There's Going to be a Wedding

In one of my recent estate sales, there were several hundred music CD’s from various artists, some unknown, but some were from very popular musicians. When I was preparing the property in the house for the sale, I found myself sitting in a comfortable chair and going through all those CD’s just to see what was there. There were some I was considering buying for myself. Some friends stopped by a few days before the sale and noticed all the CD’s and started looking through them. I was surprised to hear one of them say. “Oh look, here is one that’s all wedding music.” I was even more surprised that he eventually was the one that bought the wedding music CD.  Later when I saw him, he was telling me of how much they had enjoyed listening to the CD’s they bought so I just had to ask, if they had listened to the wedding music. He said they had listened to it and really enjoyed it. That seemed a little odd. A couple that had been married for years, still enjoying the wedding music.

Just a few weeks ago, I attended a wedding and caught myself paying close attention to the music and specifically, the words of the more traditional wedding songs. And even the musical

arrangements were appealing to me again. It was while I was having these thoughts that I

remembered the relationship that I have with Jesus is likened to that of a bridegroom and his bride.

Israel was told by the prophet Isaiah, “Just as the bridegroom rejoices over his bride, God rejoices over his people.”  We are also familiar with the parable Jesus told about the ten virgins awaiting the bridegroom, five of which were prepared for his arrival, and five were not. That parable ends with the warning of Jesus that we should always be ready for his return.

The ultimate fulfillment of these verses is seen in Revelation 19, “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.”

Before Jesus ascended back into heaven, he promised he was going to prepare a place for us. He is making all the wedding preparations, and we already know how much he loves his bride, the church. Just as he prepares for the big wedding, we, as his bride are to be making ourselves ready as well.  We prepare ourselves through our devotion to the bridegroom. Turning from our lives of sin and failure to a life in which all we are and all we have is committed to him. It’s this kind of commitment that brings us to the point of excitement and eager anticipation. He is coming for us!

Imagine the crowd…..and the decorations…and the fancy clothes…and the beautiful flowers. It’s a time when tears are tears of joy. Happiness abounds. “Let us be glad and rejoice.”

The bridegroom is coming to claim his bride! We will see Jesus. I can hardly wait to hear the wedding music.