The Lord Jesus did not come to earth only as a Savior and Redeemer. As we see in John 3, the Lord came as the Bridegroom, and Him being the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world was for redeeming His bride!
We were regenerated to be part of the bride of Christ, part of the counterpart of Christ matching Him in life and in nature! We as men were created in the image and likeness of God to match God and become His counterpart.
This is what the Bible reveals, a divine romance between God (who is so high and divine) and man (who through regeneration becomes a corporate divine-human bride to match Christ)! And the consummation of the Bible is the New Jerusalem for eternity, where God and man will live a sweet marriage life together for eternity!
Our God is a Lover, but He is Still Single
Our God is a lover, and He created us in His image and likeness to love Him (Gen. 1:26). God is not a fighter or a doer of amazing things – He is a lover. But as a lover, God is still single – this is why He created man.
On the one hand, don’t get me wrong, God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, all-inclusive and self-sufficient, not needing anyone or anything to help Him exist or be.
On the other hand, God is still Single, and you can even say that “God was lonely” in eternity past. This is why He created man, with the intention that the man created in His image would love Him.
Man was made by God to enjoy a mutual relationship of love with God, to be God’s counterpart, and to be married to God and enjoy a marriage life for eternity!
The Lord Jesus is the Bridegroom
John 3:29 says, He who has the bride is the bridegroom. John the Baptist introduced the Lord to be the Lamb of God (John 1:29) and the Bridegroom (John 3:29). In a chapter speaking about regeneration being the key to enter into the kingdom of God, we see that Christ is the Bridegroom.
The goal of regeneration is NOT ONLY for us to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3-6), but for us to be part of the Bride for Christ as the Bridegroom!
In Matt. 9:15, in the midst of a discussion about fasting, the Lord referred to Himself as the Bridegroom. It’s not about fasting physically or keeping any rules outwardly, but it is about getting to know and love the Bridegroom.
We need to have our eyes opened to see the Bridegroom! The Lord regenerated us with His divine life that we may be His Bride, those living by the divine life and according to the divine nature within (see Matt. 1:18; John 3:15; 2 Pet. 1:4; Rev. 22:17).
We Live in an Age of Dating, of Courtship
Speaking in a holy and spiritual sense, we live in an age of dating, of courtship, and of engagement, where God as the Lover is courting us, drawing us to Himself, and transforming us to be His Bride.
Man’s human need and desire to be married is a reflection of God’s great need and desire to be married. The fact that man is NOT satisfied fully in his human marriage shows that it is only God that can fully satisfy man.
This age is the age of dating, courtship, and engagement between God and His people (see 2 Cor. 11:2), and the Bible as the Word of God betrothes us to Himself that we may be married to Him!
The more we are in the teaching and the fellowship of the apostles and the more we read the Bible in a prayerful way, the more we love the Lord!
The Fulfillment of the Divine Romance: New Jerusalem!
At the end of this age Christ will come again, and His coming will be to marry His redeemed and take them (as the corporate Bride) as His wife (see Rev. 19:7).
Just as in a dating and courtship period, we now have a lot of ups and downs, a lot of crisis, a lot of joys and falling in love, and a lot of sweet moments. But when the Lord returns, at the end of this age, there will be a glorious wedding day (Rev. 21:9).
Christ will come to marry us, and for eternity we will enjoy a marriage life as the wife of Christ in the new heaven and new earth (Rev. 21:2, 22:17).
Today we are in the process of the divine romance, being courted by the Lord and giving in to Him, trusting in Him and learning to be one with Him, being transformed to match Him… but one day the divine romance will be consummated and fulfilled, and we will become the New Jerusalem to match God and be with God for eternity! Hallelujah!
Lord Jesus, we love You. We really love You, our dear Bridegroom. Thank You for regenerating us with Your divine life that we may be part of Your bride, Your counterpart. Lord, we open to Your courting us, Your dating us…. we want to love You more and be transformed in Your image that we may match You! Gain Your perfected and beautified Bride that would satisfy You in love!
References and Further Reading
- Sharing inspired from, Life-study of Exodus (msg. 55), as quoted in, the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-Study of the Minor Prophets, week 1 (entitled, The Centrality and Universality of Christ and the Union of God and His People to Be a Universal Couple).
- Hymns on this topic:
# Lord, how long, dear Bridegroom, / ‘Til You come, Lord, how soon?
# Our Bridegroom soon is coming / To claim His holy Bride, / The ones whom He has wooed, won, / And wholly sanctified.
# Lord, Thou art the lovely Bridegroom, / God appointed, dear to us; / Thy dear self is so attractive, / To our heart so beauteous! - Picture source: the bride and the bridegroom.
