“Falling In Love With Jesus”
INTRODUCTION: The theme of our Revival services several weeks ago was “Falling In Love With Jesus”. Today, I want to continue with this theme. Andy Cook touched on the subject of the Christian as the “Bride of Christ”. This concept has been churning in my heart and soul for several weeks now.
The Bible says that we, as Christians, are the “Bride of Christ” … Jesus being the “Bridegroom”. We are MARRIED to Jesus. As a man, I have a little difficulty imagining myself as a BRIDE! When I think of a BRIDE, I think of the wedding dress, the veil, the lace and sequins, the primping … the “blushing bride”. I think that men have a little difficulty imagining themselves as a “Bride”!
NEVERTHELESS, every Christian is the “Bride of Christ” … INCLUDING … all us males. The Bible tells us a little bit about what it’s like to be the “Bride of Christ”.
Ephesians 5:22-33 – All Turn
In this passage, Paul gives the relationship between the husband and wife. BUT … he also gives the relationship between JESUS and HIS BRIDE. Too often, we overlook this aspect. Almost every sermon I have ever heard on this passage concentrates on the relationship between husband and wife. TODAY, we are going to focus in on the relationship between JESUS and His Bride … us as the “Bride of Christ”.
NOTICE the references to the “church” in this passage … 5:23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 32. Let’s take a look at ourselves as the “Bride of Christ”.
There are several SIMILARITIES to our MARRIAGE with our SPOUSE … AND … our marriage to JESUS.
I. THE COURTSHIP
I courted my bride for several years before we were married. We dated … broke up … dated … broke up … dated, etc. BUT … all the time, I was intent on drawing her to me, to be my bride. During our COURTSHIP, I knew her faults, and she knew mine. We got to know each other pretty well. MAYBE, that’s why she kept breaking up with me!
As the “Bride of Christ”, Jesus kept DRAWING me to Him. John 6:44 – “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:” Jesus knew all my faults. He knew that I didn’t really love Him … BUT … His love for me was so intense that He kept drawing me to Himself. 5:25.
Do you know what it’s like for someone to fall head-over-heels in love with you? That’s what Jesus did! Harriet just “put up with me” at times. It took her awhile for me to wear her down. I persisted until she either had to marry me or move! WHY? I was in love with her, and I wasn’t going to give up until she became my bride. I couldn’t bear to think of spending my life without her. 1 John 4:10 – “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us,”
Jesus loved you so much that He couldn’t think of spending eternity without you! He wanted you so much, that He was willing to DIE for you! 5:25 again. When Jesus “courted” you, He knew all about you … AND … loved you anyhow! He knew that you didn’t love Him. He knew that you weren’t worthy of being His Bride. He knew that you didn’t deserve Him. He knew that you were spiritually dead in trespasses and sin … AND … that your righteousness was as filthy rags. BUT … Jesus loved you so much that He was willing to SUFFER and DIE for you. NOW … that’s LOVE! Proverbs 10:12 – “love covereth all sins.”
II. THE ENGAGEMENT
In Bible times, the engagement period was called an “espousal”. The parents had an important part to play in the marriage of a couple. SOMETIMES, the parents would choose a bride for their son. SOMETIMES, the son would go to his parents and say: “See that girl over there … that’s the one I want to marry.” The groom’s parents would then contact the bride’s parents, and they would begin negotiations for the DOWRY. A DOWRY had to be settled upon. During the ENGAGEMENT, the parents of the groom, and the groom, would have to get the dowry ready.
Jesus, the Bridegroom, paid the DOWRY for us. That was the price He had to pay. He loved you so much that you meant more to Him that His own life … His own comfort … His own place in Heaven at God’s Throne. Jesus was willing to leave Heaven and suffer Hell on earth for you. He loved you more than He loved His own flesh. 5:28-29.
III. THE CEREMONY
Our wedding ceremony took only a few minutes. All the planning … all the anxiety … all the expense … AND … it was all over in about 30 minutes! The CEREMONY … NOT … the MARRIAGE! Harriet’s father gave her away … we joined hands … Harry & Vivian Williams sang “Walk Hand In Hand” … we said our vows … exchanged rings … were pronounced man and wife.
The wedding in Jesus’ day was a little different. When the DOWRY was paid, the Groom and his friends went to the Bride’s house to get her, to take her to his house where the ceremony would take place. There would be a grand procession down the city streets. (I saw this when I visited Jerusalem). The closer they got to the Groom’s house (usually his father’s house) the larger the crowd.
SOMEDAY, the Groom (Jesus) is coming to our house to get His Bride! He’s coming to take His Bride to His Father’s house in Heaven. There will be a great procession. Jesus is coming with all the saints who have gone on before. The longer He waits, the larger the procession becomes.
In Bible times, they didn’t exchange vows the way we do today. There was usually just a prayer of blessing on the couple. Perhaps, that’s one of the reasons Jesus was invited to the marriage at Cana … to give the prayer of blessing.
TODAY, we give a place of priority on the MARRIAGE VOWS. So does Jesus, the Bridegroom! Let’s take a look at the responsibilities of the Bride and Groom.
5:22 – “Wives” … that’s us … the “Bride of Christ”. We are to “submit” to our Groom, the Lord Jesus. This means that we are be under subjection to the Lord Jesus Christ. Our marriage to Jesus isn’t a “one night stand”. It’s a life-long commitment to love, serve, honor and obey Him. Jesus doesn’t take this lightly … neither should we. Marriage is a serious thing. My Bride doesn’t like it when I look at other women. Jesus doesn’t like it when we commit adultery with the world. We are to “submit” to Him … and to Him only. Jesus is a jealous Groom. He wants you all to Himself. As His Bride, we have a responsibility – 5:24. It’s not hard to submit to someone you love … who loves you in return.
5:23 – The Groom also has some responsibilities. As my wife’s husband, I need to make it easy to be submissive to. It’s my responsibility to love her so much that she willingly responds to my role as her husband.
Jesus is the Bridegroom. What’s so hard about submitting to Him? He is the “savior of the body”. He loves you so much that He will give you the desires of your heart … if that’s what’s BEST for you. He offers you love, comfort, hope, strength, peace. How could you not submit to a husband like that? He loves you so much more than you love Him. He has sacrificed so much for you – 5:25
Jesus even does the LAUNDRY! 5:26. He has given us the Bible, which will keep us clean, if we will live our lives according to what He says in it. When we get ourselves dirty through sin, He will wash us off and make us clean again. 1 John 1:9 - “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
When we get to Heaven, and stand before our Father-in-Law, we will be clean – 5:27. That’s what our Groom does for us. AND … He has given us the detergent of His Word to remove the stains of sin in our life.
5:30-31 – There is a “oneness” between a husband and a wife. After awhile, we begin to think alike … act alike (it’s almost scary!). We enjoy doing the same things. We want to please each other. We become “one”.
When Harriet hurts, I hurt … when I hurt, she hurts. When she is pleased, I am pleased. I often say this during a wedding ceremony. “Marriage is a companionship which involves mutual experiences in each of your lives. You will share alike in both the joys and responsibilities of your lives. When companions share a sorrow, the sorrow is halved. When you share a joy, the joy is doubled.”
“one flesh” – that’s what we are with Jesus! We are the “body of Christ” – 5:32. You can’t get much closer than “one flesh”. We are to THINK like Jesus … to TALK like Jesus … to ACT like Jesus … to LIVE like Jesus. We are “one flesh”. What hurts Jesus, should hurt us. What Jesus rejoices in, we should rejoice in. That’s part of the marriage vow that we have taken with Jesus.
IV. THE RECEPTION
After the wedding comes the RECEPTION. For the Bride & Groom, it always lasts too long! While the Bride is usually more interested in the wedding … the Groom is usually more interested in the HONEYMOON! In Bible times, the reception feast usually lasted for about 7 days! There was a great feast that went on, and on, and on.
Guess how long our reception will be when Jesus comes to claim us, His Bride? 1000 years! Revelation 19:7-9 – ribbon. Jesus doesn’t do anything half-way, does He?
IV. THE HONEYMOON
We often joke today about the “honeymoon period”. It may last for a few weeks … or a few months. THEN … the reality of marriage sets in and things don’t go as smoothly as they did right after marriage. We often say, “the honeymoon is over”. NOT SO with Jesus! The honeymoon will never end!
How do we keep the “honeymoon love” alive in our marriage with Jesus? Ephesians 5:33. Jesus has no problem loving His Bride. His love is unconditional. He will love you no matter what. You can’t make Jesus not love you.
What about your love for your Groom? “reverence her husband”. The word “reverence” has the meaning ‘to be in awe of’. “Wow, I’m married to Jesus! He’s the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords. He has chosen ME to be His Bride! He loves ME! I’ll do everything I can to please Him … to make Him proud of me!” That’s “reverence”! If you “reverence” Him NOW, you will enjoy your marriage to Jesus so much more!
CONCLUSION:
5:32 – You & I are the “Bride of Christ”. SOMEDAY, Jesus is going to come and take us away to His home in Heaven. Are you looking forward to the HONEYMOON? While we wait for that grand procession to begin, let’s “Fall In Love With Jesus” … over and over and over again!
STAND – PRAYER
OUTLINE FOR HANDOUT:
“Falling In Love With Jesus”
INTRODUCTION: Christians are the “Bride of Christ” … we are married to Jesus – Ephesians 5:22-33
I. THE COURTSHIP
- Jesus drew you to Himself – John 6:44
- Jesus is in love with YOU! – 1 John 4:10
- Jesus knows all about you, but still loves you! Proverbs 10:12
II. THE ENGAGEMENT
- Jesus paid the DOWRY for you … His death on the cross.
- Jesus thought more of you than His own life – 5:28-29
III. THE CEREMONY
- Someday, Jesus is coming to get you, His bride.
The responsibilities of the bride and Groom:
- 5:22 – As His bride, we are to “submit” to Him.
- Submission, a life-long commitment to Jesus, the Groom.
- It’s not hard to “submit” to one who loves you – 5:24
- 5:23 – Jesus makes it easy to “submit” to Him.
- Jesus has sacrificed to obtain you, His bride – 5:25
- 5:26 – Jesus will even clean you up! – 1 John 1:9
- 5:27 – Because of Jesus, we can stand before God cleansed.
- 5:30-31 – There is a “oneness” between husband and wife.
- 5:32 – We are the “body of Christ” … “one flesh”.
- What hurts Jesus, should hurt us … what Jesus rejoices in, we should rejoice in.
IV. THE RECEPTION
- When Jesus comes to claim us, His bride, there will be a reception for us here on this earth – Revelation 19:7-9
V. THE HONEYMOON
- Our honeymoon with Jesus will never end.
- How to keep the honeymoon alive – Ephesians 5:33
- The love of Jesus is unconditional, never-ending.
- We are to “reverence” our Groom, to enjoy our marriage.
CONCLUSION:
- 5:32 – While we wait for Him to come and get us, we are to “Fall In Love With Jesus” every day.
