The Bride of Christ
The Bride of Christ
Marriage is universal and timeless. The ancient world knew marriage just as modern man does, and even in cultures foreign to us the ceremony may look strange, but marriage itself remains a constant.
It is no wonder, then, that Jesus uses marriage as an example of the relationship between himself and the church. Since marriage is so timeless, all generations can understand how we relate to Christ and how Christ relates to us in a very tangible way.
The Holy Spirit, through Paul, draws a parallel between marriage and the relationship between Christ and the church in Ephesians 5:22-33.
The Groom's love
Ephesians 5:25, 29 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church. (ESV)
For the groom, the wedding day is a great day of anticipation, often awaited for many years. What wouldn't a groom do for his bride? He'll go to the store and spend a fortune on a diamond ring. He picks out the best one he can afford, or perhaps even one he can't, because he is willing to do so much for his bride-to-be. He spares no expense and makes great sacrifices, looking forward to the day he can begin a life with her.
Jesus went to even greater lengths for his church, and his devotion went deeper still. He suffered, went homeless, was beaten and abused, and ultimately died because of his great love for her. He showed his selfless love not only in his death, but in the life he spent teaching, nourishing, and cherishing her.
As his church, we should be deeply appreciative of Christ's love, care, tenderness, and sacrifice for us. That should put us in awe, willing to submit ourselves to him to such a degree that there's nothing we wouldn't do in return for our loving Lord.
Submission
Ephesians 5:23-24 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. (ESV)
Since Christ loved us and sacrificed so much for us, it's easy to submit to him, because we know that everything he asks of us is for our good always. This keeps us humble and it helps us recognize that we shouldn't be presumptuous about asserting our own will or acting selfishly. We should always act in a way that respects Christ as our head.
We're to be submissive in all ways, not just in the ways in which it's easy. We're to be submissive even when it hurts, and even when we disagree or wish it were some other way.
The church must be concerned with pleasing Christ, not pleasing ourselves. A church that is not submitted to Christ will flirt with the world, wanting entertainment or whatever makes people feel good rather than what the Lord has said. Whether the question is instrumental music in worship or a missionary society to do the church's work, submission asks not "What do we want?" or "What do we think is a good idea?" but, "What has Christ authorized?"
This also applies to preaching and daily conduct. If preaching minimizes holiness because hard truth may offend, or if we are more interested in swelling the ranks of the congregation than preaching the truth, then we are not submitting to Christ. The truth was a divider for Christ, and it will be for us. In the same way, if brethren are quarreling, refusing to love one another, and walking in bitterness rather than love, then we are not following the commands of our head. As the bride of Christ, we must always humbly submit to him.
The Bride is Beautiful
Ephesians 5:26-27 That he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (ESV)
By tradition, on the wedding day the bride remains unseen by the groom until the ceremony, and her beauty preparations take hours, sometimes days. When she finally appears, the groom is struck with awe.
We too, as the bride of Christ, must put forward that kind of effort in presenting ourselves to him. 2 Corinthians 11:2 speaks of us being presented as a pure virgin to Christ, in purity, without blemish, in holiness. And purity, for a bride, means faithfulness.
As the bride and groom swear faithfulness to each other during their wedding vows, we are to be faithful to our Lord and head, Jesus Christ. Throughout the Bible, we see the concept of spiritual adultery. Israel played the harlot with other gods, and we as the bride of Christ can do the same today when we try to be wed to Christ and to the world at the same time, or when materialism or anything else draws us away from our groom.
James 4:4-5 makes the same point: friendship with the world is enmity with God. Jesus as our groom is jealous over us, not a bad jealousy, but a righteous one. He doesn't want to share our affections with another, because he deserves all of our attention and love. We can't both be friends with the world and be his bride.
The church commits spiritual adultery when she starts courting the approval of the culture instead of remaining loyal to Christ. If the Bible conflicts with modern sensibilities, then we must stay true to the Bible and not surrender to the spirit of the age. That is true in every area where culture pressures us to soften, hide, or reshape what God has said. A faithful bride does not ask what is popular. She asks what pleases her groom.
Conclusion
The institution of marriage is deeply ingrained in cultures and societies throughout the world. As we see it taking place around us, may it remind us of the beauty of the relationship between Christ and the church.
May we, as the bride, submit to Christ in worship, in doctrine, in conduct, and in love for one another. May we refuse to trade truth for popularity or faithfulness for worldly approval. May we always present ourselves to Christ as holy, pure, faithful, and beautiful.
- Dan Harbin
When someone learns that Christ has removed the fear of punishment by taking it Himself, they won’t do whatever they want, they’ll do whatever He wants.
View Full Content Source:
https://www.cedarparkchurchofchrist.org/resources/articles/2026/06/07/the-bride-of-christ
