BRIDEGROOM

In today’s reading the Lord uses the truth of a bridegroom to explain His disciple’s actions to the questioning of John’s disciples. To use an example in today’s culture; before a father might go off to war there will be times of family get-togethers and joyful dinners. But, when he finally leaves, from that point the children must take on a more serious responsibility until he returns.

Although our Lord is simply using the term ‘bridegroom’ as an analogy, as He does elsewhere, the terms He uses in His examples are not without design. For as the revelation of the Bible progresses we learn the great mystery that Christ and the church are one flesh - as a husband and wife, Eph. 5. If the Lamb, the crucified and risen Lord, has a wife or bride, Rev. 19. 7; 21. 9, then He, of course, is the Bridegroom.

However, the Bridegroom is not with us at present. He has come and paid the dowry for us, His precious blood. Now He has gone into heaven to prepare many mansions for us and to prepare us for the mansions, John chapters 14-17. As He said, ‘if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself’, John 14. 3. When our bridegroom comes there will be great rejoicing. Every tear will be wiped away. There will be a wedding in heaven before the war on earth. There will be a reception in heaven, the marriage supper, before the reigning on earth of the Bridegroom with His bride, Revelation chapters 19-20. What a day that will be!

But until He returns for us, what should be the attitude of the church in His absence? It should not be a time of reigning as kings: whether abusing the riches of this world or glorying when we should be mourning or, politically, trying to get a condemned world to live like Christians. The apostle rebuked the Corinthians for reigning as kings; ‘now ... ye have reigned as kings without us’, 1 Cor. 4. 8. Rather, we should be keeping ourselves morally and spiritually pure, ‘as a chaste virgin to Christ’, 2 Cor. 11.2, longing for the day when we are presented to our one husband, even Christ Jesus, the bridegroom.