The wedding
Last week was very special for our family, as it was the wedding of our eldest son and his beautiful bride. They got engaged over 18 months ago, and so it was wonderful to finally be at the ‘big’ day!
And what a day it was! The sun shone and the venue, an old manor house nestled in the delightful countryside of the Hampshire/Surrey borders, was perfect. It was a gathering of family and friends, all drawn together to witness the union of bride and groom.
As we stood in the gorgeous oak beamed room, the music played, and the bride arrived. All eyes were on her as she walked down the aisle with her father. I confess, I shed a few tears as the bride and groom met and exchanged their vows to one another.
After that it was the photos, then a delicious wedding breakfast, followed by the speeches (which were all excellent), and then a party to celebrate!
People asked me how I felt during the day, and I summed it up as ‘joy’. We got to bed about midnight, delighted with the whole thing. It was a day I will never forget.
The Bible speaks about weddings – they are always joyous occasions! In the last book of the Bible, Revelation, it refers to a grand future wedding…
“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.”
The book of Revelation is packed with future predictions using a lot of imagery. To understand what John is writing here, you have to know a little about what is said elsewhere in the Bible: The Lamb is Jesus, and the bride is the Church (the global body of Christian believers).
John used the picture of a wedding to describe the unique relationship between Jesus and His followers. John was looking ahead to a day when Jesus will be united with his Church.
This day will be a glorious celebration when God and Christians come together like never before. All darkness and evil will be destroyed and gone forever. There will be no gap between heaven and earth. It will be a new day and the dawn of a new era.
As nobody knows when this day will come, let me encourage you to get ready for this day now! How do you do that? Get to know Jesus personally and acknowledge Him as your Lord and Saviour and become part of his Church, the bride He loves and longs for!
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader