Christ's Bride, His Church
Scripture Reading — Revelation 19:6-8
Let us rejoice … ! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
Revelation 19:7
Again in today’s reading we find that the church is called Christ’s bride. The church is the “bride” of the Lamb, the slain-but-nowalive Savior, Jesus Christ. This text celebrates Christ’s victorious reign over all things.
Jesus loves his bride! He gave himself up for her at the cross. He sent his Spirit to bring her to life and health. He continually provides for and protects her even when her human leaders are crooked and broken. Jesus loves his bride!
Today many of us who are part of Christ’s bride, the church, get to spend a significant amount of time with her. We’ll sing songs with her members, pray together, learn from Scripture together, drink coffee together, and share life together. And we’ll do that repeatedly week after week, year after year.
In all of these gatherings we eventually see that the bride is not always beautiful in appearance. The people who form it are still broken, selfish, and hurtful. But at the end of time, when Christ returns, the wedding will finally take place. Jesus and his bride will proceed into new life together, a life of perfect love and intimacy, life that will last forever!
Then the Bride will truly be beautiful!
Your Spirit gives life, Lord Jesus. Please send your Spirit more and more fully to your Bride, the church. Help us who form her to love her, cherish her, and serve her, out of adoration for you, the Groom, our King. Amen.
About the author — David Den Haan
Pastor Dave Den Haan has served at Fairway Christian Reformed Church in Jenison, Michigan, since 1999. Previously he served a church in Minnesota. Dave and his wife, Connie, have three children.
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