By Doris Tarbutton
What is a bride? We all know the answer to that question! A woman making permanent vows to and with a man, her husband. She is a bride-to-be until she walks down the aisle and makes those vows public, verbally assenting to enter a permanent love relationship with her life partner, her husband. He is not a husband until he repeats his vows to his bride. Until then, they are “promised, betrothed, engaged”, but she is not a bride, he is not a husband. They may spend much time together developing a relationship based on mutual understanding of life goals and values, of developing love and trust of each other, but it is the ceremony of verbally pronouncing the commitment to one another that makes her a bride and him a husband.
As I think about this picture of our relationship with Jesus Christ, I wonder—where am I in the process of preparing to be the bride of Jesus? From the time, as a young girl, that I asked Jesus to be my Savior and God to be my loving Father, I have been preparing. Being eternally united with Christ was and is my goal—He shares that goal with me and with you. To reach that goal there has been a long spiritual journey.
Does He love me? How much does He love me? Will He be faithful to me? Will He always be by my side to comfort me in times of difficulty? Does He really have the resources to support me, to provide for my needs? Does He want to have a spiritual family? How large a family does He want? These questions and many more receive answers on this long spiritual journey.
I read in His love letter to me, the Bible, that indeed He loves me—so much He proved it by dying for me! I read John 17:26 “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” Who is speaking in this Scripture? It is Jesus talking to our Father, expressing the love relationship they have and that includes you and me. Jesus is God and here, as well as other Scriptures, tells me that His love for me is such that it will last eternally.
Jesus promises to continually make His love known and He promises to be faithful, because of His enduring love. His yearning for complete spiritual union is also seen in the words “I myself may be in them” Being the bride of Christ is having a complete, eternal union with Jesus. What an awesome reality! What does it mean “have an eternal union with Jesus’? Two Scriptures which speak of being united with Christ are Philippians 2:1 “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion…and Romans 6:3-5 “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in death, we will certainly also be united with him in His resurrection.”
Being in union in Christ, therefore, means an entirely different and new life. Marriage does that, doesn’t it? We leave one lifestyle behind to embrace a totally new orientation and direction for the new life of union in marriage. From these Scriptures, I understand that committing to be the bride of Christ means the acceptance of a radically different life. I am to die, be buried and live again in a new dimension! Wow! That is a commitment to be thoughtfully considered before the marriage.
Am I willing to totally relinquish “self”? To die to the world and its wonders? To identify with the humility of a dreadful death by crucifixion? To begin living in a dimension I know nothing about? Is my love for my Lord sufficient to sustain that commitment? Eternity is a longer time than I can imagine! I have been married to my earthly husband for 53 years, which seems like a very long journey. Eternity? My commitment is one of permanence, a total commitment.
Being a bride of Christ requires that commitment—He alone is worthy of receiving it. From the Philippians 2:1 Scripture, we see some of what we are promised for making our commitment to be the bride: we receive “encouragement, comfort, fellowship, tenderness, and compassion.” At this point in my spiritual journey I am satisfied with my Savior. He is continually proving His love, His faithfulness, His provision for me. I am experiencing His encouragement, His comfort, His fellowship, tenderness and compassion. For now, I rest in His love and look forward to that day when our union will be complete.
Are you prepared to make that total commitment to Jesus? Now is the time to be busy building your personal love relationship with Jesus and the Father. God will provide everything you need to prepare for the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Seek Him and your reward will be eternally united with Him.
HERE COMES THE BRIDE!
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