It’s a tale as old as time. Someday my prince will come… Many little girls have watched romantic scenes of the prince with a passion braving odds to rescue the young lady. He professes his true love for her. He wants her to be his bride. She is dressed in a beautiful white gown. She will have children. They will live happily ever after. The musical overture plays. What a dream.
God must have known this dream. He has the blueprint for its fulfillment. They are found in Jesus Christ.
THE PRINCE
Who is the One who woos you and me? It is the Prince of Peace who sits far above all rule and authority, power and dominion. Have you ever gotten an airline seat upgrade? How does that feel? Little girls’ dreams comprise longing for a prince but our Prince of Peace… in heaven is the King of Kings! Pitiful me for the times I exchange my King of Kings for less.
Isa 9:6 NIV For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Eph 1:20b seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church
Rev 19:16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS
HIS PASSION
Jesus’s savage suffering and death was done for our sake even when we were completely opposed and rebellious to Him, pursuing things that grieve Him, putting things and people on a higher priority than Him. He is completely faithful even in our spiritual adultery.
Rom 5:8 NIV But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
BRAVING ODDS
Jesus endured insults, rejection, ostracism, abuse, shame, tearing of His body unto death to prove His love for you and me.
Matt 16:21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
THE RESCUE
Col 1:13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves
Eph 2:2 We used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that we have been saved!)
TRUE, UNDYING LOVE
The song “First Love Never Dies” may have been popular, captivating, and replayed over and over again by people in awe of their first love. But many a first love has died… both the person and the feeling. The Lover of our souls, Jesus Christ, lives forever. As long as He lives, His love remains. He is the good catch.
Heb 7:24 but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.
IJohn 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.
BRIDE IN WHITE
A bride connotes fresh, radiant, untarnished love, bursting with passion for her groom. In Jesus, we are always brides. We will not be the disillusioned, weary, taken-for-granted wife. What we do for Jesus, He remembers. He is our Rewarder. He cleanses us through His Word to lovingly make us holy. Though we continue to make booboo’s, He constantly purifies us and draws us close to Him. As Steve Furtick said, “There is no need to audition. You already got the part” even before we knew it existed.
Rev 19:7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
Eph 5:23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church… 25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. … 31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.
Isa 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
CHILDREN
Whether we are appointed in this life to have physical or spiritual children, Jesus enables us and journeys with us to be fruitful in life.
Isa 54:1 “Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the Lord.
2 Tim 2:2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
EVER AFTER
The rewards of being the bride of Jesus are out of this world. The joy that He gives is not based on life’s changing circumstances but based on the unchanging holy God that He is. Our spirits will live on after our bodies die. May we keep on keeping on, endure what we must because life does not consist only of this physical life. We are investing for eternity.
2 Cor 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Matt 25:21b ‘Come and share your master’s happiness!’
John 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
1 Cor 2:9 However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him
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