What Is the Church?Sample

The Church Is The Bride of Christ

The next time you are at a wedding, do something nobody else does:

When the bride walks down the aisle, don’t look at her; look at the groom.

It is a moment of pure joy as the man sees his bride walking down the aisle—especially if this is the first time he sees her in her wedding dress. At this moment, you get a small taste of a more incredible wedding to take place in the future.

The New Testament uses the metaphor of the Bride of Christ to describe the nature of the relationship between Jesus and His Church. If you have read Ephesians 5:22-23 to learn what it means to be a godly husband, you have probably focused much energy on what God calls you to be as a man. However, this passage concludes by saying that the relationship between a husband and wife is a physical picture of a spiritual reality—the relationship between Jesus and His Church.

One of the descriptions of Jesus as a husband with such immense meaning is found in Ephesians 5:29, where we are told that Jesus “provides and cares for” His Church. Some translations use the word “cherishes.” Jesus loves His Church so much that He sacrificed His life for our benefit.

If this is how much Jesus loves His bride, what does this mean for our lives today?

If you love Jesus, then you will love what Jesus loves.

When you are critical of the Church, you are being critical of the Bride of the King of kings. Be careful what you say! When you ignore the Church, you are ignoring the Bride that Jesus gave His life for. Grow in seeing the Church through the eyes of the groom.

As His Bride, be faithful to Jesus. Imagine finding out your bride was cheating on you—what would go through your heart and mind? In 2 Corinthians 11:1-4, Paul warns the Church of the potential of their minds being seduced away from pure devotion to Christ. Do everything you can to maintain pure devotion to Jesus.

One day, there will be the most incredible wedding in human history. The Church will be presented to the groom—Jesus Christ. The Bride will be “arrayed with God’s glory” (Revelation 21:11), and the groom will be filled with joy as He sees the full beauty of His Bride on display.

Prayer: God, help me to see the Church through the eyes of the groom, Jesus Christ. Help me to be faithful and have pure devotion to Him. Amen.

Reflection: In what ways have you contributed to helping the Church have a pure devotion to Christ?