Paul describes the church as being the bride of Christ and tells how the relationship between husband and wife is an illustration of Christ’s relationship with His us. Let’s see what Paul has to tell us.
1. Christ’s Devotion to His Bride - v. 25
There are many "falling in love" scenarios. Some fall in love at first sight & some after an arranged marriage. In some instances, the man fall in love with the woman and pursues her, while in others, it is the woman who first falls in love with the man and then pursues him. And then there is the man who is chased the woman until she caught him or visa versa.
When it comes to Christ’s love affair with His bride, it is clear who took the initiative. It was Christ. He pursued us; we didn’t pursue Him.
"We love Him because He first loved us." -1 John 4:19 (NKJV)
"The Word of God is a history of God’s dealings with man. It is not a book at all about how much man loves God, but how God amazingly and against all human reasoning loves rebellious man. We often
wonder as we read the record of the Old Testament how people could be so sinful, stiff-necked and rebellious. The amazing thing is not that man is rebellious, but that God loves the rebel. We come to the New Testament, and we find this same love demonstrating itself in the central event in history. Both Jews and Gentiles rejected the Lord of glory by crucifying Him on the cross. And in man’s greatest
rejection of God, we find God’s greatest and strongest love for man. ’Father forgive them for they know not what they do!’ cried the Lord from the cross. ’It is finished!’ He said. What was finished? Christ had finished His work of opening the door of God’s love to mankind. Justice was finished. Christ drank every drop from the cup of God’s wrath. God’s anger against man’s sin was satisfied. Even in man’s
greatest hatred of God, we find God pursuing after man in the greatest manner." - Pastor Matt Black
Christ’s love for His church is such that He willingly gave Himself for our sake. And He did so, as we’ve already pointed out, despite our complete and total disinterest in Him. The cross tells us at least two things about Christ’s love for us:
1) Christ’s love is unconditional.
"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." - Romans 5:8 (NLT)
"He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." - 1 John 2:2 (NIV)
"Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more -no amount of spiritual calisthenics and renunciations, no amount of knowledge gained from seminaries, no amount of crusading on behalf of righteous causes. And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less—no amount of racism or pride or pornography or adultery or even murder. Grace means that God already loves us as much an infinite God can possibly love." - Phillip Yancey - "What’s So Amazing About Grace"
2) Christ’s love is intentional.
"If, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" - Romans 5:10 (NIV)
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13 (NIV)
When a couple comes together in marriage, they do so having made the choice to "lay down their lives" for one another. Up until that point, he has lived his life and she has lived hers. But now, they are choosing to live THEIR life, together. To do that, they lay down their individual lives so that they might give themselves to one another in their life together. They make this commitment, because they have come to the conviction that the life they might share together is far better than a life they might live on their own.
This is why Jesus gave Himself for us. He gave Himself for us so that He might give Himself to us. He is convinced that the life we can share together with Him is far better than the life we might live on our own. And if our church, you and me, are going to be the church we ought to be, then we must share our Savior’s conviction.
Just as a marriage will not work without both parties sharing the conviction that the life they might share together is far better than a life they might live on their own. Our church will only be all Christ calls us to be when each of us shares this conviction with Him.
2. Christ’s Desire For His Bride - v. 26
"to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word." - Ephesians 5:26 (NLT)
Christ has given Himself for us so that we might be changed eternally and internally. But he has also given Himself to us so that we might be changed externally! Through His presence in our lives by His Spirit and the guidance provided by His Word, He can change us from the inside out!
Presently, we, who have been transformed internally are awaiting the day when we will be transformed eternally! But like a bride anticipating her wedding day seeks to be as prepared as she can possibly be for that day when it comes, we, through applying God’s Word to our lives should be seeking to be as prepared for life in Christ’s eternal presence as we can possibly be by allowing Christ to make a difference externally.
"But friends, that’s exactly who we are: children of God. And that’s only the beginning (We’ve been changed internally). Who knows how we’ll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly
revealed, we’ll see him - and in seeing him, become like him (We’ll be changed eternally). All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus’ life as a model for our own (We’re being changed externally)." -1 John 3:2-3 (The Message)
In any healthy marriage relationship, the couple grows in their understanding and awareness of one another.
The same needs to be true of us if we are to a healthy congregation. We must each seek to grow in our understanding and awareness of Christ. As we do, we can become more like Him, more in sync with Him, more in tune with Him.
Have you ever noticed how couples who have been married for some time, just seem to "go together?" Even if you’ve just met them, once you’re introduced, you look at the couple and say to yourself, "Yep. They go together alright." You and I need to endeavor to spend enough time with the Lord that when people hear that we belong to Him, they might be able to look at us and say, "Yep. They go together alright."
3. Christ’s Destination For His Bride - v. 27
Let’s think together about the basics of Jewish marriage tradition.
The Jewish bride was given a glass of wine at their engagement. This was called "the cup of acceptance." When she drank from the cup, the betrothal covenant was sealed. Do you remember what Jesus said when He instituted the Lord’s supper? He said to His disciples, "I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom." - Matthew 26:29
The bride would then prepare herself for married life while the groom returned to his father’s home to either build a room onto the family home or a separate home on the family property. "/ am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." - John 14:2b-3
The betrothal period lasted 12 months. Sometime afterward, the wedding would take place. On the wedding day, the bridegroom, whose coming was repeatedly announced by messengers, would arrive at half an hour before mid-night to fetch the bride; along with friends; and received by guests who had come out to meet him. The wedding assembly then moved in a procession to the house of the bridegroom’s father, where the ceremony took place. At the wedding, the bride and groom again share a cup of wine together for the first time since the betrothal covenant was made. Afterward, a feast of celebration was held.
"And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, ’Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.’ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the
rishteous acts of the saints." - Revelation 19:6-8 (NKJV)
Christ will one day return for a church that has been transformed by His presence and power, not just internally, but externally. And, of course, on the day Jesus returns, His church, his people, His bride will be transformed eternally! But until that day comes, if we are going to be the church he calls us to be, we must seek to do whatever we do always with pleasing the Lord and the day of His return in mind.
Have congregation look up and read Hebrews 10:22-25
