Jesus and the Bride
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“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Can anyone guess what day it was last Wednesday? It was Ash Wednesdays..... What is Ash Wednesday? I dont know I dont care? lol
Well you guys should care~ It is a time when Christians come together and fast.... Other people know it as lenting something for 40 days.... 40 days because last Wednesday is 40 days before Easter.... So Christians come together and lent something or fast something for 40 days in preparation for easter… the day Jesus died for us… The reason why we lent for 40 days… not 50 or 30 is because of the wilderness....
Jesus in the wilderness.... Israelites in the wilderness.....
I remember growing up… We didnt celebrate ash wednesday in Thailand or Korean.... When I came to America it was the first time I heard about such thing… Same goes for Ms A… Maybe all of you in here heard about it but never really knew what it was because you guys never celebrated it…
Then I thought to myself… Why Koreans do not celebrate this meaningful day? Americans they decided to fast for something 40 days before Jesus’ death on the cross so that they can prepare themselves and thank him.... But koreans? do they not need to prepare?? Then i thought about the korean mentality.... Korean church mentality is.... why only fast and prepare 40 days before Jesus’ death on the cross when we can do everyday! lol
So I concluded… maybe it is an American thing…
In all seriousness.... why do we need to prepare our hears for easter? Why are the Americans preparing 40 days before easter by lenting or fasting something? Didnt Jesus already die on the cross 2000 years ago so we are saved no matter what? Why do we need to prepare?
Because we are his bride.... Some of yall might be thinking… bruh… Im a dude… im not a girl… why am i a bride…
But thats not the point here… If we study the culture back then… we can understand what Jesus means when he tells us we are his bride....
So in order to get married in Jesus’ time… The parents of the family meet up… then the father says I will give you three cows for your daughter… then the father of the daughter would say… My daughter is worth more than three cows! how about 4 cows! .....
Then the father buys the daughter when they agree on how much the daughter costs....
BTW most of the time… the son and the daugher who are getting married… they dont even get to choose who they marry… it family chooses for them.... There was no such thing as a dating culture back then…
Today we date who we want… Wouldnt you run away from home if you dad meets with another person and force you to get married to a stranger? Well that was perfectly normal back then....
Some places in the world still lives like this… the parents meet… and you have to pay the parents something to buy their daughter.... Ms A parents were missionaries in Kenya… When I wanted to marry Ms A… Her dad joked to me… where is my cow.... And ms A is like… im only worth one cow?
Anyways… when the payment is met… They dont get to marry right away… They marry one year later… this period is called the betrothed period… during this time… the bride and the bridegroom do not get to see each other… the betrothed period… they prepare themselves to be married… to be united....
We need to prepare ourselves for Jesus… because it is our betrothed period… Jesus bought us at a price.... and not he will return one day to be reunited with us… are we going to be preparing well? or are we going to go stain ourselves with sin everyday?
This is what the story of the 10 virgins are about...
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
Notice the three things in this verse.... It is about the Kingdom, Bridegroom, and the virgins...
The bridegroom is gone… he went on a long journey… and he is going to return to be married to the virgins… Yes.. virgins… if you were not a virgin… people wouldn't marry you back then… in some middle eastern countries.... if you are not a virgin and not married… you will be put in jail....
so this bridegroom… is betrothed… he is coming back from his journey to be married…
The virgins represents the church in this parable… It represents the Christians… They go out to meet the Bridegroom...
Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
Dont Take the numbers too literally.... I know it says five were foolish and five were wise.... It doesn’t mean half of us in hear are stupid and half of us are smart… Most of you guys will think think that you are in the smarter half.... lol It doesnt mean 50 percent of all christians are smart and the other 50 are stupid.. ok?
Anyways… these ten virgins all had a job appointed for them to do… They had a responsibility… They were to be ready and welcome the bridegroom when he comes by shining their lamps! It was their job....
How easy is that!? Quick fact… the lamp back then is not the lamp that we have today… the lamp be have today we just flick a switch and it turns on.... the lamp back then.... you need oil...
If you dont take oil… it is like having a candle without wicks… torches without fire… lightbulb without electricity…
So this was their one job… bring out a lamp with oil and welcome the bridegroom home with light..... They liked this job.... you know why? because if they didn't like this job.. .they would have left… but they didn’t have passion.. the 5 foolish virgins liked the job but didn't have passion to do their job well...
It is like christians today… we like our jobs… we like to be called Christians.... but are we doing our jobs well as a christian?
As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.
Bridegroom was delayed people! Growing up… I was taught to never be late… Being late is one of the most selfish thing in the world.... why? because time is precious… if you are late.. it means you are saying that your time is more important then the other person’s time… So I was never late to anything growing up… If you have meetings… pretend there are ten people.... one person comes late… the meeting gets delayed because of that one person… 9 people loses their time to accompany the one persons time… that is so selfish....
So i was never late....
Anyways in the parable… the bridegroom was late… Jesus tells us in the Bible that He is going to come eventually… but we dont know when..... It has been 2000 years… and we are still waiting for him....
When people tell you that they know when Jesus is coming… you dont believe them ok? Nobody knows when Jesus is coming back to Earth… thats why we need to be prepared...
Notice that all ten of the bridegroom fell asleep. This means that sleeping is perfectly fine. The foolish ones were not the only ones that slept… but all of them slept…
What sleeping signifies is the ordinary activities of life… We are not called to stop everything you do and go up to a mountain and wait until Jesus comes.... no… we are called to work and then rest.... You gusy are all students right now… your job is to study… you need to prioritize studying… and you need to rest from your studies too…
All ten of the bridegroom slept because they needed rest. We need to work and rest and wait for Jesus while doing that...
But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’
While the virgins were sleeping… someone cried out HERE IS THE BRIDEGROOM! COME OUT TO MEET HIM! The virgins wake up… clean their drools… fix their hair… and go out...
Secretly playing games at home… this feeling of parents coming home… but dont know when....
The bridegroom comes suddenly… he comes at when we are not ready....
So what happens in the story… the foolish virgins get up quickly and try to fix themselves.... Their Job was to have light ready when the bridegroom comes.... All then of the virgins look the same… have lamps in their hands.... but when the real time comes… we can tell that the wise virgins are different than the foolish virgins…
The foolish virgins then ask for the impossible.... give us some of your oil.... The fact that the wise virgins doesnt give the oil to the foolish virgins does not mean that the wise virgins are selfish…
Ms A, YooEll, and I have been watching this season bachelor....
These virgins are not selfish.... the oil in this story symbolises faith. It teaches that faith is impossible to borrow… The Holy Spirit is impossible to borrow… If you dont have it when the bridegroom comes… you can not ask for it… faith doesnt appear just like that.....
So these foolish virgins run off to go get oil.... To build their faith real quick.. because the bridegroom is almost here...
And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
While the foolish virgins went off to get oil.... the bridegroom came and went in with the wise vrigins and the door was shut.....
Then this next part is terrifying… Imagine… you go to Jesus’ door… and tell him to open the door for you.. and he answers I do not know you....
You were part of the church… one of the ten virgins… not part of the world… you had lamps… you were a chrisitian … you had all the outward appearance what a christian should have.... you kept your outside appearance shiny… Other people commend you that you are a great christian...
but you had no oil inside… and Jesus tells you.... I never knew you.... how would you react… This is something serious guys… we say we are christian in the world.... But do we really act like we are christians?
If God see you right now… If Jesus comes this instance… Do you think you are the foolish virgins or the wise virgins… ask youself that question....
We need to be spiritually awake! We need to be alive in Christ and have the Holy Spirit guide us in our life… Be filled with the oil of faith...
JEsus bought us at a price… We were slaves to sin.... we were rotting away in this world.... and at just the right time… Jesus came down to earth and paid a price…
He said… even though you think you are not worthy… I think you are worthy… and he bought us at a price…
And now we are betrothed… like the husbands family that pays for the daughter… there is this one year waiting period before the bridegroom and bride can unite...
WE are at this betrothed time… Jesus will come back so that we can be united with him… Our job as true christians is to be wise...
We need to be virgins of the world… we need to be blameless and clean… IF we are, Jesus will rejoice and take you with him...
Imagine if a bridegroom comes to pick up a bride.... but she has been sleeping around with other men before she gets married… wouldnt the bridegroom be mad and leave without taking the bride?
Every time we sin.... we are tainting ourselves… Every time we sin… we are cheating on God and enjoying the world..... Every time we sin… Jesus’ heart breaks...
So we need to choose.... Jesus bought us at a price… are we going to prepare ourselves and be faithful or are we going to enjoy the world....
Instead of living selfishly in the world.... only being a christian at church but don’t say you are a christian at school… is the same thing as being engaged but saying to other people that you are not engaged...
I am telling you.... we are the virgins waiting for Christ.... some of us in this room prob wont be able to enter the kingdom with God....
When JEsus comes… I pray that all of us in here will be able to say I have been waiting JEsus… I have been faithful.... I have been serving everyday,… not only serving at church… I have been sacrificing myself so that other people can be more happy.... I have been keeping myself pure for my...
So here I am… you can have it all.... I hear you call.... I am available