The year 2020 is marching on. We are moving on from one month to another. We thank God for his love. As usual I am happy to see you in church. Today, we look at another aspect of the theme for the year 2020 so I discuss the topic, ‘The bride of Christ.”
Let’s begin with Revelation 19.7.
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready, (ESV)
There are two words I want to highlight in this scripture. The first one is “Lamb.” Who is the Lamb? What does it stand for?
The Lamb
If you study the scriptures, it is very clear who the Lamb is. It is our Lord Jesus Christ. In the gospel according to John, John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the lamb of God.
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1.29 ESV)
Hence, from this scripture we can interpret the scripture in the book of Revelation and see that Lamb as representing Jesus Christ.
The Bride
The scripture also goes ahead to say that his Bride has made herself ready. Who is the Bride? Scriptures make it clear that the Bride represents the church.
Ephesians 5 really brings out the fact that the Bride is the church. (See Ephesians 5.25-27)
So we are looking at the church as the bride of Christ. In verse 31-32 of the same Ephesians 5 it says,
“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (ESV)
So, the man is Christ and his wife is the church. May we be a church that is worthy of this groom called Christ.
If you read the scripture from Ephesians 5.25-27 carefully, you will see what the bridegroom—our husband—has done for his bride and what the expectation for the bride is.