OPINION:
What is your favorite wedding moment? There are so many from which to choose. From the first downbeat of music to the last crumb of cake at the reception, weddings tug at the heart and fill the photo album. Little boys wear tuxes and carry rings. Misty-eyed moms dab tears with tissues. And when dad gives her to him, we swallow lumps that go down like tough steak.
It may surprise you, then, to learn that one moment is consistently chosen over any other. According to an exhaustive survey by the “Lucado and Associates” research group (conducted over a period of five minutes involving three hallway chats and several good guesses, with a margin of error of 99%), there is one event treasured over all others: the entrance of the bride.
The organ plays, her mom stands, and the audience jumps to its feet. Even the bridesmaids release a sigh. Why, only minutes before they saw her festooned with curlers and heard her asking for lipstick. But now look at her; from the garland tiara to the satin slippers, she is Cinderella at the ball. We, the peasants, lean forward and gasp. We love the arrival of the bride.
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But not nearly as much as Jesus does.
Christ longs to see his bride. His Father has circled the date on the calendar of heaven. The groom is preparing a mansion. Heaven is abuzz with wedding fever. Scripture can’t stop talking about the big event!
“The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son” – Matthew 22:2 NKJV
“The kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to wait for the bridegroom” – Matthew 25:1 NCV
“[Jesus] died so that he could give the church to himself like a bride in all her beauty …” – Ephesians 5:27 NCV
“The Marriage of the Lamb has come; his Wife has made herself ready. She was given a bridal gown of bright and shining linen …” – Revelations 19:7–8 MSG
Look at this language: marriage, bridesmaids, bridegroom, bride in all her beauty, bridal gown. Are we reading the Bible or a bridal magazine? Why does Scripture persist in describing the great day as a wedding day?
The answer comes quickly, doesn’t it? Something happens at a wedding that happens on no other day, in no other event. The intimacy, romance, physical union, complete surrender. Our union with Jesus is not one of master and slave or creator and created. It is husband and wife. Our arrival in heaven is understood not as a takeover, merger, or amalgamation, but as a wedding between Christ and his bride, the church.
Plans are underway for a heavenly wedding. The groom is Christ. The bride is the church.
In the days of Jesus, it fell to the groom to pursue the bride. She might glance as he passed by, she might smile as he turned, but any initiative for marriage was always taken by the groom. As much as she might long for him, she had no hope of a wedding unless he took the first step.
Neither do we. Even if we had the charm to entice heaven, we don’t know the phone number. If we have any hope of standing on the altar, God must make the call. And He did! He took the first step. He left His house and came to ours.
“It is not our love for God, it is God’s love for us in sending his Son to be the way to take away our sins” – 1 John 4:10
Jesus is romancing us. Can He exist without us? Of course, but He doesn’t want to. He is smitten, captivated, head-over-heels enchanted with us. He is going to do whatever it takes to win our affection.
In the first century, the groom was required to give money to the father of the bride. The measure of his love was seen in the price he was willing to pay. The measure of Jesus’ love is seen in the same.
“You were bought, not with something that ruins like gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Christ, who was like a pure and perfect lamb” – 1 Peter 1:18, NCV
“You do not belong to yourselves, because you were bought by God for a price” – 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NCV
Do you want to know how much you matter to Jesus? Find your answer in the blood on the cross. He’d rather die than have heaven without you. So, He did.
This takes me back to our opening question. What is your favorite wedding moment? Most people select the moment they see the bride. My answer is the moment the groom sees his bride.
As the wedding officiant, I’ve waited backstage with him. By this point, his shirt is sweat-soaked. He tugs on his collar. His groomsmen jokingly told him to escape, and he may have given the idea serious thought. But now here he stands and here she comes. When he sees her, I sneak a peek at him. His eyes widen. His smile broadens. He takes a deep breath. And I can read his thoughts: I wouldn’t be anywhere else.
Such will be the thoughts of Jesus when He sees His church. His redeemed saints. His children. His bride. The family for whom He died. The saints with whom He will reign. Clothed in pure grace. From the wreath in her hair to the clouds at her feet, she is royal; she is his princess.
“As a man rejoices over his new wife, so your God will rejoice over you” – Isaiah 62:5
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Max Lucado a pastor, speaker and best-selling author with more than 150 million products in print. His latest book is “What Happens Next: A Traveler’s Guide Through the End of This Age” (August 2024, Thomas Nelson). He has been pastoring in San Antonio at Oak Hills Church since 1988. Find more at MaxLucado.com
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