Names of Jesus: Bridegroom

In John 3, John the Baptist is baptizing people and his disciples are worried about Jesus baptizing as well.  John explained to his disciples that he was privileged with the joy of preparing the way for the coming of Jesus, the Heavenly Bridegroom. John understood that Jesus is superior, that he, just like us, must decrease so that Jesus can increase, and with this, he, just like us, must submit to the authority of Jesus, our Bridegroom.

28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 
29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”[a]

John 3:28-30 ESV

John equated himself to the friend of the bridegroom who helps arrange and prepare for the wedding. Think of this as “the best man” in our wedding culture today. He makes plans, arranges matters, and serves the bridegroom faithfully. Once he finished his job, he stepped aside for the bridegroom. He was content and humble, acknowledging Jesus as the bridegroom whom he had prepared the people for.

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If Jesus is the Bridegroom, who is the Bride?

In biblical times, the bridegroom to be married would go away and prepare a place for his bride to come and dwell with him. During that time the bride would wait for her bridegroom by actively preparing for his arrival. His arrival was not announced or arranged ahead with the bride or her family. It was a surprise when he would show up to take his bride away to their new home which he had prepared for her.

She did not know the day or the hour, so she had to be ready at any time for his arrival. It was not a passive waiting, nor did she procrastinate or put things off for later. She prioritized actively preparing for her bridegroom’s arrival, and learning to be the wife she was intended to be to her husband. When the bridegroom would show up, he would take his bride away to the wedding ceremony and feast, and they would dwell together in the place he’d prepared.

As followers of Jesus, the Church, we are the bride of Christ, and Christ is the bridegroom. He is off preparing a place for those who believe in Him and who are actively preparing for his return to be taken away and dwell with Him. As the bride we should be prioritizing and actively awaiting His arrival, preparing ourselves to be the wife to our Lord that He calls on us to be for Him.

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What should the Bride do while waiting for the Bridegroom?

Throughout scripture, we see many teachings and examples of marriage and all believers should pay careful attention to the lessons on being a godly wife. These are not only lessons for earthly wives to live by, but for all believers to also live by as the bride of Christ. We should be actively growing and learning how to be the bride of Christ, preparing for Him to come and take His bride away with Him to our eternal dwelling place with Him.

22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 
23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 
24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 
26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 
27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.[a] 
28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 
29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 
30 because we are members of his body. 
31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 
32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 
33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Ephesians 5:22-33 ESV

Wives should submit to their husbands as believers are to submit to the Lord. We are all to submit to the authority of our Savior. This is a respectful and loving kind of submission. It is a submission that acknowledges and accepts God-given order and roles.

Wives are to submit to their husbands, so also believers are to submit to Christ. Husbands should also love their wives as part of their own body, just as Jesus loves the Church which is the Body of Christ. He nourishes, loves, cherishes, and saves His bride. We are to respect Christ as our Bridegroom, and He will love us as His own flesh.

• Read more: Women of the Word: Godly Woman
• Read more: How do we test what is pleasing to God?

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Prepare while you wait for the Bridegroom

As we wait for Christ to return for His bride, we are to be like the 5 virgins who were wise. They prepared for a long wait, not knowing how long before their bridegroom would come for them. Because they prepared, they were ready when their bridegroom came for them.

We must be careful not to follow the example of the 5 foolish virgins who were not prepared and expected those who were prepared to provide for them when the time came. Due to their lack of preparation, they were left behind.

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps[a] and went to meet the bridegroom.[b] 
2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 
3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 
4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 
5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 
6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 
7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 
8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 
9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 
10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 
11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 
12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 
13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Matthew 25:1-13 ESV

We must be watchful, carefully preparing ourselves for the return of our bridegroom to take us away with Him. Throughout scripture, we are given instructions on how to prepare. He gives us the Armor of God to equip us for the spiritual battles we will face as followers of Jesus, so that we may grow stronger in our faith and become more prepared for what is ahead. Learning what the Armor of God is and how to use it will help us to prepare for the day Jesus will return for us.

• Read more: Women of the Word: Leading Women
• Read more: What is the Bible?
• Read more: Invisible Enemy & the Armor of God

¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God^[a] and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 CSB

Some key elements of being prepared are growing a strong, personal prayer life between yourself and God, making time for God every day both in prayer and in His Word, earnestly seeking God’s wisdom and applying it to your life, and learning to live in a way that pleases God and brings Him glory, and actually applying what you have learned.

• Read more: My Morning Routine with God
• Read more: How do you pray scripture?
• Read more: How to worship in Spirit and Truth

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