What does it mean that we are the Bride of Christ?

The bride was standing before God… and she was beautiful. 

God then revealed Himself before her as a loving, faithful, and committed bridegroom of the union. The bride is symbolic of the bride of Christ, which is the Church… composed of all who believe in Jesus Christ and have accepted His atoning grace and gift of salvation.

In other words, if you belong to Jesus Christ...if he is your Savior...then you are his bride.

“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.” – Revelation 19:7

Got Questions shared their take on the imagery and symbolism of marriage, and tells us that it applies to Christ and the body of believers known as the church. The church is comprised of those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and have received eternal life. Christ, the Bridegroom, has sacrificially and lovingly chosen the church to be His bride (Ephesians 5:25–27). 

Just as there was a betrothal period in biblical times during which the bride and groom were separated until the wedding, so is the bride of Christ separate from her Bridegroom during the church age. Her responsibility during the betrothal period is to be faithful to Him (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:24). At the rapture, the church will be united with the Bridegroom and the official “wedding ceremony” will take place and, with it, the eternal union of Christ and His bride will be actualized (Revelation 19:7–9; 21:1-2).

God’s Faithfulness

The Lord was first betrothed to Israel. The Word developed a unique relationship, not with a physical woman, but with an entire nation—Israel. Life, Hope, and Truth shares that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelt in the land of Canaan, and their descendants became a large nation while in Egypt. When God brought them out of Egypt, He entered into a marriage-like covenant with them.

After all that God had done for Israel, she sinned by rejecting Him and went after other gods. In a very clear indictment against Israel, God faulted her as an adulterous wife. Israel sinned, and because she treacherously departed from God, she was given a certificate of divorce. 

Despite this, God always considered Israel to be His wife. His love for her never ceased, and He sent prophets to warn her to repent and return to Him.

Christianity.com shares that throughout the biblical narrative, God has pursued His people with a relentless passion and do whatever He had to do to win them back. Despite their sinful ways, there was always a path for redemption and restoration through faith. 

Marriage in the Bible

According to Wikipedia, the earliest Christian tradition identifies this as symbolic of the divine love of God and people. There were many references to an intimate, spousal relationship between God and his people

In the Scriptures, we learn that there are several events culminating in a marriage ceremony - the betrothal, the friend of the bridegroom, procession, ceremony, and feast. 

Crosswalk shares details around the series of events that take place.  

The betrothal was as binding as being married. The woman who was betrothed to her future husband was bound to the husband.

The bridegroom then chooses a close and loyal friend whose responsibility was to assist the bride in preparation for the wedding. He would stay by her side throughout this entire betrothal period and make sure she was ready for the bridegroom on the wedding day.

On the day of the wedding, the bridegroom would leave his father’s house and proceed to the house of the father of the bride to receive his bride. The bridegroom would not announce in advance the exact moment when he was coming, so the bride had to be prepared, ready, and waiting for the bridegroom.

Once the bridegroom had received his bride, they would proceed to the house of the father of the bridegroom. They would then have a wedding ceremony followed by a spectacular wedding feast. 

This celebration is one of the glorious moments in the triumph of our faith. Knowing that you are the bride of Christ, how is your wedding prep going?

The Church as the Bride of Christ

The Church consists of all who are called out to believe, and once they repent, are baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit, they become members of His Body, the Church, headed by Jesus Christ. The Church is also referred to as “the Israel of God”, betrothed and engaged to be married to Christ.  

Joel Ryan explains in his article, The Church Is the Bride of Christ - What Does that Mean?, that through Christ’s life, death on the cross, and resurrection, Jesus became the living embodiment of the bridegroom and a faithful husband who was willing to give up His life for the one He loved.

Those who believe are called the Church. And as Christ promised to be faithful to the church, He described His expectations for the church’s relationship as His bride.

The Promised Union

“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

After all the preparation and getting ready, we finally will get to the ultimate culmination and the true reward for you who are the bride of Christ.

Clarence Haynes’s article from People from the Bible Series reminds us that this is why we live the way we do and make the sacrifices we make—because there is a glorious day coming that will make it all worth it.

You are already betrothed to Christ and through the Holy Spirit, you are guided in your journey. As the Bride of Christ, how are you preparing for a glorious ceremony and feast? 

I pray that you would remain committed and faithful as Christ is… for He is coming. As we stand devoted to our betrothed, we prepare not just our physical bodies, but our mind, heart, and spirit with enough oil in our lamps as we wait patiently for this promised union.