It was the day I had been dreaming about for a very long time. The warm, bright sun reflected off of the waters along the California coastline. The gazebo was simply but elegantly decorated. The chairs were perfectly aligned on the terrace overlooking the golf course. The guests chattered away, awaiting the music to start the ceremony.
Several weeks earlier, my fiancé came to me with an idea for our wedding ceremony. He wanted to do things a little differently and we both wanted a way to make Jesus the center of our wedding.
Juan started sharing with me a passage in Ephesians 5. It’s a beautiful illustration of how husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. See Ephesians 5:25 and following. Note how the author talks about the church when he says, “…to present her to himself as a radiant bride…” As I was preparing for this blog post, I was actually surprised to read the word “radiant” in the passage. I had forgotten that it was there! It must have been a God-thing 🙂
In this context, the word, “radiant” has a similar meaning to what we’ve talked about before in other contexts in Scripture. It signifies splendor, honor, and beauty. Though the author is talking about the church, it is applicable to a bride too. Think of her splendor and beauty on her wedding day.
As my fiancé and I planned our ceremony, we decided to try to demonstrate Ephesians 5 in our ceremony. We also wanted to show how Christ will one day return for His bride, the church. We thought back to the birth and life of John the Baptist and remembered how he had a very specific role in his life; he prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah.
Let’s return to the wedding day. The music played and the bridesmaids and groomsmen made their way up front (as you would expect) prior to my grand entrance. When it was my turn, I began walking down the aisle, but there was no best man and no groom waiting up front. Now, I know people were whispering to one another, wondering if I’d been stood up at the altar. Where was the groom? What was going on?
A dear friend, Woody, began officiating the ceremony without the groom and without the best man! He began sharing the passage in Ephesians as I stood with the wedding party.
Then, all of the sudden, from behind the audience, we heard John the Baptist (a.k.a. the best man) shouting, “the bridegroom is coming, the bridegroom is coming,” as he ran down the aisle. The idea was to give a little glimpse of how Jesus will return one day to get His bride and be with her for all eternity.
Everyone turned around, including me. People were chuckling quietly and starting to see where this was going. Then we had that long-awaited moment where the groom appeared. I looked at him and he saw me for the first time that day. (Ahh – contented, romantic sigh). With a smile on his face and joy in his yes, he rushed down the aisle toward me, his bride.
We held hands, exchanged our vows, and joyfully said, “I do!” Though not an exact representation of Ephesians 5, it was an amazing way for us to understand the idea in more of an experiential way as we became man and wife.
My hubby and I are about to celebrate 8 years of marriage. What an adventure it has been!
I hope you are encouraged by this story. It’s a story only God could have written, directed and produced 🙂
Maybe you or someone you know are waiting for the love of your life. Don’t give up! Keep seeking first the kingdom of God and deepening your relationship with Him. Remember that you are so dearly loved!
For those of you who are struggling in your relationship or marriage right now, don’t give up! Keep praying. We will be talking soon about some relationship and marriage principles that we can all benefit from. I’ve enlisted the help of an expert, so stay tuned.
Let’s go be radiant this week!
Go Be Radiant 