Let us rejoice and be extremely glad, and let us give the glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.
- Revelation 19:7
The engagement has happened, the marriage is soon, and life is busy. The bride is worried about the preparations. Will the bridal gown be ready in time? What about the invitations? photographer? reception? cake? music? … lots of things to be busy with. But no matter how many things there are to attend to, if she is truly in love, the bride still has eyes for the groom most of all.
The Church is the bride waiting for her Groom. He is madly in love with us, and has shown it already in freely giving His life for us so that we would be pure and holy for Him (Ephesians 5:27). While we are waiting for Jesus to come for us, there’s preparations to take care of: invitations to be sent out (Luke 14:23, Revelation 22:17), lamps to be made ready (Matthew 25:1-13), and we need to prepare ourselves (Revelation 19:7). But all of these things, while necessary, must not distract us from our First Love (Revelation 2:4).
I like this picture of our future wedding. It sets my mind on what my focus should be. Do I see myself as part of the bride of Christ? Of course! But my love for Jesus tends to get sidetracked by other things, both necessary and not. All of the preparations are good, and the wedding is definitely something to look forward to, but there’s nothing compared to being with my Jesus! I desire to be as madly in love with Him as He is with me (…impossible, I know)!
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.
- 1 Peter 1:8 (WEB)
Rutherford’s Hymn
…
The bride eyes not her garment,
But her dear Bridegroom’s face;
I will not gaze at glory
But on my King of grace.
Not at the crown He giveth
But on His pierced hand;
The Lamb is all the glory
Of Emmanuel’s land.
O, I am my Beloved’s
And my Beloved is mine!
He brings a poor vile sinner
Into His house of wine
I stand upon His merit -
I know no other stand,
Not e’en where glory dwelleth
In Emmanuel’s land.