Wedding Party

One of the loveliest things we are allowed to witness in this life is a church wedding. Two young people so full of life, love, hope, and promise are making a covenant not only with each other, but with God. This is one love triangle that will work! Today the rate of failure in unions that do not take place in churches is 1 out of 2! Yet, if the couple marries in a church, the failure rate falls to 1 in 50. And most encouraging of all, if they not only marry in a church, but continue to worship together regularly, only 1 union in 1000 will fail! Pretty good odds, huh? Who wouldn't bet on that horse? Yet most don't.

When our Lord began his ministry, one of the first things he did when he came out of the desert was to attend a wedding. I'll bet that one worked out! The Lord of creation not only blessed it with his presence, but helped provide the refreshments! Water into wine. Pretty good trick, huh? He took the commonplace, the earthly, and turned it into what was holy, divine, divine wine. To the Jews wine had always been a symbol of the sacred. And one of the last things he did on this earth was to celebrate the Passover with his disciples. At this institution of the Lord's Supper, the Last Supper, He took the cup, and said words that had never been said before, "This is my blood sealing the New Covenant." These two occasions, the first of his miracles, and the last meal of his life bear a common thread. We are the water; He is the wine. They symbolize what he has planned for all mankind, to make us holy, to make us one with him. Communion is a celebration of the union that he seeks, it is a "marriage feast." In the chalice, that cup of salvation, God and man are united in a holy bond, symbolized by the mixing of the water and the wine. He is the groom; we are the bride. Truly this is a match made in heaven. And Jesus is seeking to bring all mankind unto himself, to love and to cherish, never to part, not even after death. I'm betting on it!

Exodus 24.8 - Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you.

Exodus 4.26 - You are a bridegroom of blood to me.

John 2.11 - This miracle at Cana in Galilee was Jesus first public demonstration of his heaven sent power. And his disciples believed he really was the Messiah.

Mark 14.23-24 - Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks for it and gave it to them; and they all drank from it. And he said to them, "This is my blood, poured out for man, sealing the new agreement between God and Man."

Ephesians 1.10 - He made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

John 3.27-29 - John answered, "No one can receive anything except what he is given from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice, therefore this joy of mine is now full.

2 Corinthians 11.2-3 - I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one husband.

Ephesians 1.23 - The church is Christ's body, the completion of him who completes all things everywhere.

Isaiah 62.5 - God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom over his bride.

Revelation 21.9 - Come I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.

1 Corinthians 6.16-17 - For, as it is written, " The two shall become one." He who is united to the Lord becomes one Spirit with him.

Revelation 22.17 - The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let him who hears say, "Come." And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price.

Revelation 19.7-9 - Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him; for the time has come for the wedding banquet of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She is permitted to wear the cleanest, and whitest, and finest of linen. Fine linen represents the good deeds done by the people of God. And the angel dictated this sentence to me: "Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb."