Wedding Preparations Kay Keith Peebles November 9, 2018 18.33
I will never forget the night we met our future son-in-law for dinner. We had been around him enough to know his relationship with our daughter was becoming permanent. The Lord had told us he was the one our daughter would marry. When he called for a dinner meeting alone with us, we knew he was going to ask us for our blessing to marry her. He was such a fine young man. We were thrilled to have him in the family. We knew he deeply loved our daughter and would take great care to protect and provide for her. Driving to meet him we were excited and jovial. We knew he would be very nervous but wondered if his personality would be to delay the question or be quick to the point. We jokingly made a bet whether he would ask us immediately during the salad course, or wait until the dessert course. I think we were all grateful he asked us immediately after ordering our meal which removed all the pressure. We had a delightful time with him. He deeply impressed us and we felt safe in giving him our blessing to ask our daughter to marry him. Our children are our greatest possession on earth and we prayed for many years for the one both our son and daughter would choose to commit to spend their lives with.
Who is the Bride of Christ? Scripture declares the church is the Bride of Christ. That means each individual believer is also the Bride of Christ. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish….For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is the great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:22-33.
In ancient Jewish culture the parents of the bride and groom would guide their children in their marriage choice. The father of the bride would consent and the bride was often allowed to give her approval. The groom would then give a dowry upon which he and the bride’s father had agreed. The dowry for the bride could be money or cattle for example. It had to be something valuable. Jesus gave His life, His righteousness and His Holy Spirit to His bride as a dowry.
The bridegroom would then go and build an addition onto his father’s house where he and his bride would live. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:2-3.
When the addition was completed, the bridegroom would come to fetch his bride and take her to the wedding. The exact moment he returned for her would be a surprise but there would be signs and words sent which allerted her of his imminent return. “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” See Matthew 25:1-13.
Once the bride and groom were betrothed (engaged) to one another, the bride was left to prepare herself for the wedding and married life. During that time, the bride and groom to be were completely infatuated with one another. The entire focus of the bride and groom was on their love for one another and preparing for their life together. All of their thoughts and attention were spent planning, getting ready and spending as much time together as possible. “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I in you; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” John 17:20-21.
One of the most important parts of the wedding was picking out the wedding dress. It was to be white symbolizing the moral purity of the bride and her complete devotion to her bride groom. The wedding dress is also adorned with lace and pearls which enhanced its beauty and that of the bride. When she walked down the isle of marriage, all attention of the groom would be on her. She would be bright and shining, radiant and beautiful as she was presented to her groom by her father. She would wear a bridal veil hiding her appearance from all others so that only her groom could see her glowing face when she committed her love to him for her lifetime.
“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me. ‘Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’”. Revelation 19:7-9.
“…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin…If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons…Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness of those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:1-11. See also Ephesians 5:1-7, Galatians 5:16-26.
“And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one; I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You love Me before the foundation of the world…And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:22-26.
Part of the preparations included making a guest list of those who would attend their wedding. They not only wanted to celebrate their love by having a wedding, they wanted it to be public in order to share it with others.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come…then He said to His servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good and the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.’” See entire parable Matthew 22:1-14.
What does all this mean? Jesus is looking for a bride without spot or wrinkle and we have been called, invited to the wedding feast! Just as a bride prepares herself for the wedding, we are in preparation for THE WEDDING of the ages!
1) Scripture warns us of the 5 foolish virgins who squandered their time on fruitless things not having the oil they needed to last until His return. They were not allowed to come along after the Lord gathered His bride inside for the wedding feast. See Matthew 25:7-13, Matthew 24:21-22.
2) Intimacy with the Lord (abiding in His presence), knowing His word and worship is the only way we become one with Him. See John 17:20-21, Ephesians 5:22-27, Isaiah 40:27-31.
3) We must have the proper apparel for the wedding feast. Ephesians 5:1-7, Galatians 5: 16-26, Hebrews 12:1-11. Revelation 19:8.
4) We are commissioned by God to invite others to the wedding feast. Matthew 22:1-4, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18.
The time of the Lord’s return is closer now than ever before. The news is continually filled with the signs of the times. See Matthew 24. It is imperative the church begins to look upward toward heaven continually placing our focus on Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith. He will cleanse us but we must be completely submitted to Him through the Holy Spirit in order to become fully prepared and adorned for our wedding day.
“O LORD, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance. I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will you allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:5-11.
That which seems impossible to us is not impossible with God. The joy that we experience with Him today will only increase as we anticipate spending eternity with Him! See you at the wedding!
