in a larger house where they might live when they were married, which is the same image Jesus uses in John 14:2 - My fathers house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you. Jesus is preparing a place for us for this wedding celebration..... * So the wedding is coming - we get a picture of what it will look like in the book of Revelation - 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. - Revelation 19:7 So we are headed to a wedding ceremony of sorts when Jesus returns, which means there's still time to prepare.... Which brings me to my second point.... 2. We are called to prepare * If we are headed to a wedding ceremony there are some clues in scripture that gives us some indication that we have some preparing to do, but again I need to go back and share some context that might be helpful... * Go back to the time of Jesus and the wedding's that took place there - the wedding was an all village event (can you imagine that?) - at sunset the bridal party waits for the groom to leave his fathers house and walk through the village with the wedding party towards the bride - as the groom gets closer it gets louder in anticipation.... Notice it was "at sunset" - it takes a bit for the groom to gather the village - people are getting louder, it's getting darker... light needs to come from somewhere... those waiting for the groom to leave his fathers house have oil lamps burning so they can see and light the way * Jesus tells a parable that shares this beautifully and encourages us to PREPARE - "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' 7 "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.8 The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 9 "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' 10 "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. As we prepare for the groom (Jesus) to return we want to be part of that wedding - we want to be prepared. Jesus tells us to "Keep watch" because we don't know when the groom (Jesus) will come. If we are unprepared (unbelieving) there won't be time What does keeping watch - what does being ready mean? Use the image that God gave us in his word... what does a couple do during their engagement? o Commit to the relationship - If you haven't resolved yourself in following Jesus, there is no better relationship - there is no better husband. I was just speaking to someone, young adult, not married yet and as she was praying about her future spouse she really felt the Lord say that the best spouse for a lifetime was Him. He wouldn't let her down, He wouldn't be unfaithful and He would always be there. It was such a great picture of the relationship that Jesus wants, but he wants us to COMMIT to the relationship o Be loyal! - Don't run around dating other people (other God's) or trying things you know the one you are to be married to finds offensive! We should be committed, focused on the relationship.... o Tell others - remember in wedding during Jesus' time - the entire village was invited. People had to know, it wasn't about just your friends and family it was everyone - including people who you might not hang out with. Jesus explains in a few parables that he want others at the wedding. As a bonus - read the parable of the wedding feast or the parable of the wedding banquet - they are also clues to what we could be doing to prepare. So .... To close - The imagery of the husband and wife and wedding as the relationship between God and the people of God is undeniable in scripture. The parables, the prophetic books, the Psalms all indicate the intimate relationship that God wants with us as followers of Jesus. It's undeniable the covenant and power of the relationship that is at play and why God speaks so highly of marriage.... Therefore it's no wonder that the world attacks the foundation of marriage around us. The very thing that God uses to represent his relationship with his believers is being ripped apart in the world and redefined. It's important to understand the depth of what God was sharing in the OT and what Jesus referred to in his parables as we consider ourselves as the bride of Christ. We still have time to prepare - we still have time to commit, by loyal and be excited about the relationship with Him.