The Princess Bride

7:09 PM Edit This 9 Comments »
I like to imagine sometimes what my wedding will be like. I want something breezy and free and beautiful. I imagine what I will look like as I walk down the aisle. I picture a white flowing dress that looks like something out of The Lord of the Rings, and maybe even bare feet. My hair will have soft waves and curls, gently pulled back and pouring down my back in a luscious waterfall. My gauzy veil, attached to my hair by a little silver tiara, will flow down over my hair, brushing against my cheek. I will walk slowly down the aisle, with all my dearest friends and family watching me, but my eyes will be locked on the eyes of the man at the front. My bridegroom. The man who has chosen me whom I have chosen in return. Maybe you like to imagine the same thing.

What would you say if I told you there is a wedding more beautiful than that waiting for you?

There are a lot of phrases that get batted around in the church a lot, and “Bride of Christ” is one of them. If you grew up in the church, you’ve probably heard it all your life. We talk about the Church being the Bride of Christ, and in heaven we will celebrate at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.

This can sound like a rather strange concept (especially for guys), but it’s definitely in the Bible.

"Let us rejoice and be glad; let us praise his greatness! For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself for it. She has been given clean shining linen to wear.” (The linen is the good deeds of God's people.) Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Happy are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And the angel added, “These are the true words of God.”
Revelation 19:7-9

And I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared and ready, like a bride dressed to meet her husband.
Revelation 21:2


That bride, the new Jerusalem, is the Church, all believers who have ever lived. She is being married to Jesus, the lamb of God, the lamb who was slain. (John 1:29, Revelation 5:12)

Maybe this is something that boggles your mind a bit. I hope so. It is a gloriously massive concept, and it should stagger you a bit. If it doesn’t, you probably haven’t let it sink in yet. We are Jesus’ bride! The King of heaven and earth has chosen us, courted us, and proposed. For those of us who have accepted, a beautiful wedding beyond imagination and blissful unity for all eternity await us.

If you have a hard time thinking of yourself and God in romantic terms, you’re not alone. It was a crazy concept to the Hebrews too. They were used to thinking of themselves primarily as God’s servants, chosen and protected so they could serve him. But this is what God said through one of his prophets in the Old Testament:

“On that day she will call me her husband,” declares the LORD. “She will no longer call me her master.”
Hosea 2:16


God longs to take us beyond a master-servant relationship into a real love affair, a passionate and committed marriage! He wants us to call him “husband”! Can you imagine?

Of course, it’s not entirely literal. God has no gender, and there are millions of Christians, men and women. Obviously, God is not going to put on a tux and we are not going to all try to fit into one wedding dress. But in the most important sense it is absolutely true. Think about it. In human life, marriage is the most intimate relationship two people can have. What better picture is there for God to use in describing how close he wants to be to us?

In the past few years when I first began realizing that this is how God sees me, as his beautiful and beloved bride, I absolutely melted. I have been so captivated by this love that has swept me off my feet. This is my prayer for you.

I am the devoted servant of the Most High God. I am the precious daughter of the King of Kings. But even beyond that…I am the beloved bride of the Man who gave up everything to pursue me. I am the princess bride of King Jesus Christ.

Like a young man taking a virgin as his bride, He who formed you will marry you. As a groom is delighted with his bride, so your God will delight in you.
Isaiah 62:5





9 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow. cool! so, yah, im one of those people who has a really hard time thinking of God in a romantic way...... I like to think of him as my best friend/ dad/ king. not really as my husband. its kind of awkward to think about him like that. if that makes sense.....

Samuel N. said...

I'm a guy, but I love this concept too. It amazes me so much, and whenever I think about it I fall in love with Him all over again. He...made me...and I'm His! :) Thanks for posting.

Caitlyn said...

That does make sense, Elise! He is your best friend/dad/king, just like you said, and those are some of the first ways we learn to see him. Thinking of him in a more romantic sense is a pretty crazy concept. Completely not something humans would make up on our own. But like I think I said in the blog, human history with God escalates from servant to friend (John 15:15 - I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.) to son/daughter to lover. Discovering the relationship we can have with God as our Great Lover is, I'm pretty sure, the most amazing thing in the world. :) I hope you continue to pursue that kind of relationship with Jesus--or more accurately, let him pursue you. <3

Elise said...

This idea makes sense- to a point. Like, I LOVE the song See the Way and the fact that God totally loves me and he's the only love I need right now (as a 14-year-old). But at the same time- I dont want to date God! weird.....

Unknown said...

I am my Beloved's and He is mine. :)

Absolutely upside down over the top incredible. :D


And I am so going barefoot. ;)

Elise said...

You Ted Dekker peeps seem really cool! lol. It's getting slightly less confusing....

Caitlyn said...

I love you, Ted Dekker peeps. :)

Elise: I love dating God! Last February, I told him wanted to go on a date with him for Valentine's Day, but I wasn't going to make any plans, it was up to him to take me out. Right after that I found out about an opportunity to see a play for free on Valentine's weekend. :D Yup. Jesus totally took me on a Valentine's date to the theater. <3

laughterismedicine said...

Which makes our life between accepting Christ as our Savior/Suitor and the day we see Heaven our engagement period. Our chance to prepare for the wedding. Simply beautiful.

Nicky McCleery (aka Mrs. Hunter, in case you needed the refresher. :)

laughterismedicine said...

Just read the comments, I want to say the Valentine's date thing is just amazing. Thanks for sharing that!