Royal Wedding?

At the end of this week, much of the world will watch as Prince William of England marries Catherine Middleton at West Minster Abbey.  An app was developed to allow curious people of the world (ahem) to take a virtual tour of the Abbey before the wedding. Barbara Walters released a special about the events, saying “No one does it quite like the British.”  After Princess Diana’s 25 foot long train in 1981, we might be tempted to believe Barbara, but she’s not quite right.  In reality, the world has yet to see a truly royal wedding.

On Friday we looked at the heavenly hope for wives to respect their husbands and husbands to love their wives. The comparison to how Christ loves his church was a key part of understanding how and why, but today let’s take a closer look at what it means to be the Heavenly Bride.

Unlike an earthly husband, Christ is actually able to sanctify his bride (set her apart) and cleanse her by paying for her impurities with his own righteous sacrifice. In comparison, even the earthly wealth of England doesn’t look quite so grand.   The gift of the Bridegroom Christ on the cross makes it possible for the Bride Church to be totally clean and holy, so nothing separates her from his love. He longs to “present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be hold and without blemish,” (Eph. 5:27) and husbands are to love their wives “in the same way” (v.28).

We glimpse the gift in our “engagement,” but we’ll fully realize the joy when we are united at the royal Marriage Supper of the Lamb. It will rival the celebration just held at Buckingham Palace by Her Majesty the Queen. The Marriage Supper of the Lamb and his love will be hosted by the Heavenly Father

Revelation 19 offers us a glimpse of what awaits the Bride of Christ, the Church, in heaven.

“Hallelujah!For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

(vv. 6b-9a)

For West Minister’s “royal wedding,” Catherine prepared for months; the world watched with curious anticipation.  When the Bridegroom Christ receives his Bride the Church, will he see that, “his Bride has made herself ready?”  Will we be covered in the fine linen of righteousness?

I’m sad to say I didn’t receive an invitation to royal wedding of William and Kate, and I venture to guess you didn’t either, but we ALL got an invitation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.  And even more thrilling, the Father has chosen us to be the Bride!  We don’t know when we’ll be wed to our Love, but we know the wedding is coming, and it’s going to be more than royal; it’s going to be divine.

Are you ready to meet the Bridegroom?