I can picture the day almost 25 years ago, July 9, 1995, when I married my bridegroom. It was the perfect day and celebration to be marrying the man I loved. If you are married, think back to the waiting. The waiting from the moment you were engaged to the moment you saw your future spouse for the first time on that big day. After spending so much time preparing for the ceremony. All the preparations from inviting guests, finding a venue, to finding the perfect dress. How excited and nervous I remember feeling. My bridegroom and I had both done everything possible to look our best and be our best for that moment in time. From the tip of our head to the soles of our feet we were ready to be bound together that day.
As Christians we recognize that Jesus is the Bridegroom. Bridegroom (often shortened to groom) is a man who will soon be or has recently been married. A bridegroom is typically attended by a best man and groomsmen (wikipedia.org). Jesus revealed the identity of the Bridegroom when John the Baptist’s disciples asked Him why His disciples didn’t fast like they do.
Jesus replied, “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.” Matthew 9:15
Jesus’ point was “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them” (Luke 5:34), meaning that He was with them right now! For now, (before the bridegroom was taken away) it’s a time of feasting, not fasting. Right now, the bridegroom is preparing for Himself a bride and the bride of Christ is the church. The disciples sitting there with Jesus were part of the bridal party. They were waiting for the actual wedding. We are the chruch, the bride of Christ, and Jesus is the bridegroom.
The marriage between Christ and the church really is a marriage made in heaven. It was the will of God as we see in the book of Isaiah we get a glimpse of the coming kingdom,
“For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” Isaiah 62:5
Just as in a wedding today we send out invitations and invite our friends and family. We are to invite everyone we can to the wedding with Jesus. We should be focused on telling everyone about Jesus, the bridegroom. Just as I waited for 6 months to marry my bridegroom in real life, we who believe in Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior are in the process of waiting for the eternal union with Him. While we wait for that day we are instructed to be faithful to Jesus.
We are the bride of Christ (the Church) and Christ is our Bridegroom. We are now living in the “engagement” period. During this time we are to prepare ourselves for the Wedding Day by living in a way that is righteous and faithful to Him.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
When will this union between the bridegroom (Jesus) and the bride (the Church) take place? We don’t know , but we are instructed to be ready.
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Matthew 25:13