Jump Start # 338

Revelation 21:9 “And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, ‘Come here, I shall show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’” 

 Today the royal wedding took place. The young prince married his princess. What a spectacle it was. Throughout the Bible we read of weddings. Jesus’ first miracle was at a wedding. Esther married King Ahasuerus. Most weddings we read about in the Bible were not the grand event we witnessed in England.

  There is one other royal wedding that is found in the Bible. It is between Jesus and His people, the saved, the church. Our passage today talks about that. The wife of the Lamb is the saved, God’s people.

  In Ephesians Paul said that Christ loved the church (5:25). He sanctifies the church, cleansing her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless. A beautiful bride—that’s how views us and wants us to be. We are the chosen of God.

  Sometimes we don’t feel like that beautiful bride of Christ. In fact, there are days that we seem rather pungent with odor. I’ve noticed a similar concept with church buildings. I have spent a lot of time in church buildings. On Sunday mornings, everything is bright, swept, clean and sparkling. The building is ready to receive people. It smells good and it looks good. Have you ever walked through a building after everyone has left on a Sunday service? It’s amazing how trashed the place can look. Bulletins stuffed in the song book racks, paper on the floor, trash cans full, little finger prints on the front door, papers and books with a shuffled and out of place look to them. The place is a mess. That’s kinda like us. We gather on Sunday, bright and sparkling, Bibles in hand and hearts ready to praise God. But after services are over, get us home and we start falling apart. Our hearts become cluttered and filled. Our minds can’t stay focused. We look messy on the inside—just like the church building.

  Maybe it would help to remember how God sees us. We are the bride of Christ. He wants to be with us. He has chosen us. He loves us. He has always loved us. Even when we weren’t much to talk about, He loved us.

  Have you ever noticed engaged girls? They are on a different planet once they get that engagement ring on their finger. All they can think about is that wedding coming up. The right napkins, the right photographer, the right place, the right preacher, the right dress—it’s all they think about. Now, how come? Are they doing all these things so their beloved will love them? No. He already loves. He’s proven that by asking her to marry him and by giving her a ring, not just any ole’ ring, but an expensive engagement ring. So, if the bride to be is already loved, why does she go through all those decisions to have the perfect wedding? It’s not to win his love, it is because he loves. She does these things because she is loved. Now, it’s no different with us. We don’t get up and go to church services on Sunday so God will love us. He already does. Watch your language, spend some time in the Bible, work on that attitude and all the things we do, not so He will love us, but rather because He loves us.

  The royal wedding isn’t in England—it actually takes place in Heaven between Jesus and His people. And what a celebration that will be!

Roger