His Bride
Revelation 19:1-10
Introduction: There is coming a day of celebration that will take place in heaven that will far exceed anything that has happened since the beginning of creation. All heaven will ring with shouts of joyous praise and exaltation to the Lamb of God as Christ takes His bride and the thundering announcement is echoed through the halls of glory, “Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made herself ready.” This morning I want us to consider the identity of Lamb’s Bride, the marriage of the Lamb, and the Bride’s responsibility.
I. The Identity of Christ’s Bride
A. Adam and Eve are a picture of Christ and His Bride.
B. Genesis 2:18, 21-24 “And the Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him... And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
C. Just as Eve was of Adam's body and united to him, so the Church is the body of Christ and united with Him by the operation of the Holy Spirit.
D. While there is no direct statement saying “the church is the bride of Christ”, clearly the teachings of Paul along with the body of Scripture teach this truth that the Church has the same spiritual oneness as Adam and Eve had physically. The bridal analogy is used throughout the New Testament to teach the relational truths of believers with Christ.
E. Ephesians 5:25-32 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body,[ of His flesh and of His bones. “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 a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”
F. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”
II. The Marriage of the Lamb – the wedding events. (adapted from “A Marriage Made in Heaven”, Cooper Abrams, Calvary Baptist Church, Tremonton, Utah)
A. To fully understand and appreciate the relationship of Christ and His bride we must have an understanding of the events leading up to the marriage. In biblical times were four phases to a Jewish wedding.
B. The Betrothal
1. The Ketubah, or marriage contract (or covenant) was prepared by the bridegroom, which he presented to the intended bride and her father.
2. Included in this was the "Bride Price", which was the dowry or “purchase price” that he was willing to pay for her and was an expression of his love for her.
3. Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it”
4. Acts 20:28 “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
5. 1 Peter 1:18-19 “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
C. The Acceptance Cup
1. To see if the proposal was accepted, the young man would pour a cup of wine for his beloved and wait to see if she drank it. This cup represents a blood covenant.
2. .If she drank the cup she would have accepted the proposal and they would be betrothed.
3. 1 Corinthians 11:25 “...This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
4. John 6:53-56 “ Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.”
5. The young man would then give gifts to his beloved, and then take his leave. The young woman would have to wait for him to return and take her to be with him.
6. Ephesians 4:4-8 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men."
D. The wedding chamber and the Chuppah
1. Before leaving the young man would announce, " I am going to prepare a place for you ", and "I will return for you when it is ready". The usual practice was for the young man to return to his father's house and build a room there.
2. This is what is symbolized by the chuppah or canopy which is characteristic of Jewish weddings. He was not allowed to skimp on the work and had to get his father's approval before he could consider it ready for his bride. If asked the date of his wedding he would have to reply, "Only my father knows." It might be as much as a year before would come for his bride.
3. John 14:1-3 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am there, you may be also.”
4. When speaking of the time of His return Christ said in Matthew 24:31 “"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
E. The parousia - the Wedding and the Marriage Supper
1. When the wedding chamber was ready the bridegroom could collect his bride. He could do this at any time so the bride would make special arrangements. It was the custom for a bride to keep a lamp, her veil and her other things beside her bed. Her bridesmaids were also waiting and had to have oil ready for their lamps.
2. When the groom and his friends got close to the bride's house they would give a shout and blow a shofar to let her know to be ready.
3. When the wedding party arrived at father's house the newlyweds went into the wedding chamber for a seven day honeymoon and the groom's best friend stood outside waiting for the groom to tell him that the marriage had been consummated. Then all the friends really started celebrating for the seven days that the couple were honeymooning. When the couple emerged there would be much congratulation and the Marriage Supper could begin.
4. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
5. Matthew 25:1-13 “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, ‘Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But he answered and said, ‘Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.’”
III. The Bride’s Responsibility.
A. The Bride of Christ has a three-fold responsibility – to watch, to be faithful, and to remain pure.
B. To watch for the return of the Bridegroom
1. Mark 13:35-36 “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house comes , at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.”
2. Matthew 24:42 “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”
3. There are many Christians WAITING for the return of Jesus Christ but not that many who are WATCHING for the return of Christ! The Bible doesn't teach us to WAIT for His return; we are to WATCH for His return! A bunch of navy men were returning from a long voyage in the seas, as the boat approached shore the men were all looking for their wives and girlfriends on the shore ... eager to see them again! As the men looked over the crowd of women lined up the air of excitement and expectancy grew. One man however was all alone as all the other men found their wives and girlfriends and they all embraced ... his wife wasn't there! Worried, he hurried home and found a light on in his house. As he entered he was relieved to see his wife, she quickly turned and said, "HONEY, I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU!" His response showed his disappointment however, "The other men’s wives and girlfriends were WATCHING for them!" The difference between waiting and watching was only too clear! - copied
C. To remain faithful to the Bridegroom
1. 2 Corinthians 11:1-2 “Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
2. 1 Corinthians 4:2 "It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
3. A young man in the army confided to his pastor that he never went about with another girl if he was within fifty miles of home, his loyalty went fifty miles. How far does your loyalty to Jesus Christ go?
4. Song of Solomon 2:16a “My beloved is mine, and I am his...”
5. Someone has said, “Faith in Christ is necessary to be in the Church, but faithfulness to Christ is necessary to be the bride of Christ.”
D. To make herself ready by remaining pure and beautiful for Christ
1. During the time that bride waited for the groom, the bride would be making herself ready so that she would be pure and beautiful for her bridegroom. During this time she would wear a veil when she went, out to show she was spoken for (she has been bought with a price even as the believer has been bought).
2. Ephesians 5:27 “…that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”
3. If the church is to be beautiful to Christ, it will also be beautiful in the world. It is like the cliché "Take care of your character, and your character will take care of your reputation." As the church remains pure through Christ’s Word, and thus is beautiful to Christ, its reputation in the world will be as it should be.
4. Revelation 19:7-8 “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 righteous acts of the saints.”
5. In maintaining perfect union with Jesus, His people will be clean and bright before Him radiantly reflecting purity, loyalty and faithfulness.
6. “For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints”: Believers are created for divinely prepared good works.
7. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
8. The bride makes herself ready by the power of God and by the grace of God, by the work of the Spirit.
9. The hymn writer Horatius Bonar exhorted us "to be ready for the last moment by being ready at every moment...so attending to every duty that, let Him come when He may, He finds the house in perfect order, awaiting His return." The trump may sound anytime.
