January 3 - As A Bride Adorned For Her Husband

For today's song I've decided on 'Wagner's Bridal Chorus' also known as 'Here Comes The Bride.'

Now I'm sure you're wondering, 'How is that song linked to New Zealand?" Well I grew up in New Zealand and almost every wedding I've been too had the bride walking down the aisle to that tune. In my memory the processional always seems to follow a distinct pattern. First the Groom and his Groom's-men would stand up from where they had been hiding and go and array themselves nervously at the front of the church, facing the main door. Next the organist and/or other musicians would strike up some decorative piece of music and the Bridesmaids would prance down the aisle, vainly attempting to keep time to the music while also maintaining whatever fancy footwork the Bride had prescribed. Each Bridesmaid would be met by a Groom's-man and led away to stand picturesquely in a corner. Then there would be a dramatic pause in the music or some attention seeking cords and the organist would swing into their best rendition of "Here Comes The Bride," all the guests would stand up and turn to face the main door and in a swirl of white the Bride would appear on her Fathers arm to be led down the aisle to meet her lover to start a new life together with him.

Why am I thinking about weddings today? Well it's like this ...

This morning the verse for my Level 5 class was "And I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem coming down from God out of Heaven like a bride dressed for her husband." Revelation 21:2

I started thinking ...

My favourite thing at a wedding is the smile on the Grooms face when he first sees the Bride in all her finery standing at the end of the aisle facing him. That smile just gets bigger and bigger as she walks down the aisle toward him.

Having seen a large number of my friends get married I know the amount of effort and energy that goes into selecting the dress, getting the hair, the make up, the nails, the tan, just right. Generally there is not a blemish anywhere from the skin out because the Bride wants the Groom to be delighted with her. To desire her. To think she is the best, most beautiful thing he has ever set eyes on.

That's the picture the Bible gives us of the New Jerusalem, a beautiful women who has been made even more beautiful by love, going to meet with her lover, Jesus. To make their home together on the New Earth.

That's the picture of the love we see between Jesus and the church, His Bride. But it's even better, because the person who has made the Bride beautiful is not the Bride or her maids, she has been made gloriously beautiful by Christ, her husband and redeemer. He found her when she was His enemy. (Romans 8:10) He took the consequences of her actions upon Himself and He died for her. Then after He was resurrected, He purified and beautified her and promised to be with her forever. And once she realised exactly what He had done for her she loved Him, because He first loved her. (1 John 4:19)

That is where the Bride gets her beauty, from her glorious Husband and Saviour, Redeemer and Friend. And somehow that makes the picture of the Groom's smile all the more poignant.