Revelation Day 59 - The Wedding of the Lamb

DAY 59
The Wedding of the Lamb
Revelation 22:12-21
When was the last time you went to a wedding?

Weddings are a big deal in every culture. We planned for about eighteen months for our own wedding. People spend thousands - tens of thousands! - on weddings: clothes, locations, food, decorations, invitations, photographer, videographer, musicians, and the honeymoon. People clean up and dress up for weddings.

The fourth picture Revelation gives us of the new creation future is a WEDDING. A wedding is different than a marriage. “Wedding” focuses on the event. “Marriage” focuses on the relationship. Revelation 19 mentions “the wedding of the Lamb.” Revelation 22 ends with the bride calling out for Jesus, the groom, to come soon.

Who is this bride? We are, together! The Church of Jesus Christ is the bride of Christ.

What do we do for a wedding? We clean up and dress up! That’s what Pastor John urges us to do so we’re ready to meet Jesus. Rev. 21:2 emphasizes that the bride is “prepared” and “beautifully dressed.” Being clean and dressed is often a metaphor in the Bible for being morally pure. Dirty and naked means unprepared and compromised by sin.

Think of all the effort brides and grooms put into getting ready for a wedding. Compare that to your readiness to meet Jesus face to face. How seriously do you take cleaning up to get rid of sin? How desperately do you want to be filled with God’s holy love? How much effort do you give to get ready to meet Jesus?

REFLECT
How often do you think about meeting Jesus face to face? How much does that meeting motivate you to get ready?

PRAY
Come, Lord Jesus! Come soon! We need you. We want you. Help us to get ready. Help us to clean up and dress up. Come soon. Amen.