Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily devotional as we continue in our God Vision for the Church series. Today, in the last of our devotions on the theme of the bride of Christ, we reflect on the destiny of His church at that great wedding banquet when Jesus returns.
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My wife and I were engaged for around 18 months before we married. This was a long wait! However, what I came to realise was that the wedding was not the end but the beginning of something; the wedding is the beginning of a new married life rather than, like a fairy tale, the end of the story. Likewise, our entering into a relationship with Jesus is not the end, it’s the beginning of a life of walking with Him in which we are awaiting His coming and what is called ‘the wedding supper of the Lamb’. And, even then, this is not the end but the new beginning of Loving and being loved by Jesus in all eternity. Today, I want us to briefly be reminded that that we are all awaiting the coming of our ‘groom’ - the coming of Jesus and that great eternal day. In Revelation, we have this prophetic vision of the wedding supper of the lamb:
‘Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”’ (Revelation 19:6-9)
This ‘apocalyptic’ (symbolic) language tries to put into words that great Day of Christ. The celebration will be so great that the church and the angel’s voices are compared to ‘the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah!”’ We will be overcome with joy. The most reserved of us will give vent to our exhilaration. In one sense we are the bride of Christ already, however, we are also betrothed and awaiting the wedding day. We read of that great day:
‘Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.’ (Revelation 21:1-2)
Response
As individuals, and as a church, we are to live with this vision of sharing in the great celebration at the end of history - at ‘the wedding supper of the Lamb.’ We are to ‘make ourselves ready’ and seek to be ‘prepared’; to be ready and prepared, we are told, refers to dressing in ‘Fine linen [which] stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.’ To get ready means three things: Put on love for Christ, put on holiness for Christ, and be expectant. Rather like The Parable of the Ten Virgins, may we be like the five wise virgins who were found ready and waiting for the bridegroom. May we be found wearing ‘wedding clothes’ rather than ill-dressed and ill-prepared man in The Parable of the Wedding Banquet.
Let’s pray together as we finish:
“Lord Jesus, I thank you for redeeming me and that I am your betrothed. Please fill me with fresh love for you and your bride. Fill me with a new desire to dress in the bright and clean linen of holiness. Fill me, Holy Spirit, with an assurance and greater expectation for your coming and that great wedding supper that I will enjoy with your people. Amen.”
Community Group Notes
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
Our message on Sunday from our God’s Vision for the Church series was on how the church is The Bride of Christ. As such she is to receive Jesus’ love, Love Jesus and love the church which is so loved by Christ.
Please read Ephesians 5:22-33 and discuss:
Did God speak to you about anything from Sunday’s message?
As important as what this text says about marriage is, in this study, I want us to focus on what it says about the church’s relationship to Jesus; what does this say to us about the church’s relationship to Jesus?
As His bride, what does this say to us about Jesus’ love for us?
What does this say about how we are to love Jesus?
What does this say about how we are to love the church - the bride of Christ?
SIV - How will our seeking to live as the bride of Christ help us to reach our community for Christ?
SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ recently?
SIV - Spend some time together talking and praying about who and how you are seeking to bring your community to Jesus.
Let’s pra
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