I. Introduction
A. Weddings
1. According to theknot.com the average cost for a wedding in 2024 was $33,000.
2. That data comes from a survey of 17,000 couples who registered their wedding plans with the website.
3. With weddings being so expensive, you better be sure that the person you’re marrying is worth it. 😊
B. Review
1. God often tries to communicate His relationship with us in ways that help us to understand certain aspects of that relationship.
2. So far, we examined how the church is described as the Body of Christ, A Peculiar People, and The Kingdom.
3. Tonight we examine the church as the Bride of Christ.
C. Bride
1. The image of God being betrothed to His people is not new.
2. OT
a. References on multiple occasions where Israel is married to God
b. Hosea 2:16-20
c. The story of Hosea is God warning that if Israel continues in spiritual adultery then they will no longer enjoy their relationship with God, but He will keep His promises.
3. NT
a. Eph 5 Paul discusses the marriage relationship as He describes how we should be acting in the Lord’s church
b. Rev 19 & 21 we have the wedding feast of the bride and bridegroom and a city of the bride in the heavenly city
4. What is God reminding us that we need to look like as His bride?
II. The Church as the Bride of Christ
A.
1. The image of the church as the bride of Christ reminds us of the of the church in God’s eyes.
a. Notice the description of the bride in Revelation 21.
b. There is a contrast between Babylon (chapters 17-18), which has fallen, and the new Jerusalem, which is rising and beautiful.
c. Interestingly, one of the same angels who held the bowls of wrath is the one who shows John, the bride and wife.
d. The New Jerusalem and Old Jerusalem are often contrasted in the NT.
i. Galatians 4:25-26
ii. Hebrews 12:22-24
f. The New Jerusalem is, in part, the church. John observes that it is coming down out of heaven means it is of divine origin. (see Rev 21:2)
2. Notice that the creation takes on the of the Creator (see verse 11).
a. It is a place for all the people of God (12 gates with tribes’ names, 12 foundation stones with apostles’ names).
b. Verses 15-21 describe the enormous size of the city and the beauty of the walls. Again, we are being told about the beauty and openness to all who will enter into the relationship with the Lamb.
c. Illustration: Seeing your bride for the first time on your wedding day.
3. The church is a beautiful bride in the eyes of God! That should make us feel so special.
4. The church is pictured as a radiant bride to encourage us to understand God’s love for the church.
B.
1. The picture of the church being the bride of Christ is also a reminder of the of the church.
a. To redeem something means paying for the release of a slave or covering the cost of something (e.g., ransom).
b. Ephesians 5:25-27 reminds us that the church is so special to God that He gave the life of His Son so that those in the church can be redeemed.
2. Illustration: In Revelation 19:7-10 we have the marriage feast of the Lamb. Understanding a little about the 1st century marriage process might help us understand this idea of redemption in the church.
a. The betrothal was begun when the suitor came to the bride’s father and worked out an arrangement for marriage. Usually a dowry was paid (a price for the woman’s worth). The woman was asked if she wanted to marry him and if she accepted the man returned home and began building a home for his future family and the bride would prepare her wedding garments. The betrothal period could last a year or more and required a certificate of divorce to reverse. When the day arrived it was actually at night. The bridegroom and friends would march triumphantly to the bride’s house and call for her and when she came out they would go and have the marriage ceremony. The wedding feast could last for a week!
b. Jesus has paid the price so we can be clothed in fine linen.
3. If the church is that to God, it should be that to us.
C.
1. Christ
is faithful to His with the church. Through Him, we are sanctified,
cleansed, and washed. Just as a husband and wife make a promise to be faithful, so Christ makes that promise to us.
a. Paul’s imagery in Ephesians 5 states that we have been “…sanctified, cleansed, and washed…”.
b. Sanctified- Through this cleansing, we become sacred to God. Paul uses the term sanctified in verse 26 (set apart for a holy purpose).
c. Spotless- We are cleansed and washed. Our sin is washed away in the blood of Christ (Acts 2:16)
2. These things remind us that we belong to Christ and none other.
3. As a husband and wife are called to be faithful to one another, we are called to be faithful to God.
4. He has paid the price to sanctify us and make us spotless; we should respond by seeking to be faithful to Him.
III. Conclusion
A. The Bridegroom Cometh
B. Faithfulness