"You have captured my heart,
my treasure, my bride.
You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes,
with a single jewel of your necklace."
Let's face it. Most of us love the thought of love. Especially true love. But what does that really look like?
Personally, when I hear the phrase "true love", my mind instantly goes to the movie The Princess Bride. Other things that spring to mind are magic kisses, a beautiful dress, and happily ever after (in other words, the plot of what feels like every book and movie ever). But the reality is, there is only one love that is truly fulfilling. There's only one love that will never fade. Only one that will never disappoint. Only one that will never make a mistake. That is the love found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
I expect that most of you who are reading this will be aware of this fact--that Jesus is the only one who can fulfill our hearts' deepest desires. But what's the harm in exploring the concept a little more?
I have found a new way of thinking about Jesus, that I find rather beautiful. I thought I'd blogged about it long ago, but apparently I haven't. So here we are!
This new way of thinking of Jesus stems from the concept of the Church as Jesus' Bride. Now, Jesus used the illustration of a wedding very often when referring to his return to earth as the victorious King of kings. And in many other places of the Bible, God refers to Israel as his wife. I could walk you through every single reference I know of that refers to God illustrating his relationship with his people as a marriage, and I wouldn't even cover them all! It's so rewarding to read the Bible from this perspective, and to discover for ourselves the richness of the illustration. I highly encourage you to do so, because it is evident from the first chapter of the Bible to the last.
What I want to do here, however, is to bring that illustration into a cultural context. Jesus did this as well. He took concepts that were well known to his audience--such as building houses, farming, as well as wedding celebrations--to help bring his Word into a greater meaning for those listening. He does the same today. All we have to do is look around us to see illustrations and evidence of God's character and his love for us. But the picture I want to look at today is the marriage proposal.
Since we as God's people are considered to be Christ's Bride according to Scripture, we must have been proposed to, right? Of course! I'll give you a hint: we celebrate Jesus' marriage proposal not just every year at Good Friday and Easter, but also every time we celebrate Communion. Check out this video from Tenth Avenue North (it's only 5 minutes, and so worth it!):
So that illustrates a marriage proposal from the culture of Jesus' day. But what about from our own culture?
Here, as you know, when a man wants to propose to a woman, he usually goes to one knee, presents a ring, and says some variation of "will you marry me?". At that point, the girl either says "yes" or "no". If she says "yes", then the guy puts the ring on her finger. She keeps the ring on until it's replaced or joined by a wedding band when they've said their vows.
If you think about it, there is so much significance in this process, which is why I love it so much! First of all, the man has to buy the ring before he knows the girl's answer. He picks a ring that he hopes will demonstrate to the woman how much she means to him. It is a picture of her value in his eyes.
It's still our choice to say "yes" or not. So it is when a woman is proposed to by a man today. If she says "no", the relationship is usually over. But if she says "yes", then the ring is placed on her finger. This signifies that she is taken. It sets her apart for the one who gave her the ring, marking her as his until such a time as they can take their vows and live together forever.
It's the same with Jesus' invitation for us. He already paid the price. He's already gotten down on one knee. And if we say "no", we miss our chance to be with him forever. But if we say "yes", he marks us with his Holy Spirit in order to show the world that we belong to him. We're taken. We're committed. We're set apart for the day when we come together at last, and begin our lives together.
When the proposal is accepted, the next step is to get ready for the wedding! The man prepares for the life they will have when they're married, and the woman surrounds herself with those she wishes to celebrate with. There is a lot to prepare for the big day. But before any of that can happen, the first thing she does--the first thing she wants to do--is announce the engagement to those near to her. She is filled with such joy and love, she wants to shout from the rooftops her good news!
That same joy is ours! We have recognized and accepted Jesus' marriage proposal, and now we want everyone we know and care about to be invited to the wedding! Even those who don't know the bride may recognize her because of her joy, and because of her ring. Oh, that it would be the same with us! May we announce our engagement from the rooftops! Let us not be embarrassed by the ring on our finger, but instead display it for all to see. We have found the One with whom we want to spend the rest of our lives, and he has demonstrated how precious we are to him through the price he paid to make the way for us to be together. That is Good News, and deserves to spread like wildfire!
That is the stage we are now in, as Christ's intended. His death and resurrection have purchased for us the purity we need to present ourselves to him. He has marked us with the Holy Spirit, who reminds us of the truth that we are set apart for one man, and one man only. And believe it or not, he has also gifted us with jewels to adorn ourselves with, so that he can enhance our beauty. These jewels are traits and characteristics that come from him, such as grace, mercy, gentleness, joy, humility, wisdom, etc. As the Bible says in 1 Peter 3:3-4,
"Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God."
So let us clothe ourselves in the righteousness he has gifted to us, and let us adorn ourselves with these heavenly qualities. Not to earn any extra favors, but simply to catch his eye.
While we are preparing for him, he is also preparing for us! He is getting his house ready, and purifying us so that our joy with him in the end may be complete. He has an ever-perfect plan that he set in motion at the beginning of time, to redeem us, refine us, and renew us. All so that he could live with us, and so we could rule by his side. For we were made in his image, to work alongside him as a partner and a companion, bringing his glory to the ends of the earth.
We cannot take any credit for this role we have. Jesus did all the work. He gave all he had to give, in order to make it possible to be with us forever. That is the reason behind the cross and the resurrection. It's you! You are the pearl beyond price that he spoke of in his parable in Matthew 13:45-46. You were "the joy set before him when he endured the cross" (Hebrews 12:2).
So if you have already accepted his marriage proposal, I hope your joy is restored, for you have great value the eyes of the man who knelt before you and offered to mark you as his own.
If you have not accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, I encourage you to consider what it cost him to even make it possible. Many things can distract us from the basics of Christianity. It can be easy to make it all about what people are doing wrong, and make it about what they need to do to be righteous. But the reality is, Christianity is all about Christ. It's about what he did on our behalf. And he did it, not because we deserve it through our own merit, but because he saw us and loved us. A man cannot forget the woman he truly loves. He cannot help but do everything in his power to show her how much she means to him. And even if it is possible for a human man to be unfaithful or neglectful, it is never possible with Jesus. He has already given us everything he owns. He even gave up his life for us, and came back to life to give us also a way to live a new life. He kneels before you now in humility, though he is the King of kings. He has displayed the extent of his love through the cross. He wants to live with you forever. He wants to clothe you in white, and see you sparkling with gems that he has gifted you with. But he leaves you free to make your answer, and he is waiting for it with great anticipation.
To accept his proposal, you need only do three things:
1) Admit to God that you are a sinner, and ask his forgiveness. Ever since man's first act of disobedience, it has been human nature to not live up to the standard of holiness that is required in order to live in God's presence. That is why the sacrifice of Jesus is necessary. It makes a way for us to put God's wrath for our sin on Jesus' shoulders, and to take his perfect life as our own. God is willing--even eager--to make this happen. He is willing to forget your sin. But he loves to be asked. So ask.
2) Believe that Jesus died on your behalf, and that he lives again. His resurrection is a promise to give you new life as well. You will not be the same once you've encountered him. But that isn't a bad thing. Think of it more as "love at first sight".
3) Confess Jesus as the Lord of your life. Put him in charge. He has shown that he loves you, and he has promised to work all things together for the good of those who belong to him (Romans 8:28). So trust him to take care of you, by walking in obedience.
Why are all these steps necessary?
The Bible says, "If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved." (Romans 10:9-10).
The Bible is our way to learn what God requires, and to find our way to him. It shows us his character, man's nature, and the amazing process of redemption that God has been working in the world through his people. If you want to learn more about God, that is the place to start.
The other place to go is church. You want to find a community of people who have been on this journey for longer than you. They will be able to help you understand what the Bible says, and to encourage you to stay faithful to your new bridegroom.
Once you find a community that will keep you accountable and who will teach you according to the truth found in the Bible, you should be baptized with water. This is a chance to profess your faith in Jesus before reliable witnesses. It helps you participate with--through symbolism--the death and resurrection of Jesus. It will launch you into your new life, and give your community a chance to celebrate with you.
Finally, you should ask your new mentors--those who have committed themselves to be your friends and teachers--to lay their hands on you and pray for you to receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit to guide us, to remind us what he has said, and to enable us to live beyond our limits as human beings. The Holy Spirit lives in our hearts and empowers us to do his work. But it isn't a "possession", like you may have seen in movies when a spirit lives inside a human being. No, this is a partnership. You bring your life to God, and he gives you his. That is how God accomplishes his work in the world: through his people. So don't be afraid, only be ready to listen and obey.
I know the chances are not great that anyone has actually needed to hear the process for being saved, and for being launched into a life of faith. But I do know one thing: I didn't want anyone leaving this page thinking, "you said we could accept Jesus' proposal of marriage, but you never said how". It's an important thing to cover, so thank you for indulging me as I did my best in describing the process.
For the rest of you who have already been given new life through Jesus, I hope this topic has helped you understand anew how much you are worth, and how much he loves you. I know it has for me.
Happy Easter, everyone!
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