Scripture: Revelation 19:1-10

Key verse: (9) And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”

Reflection: Everyone wants to look their very best on their wedding day. It is a day to get pampered, get all dressed up, look your best, and be ready to commit your life and enter into a covenant. Marriage is a gift of God. My wedding day was not so long ago (actually 69 days ago today), and I wanted to look my very best for my bride. In the book of Ephesians, Paul wrote about a wedding day when the church will be presented to Christ as his bride, who is “without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind” (Ephesians 5:27). There is a want to look good in the presence of the Lord — putting on our Sunday best if you will. Here in Revelation, the church is also described as Christ’s bride: “to her it has been granted to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure” (v.8).

What happens after the wedding ceremony counts as well. Verse 8 continues, “for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” We are not saved by our works; we are saved through faith. But faith apart from works is dead. Much like the life of faith, marriage is something that must be worked on daily. It takes humility, forgiveness, patience, and endurance. Sadly, there are some marriages that do not work out and do not survive the rigors of the years. Some separations or divorces make the individuals whole again, and yet there are other times guilt, regret, and shame are the only emotions felt.

As Christians, there is a wedding feast we all can look forward to. A wedding feast we are all invited to, when we will be clothed in linens of grace and mercy. This is the “marriage supper of the Lamb.” This is a promised banquet of forgiveness and deliverance as Christ takes the church as his bride. It will be a time of great joy and jubilation, of everlasting love and eternal happiness. We may not get everything right here on earth, but there will be a wonderful event when we are at last reunited with Jesus our Christ, the risen Lord.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the invitation to your wedding feast. May our hearts be open to your love, so that when we, the church, your bride, are reunited with you, we may joyfully celebrate the eternal union of your kingdom. In your holy name, we wait and pray. Amen.

Author: Ben Brannan

[Scripture quotations are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved].