Joh 3:28 "You
yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have
been sent before Him.' 29 "He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the
friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of
the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 "He
must increase, but I must decrease.
John was highly revered
by the people and they have come to him with a concern about this Jesus. He is
now baptizing and “all” are coming to Him rather than John!
John seeks to console
them by jogging their memory a bit. He says, “Look, I’ve been telling you all
along, I am not the Christ, I have been sent before Him.” Then he uses an
illustration to help the people understand his role more clearly.
He likens the situation
to a wedding. In this scenario, the bride is the church, (those who believe the
message,) the bridegroom is Jesus, and John is the friend of the bridegroom.
John recognizes that
Jesus is the long awaited Messiah (groom) and rejoices greatly, because the process
of the long awaited marriage between the Lamb and His church is about to get
started. Let the courting of Jesus to His church begin!
So much more could be
said about the wedding customs of the day and the marriage of the Lamb to His
church.
In the arranged weddings
in the Jewish culture, a price was agreed upon for the purchase of the bride.
We know the purchase price was the blood of Jesus. Once paid, the groom would
go off and prepare a house for he and the Mrs. When the house is complete, the
groom returns to take his bride home.
This is where we are now
in the timeline of the great wedding. Jesus is preparing a mansion for His
bride, and we are waiting for His return. He said in Joh 14:3 "And if I
go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself;
that where I am, there you may be also.”
What a celebration that
day will be when the Groom returns to claim His bride (You and I and all
believers!) May we all wait for that day with joyous anticipation! “Blessed
are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” (Rev 19:9)
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