The word "Advent" comes from the Latin word “Adventus”, and means “Coming”. It that refers to the coming of Christ. In Western churches, Advent signifies expectation and the awaiting of the nativity of Jesus. In Eastern churches, it signifies observances as the church waits to celebrate the nativity of Jesus.
“Adventus” derives from the Greek word “Parousia” which is often used in reference to the Second Coming of Christ.
Advent commemorates the first coming of Christ and the waiting for His second coming.
In Acts 1: 9 – 11, the angles told Jesus' apostles, as they watched Jesus being taken up from them into Heaven, that He will return in a similar manner.
A Wedding
In Matthew 25: 1 – 13, Jesus told a parable and likened the Kingdom of God as to virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom. Five were wise and had extra oil, as they waited for the Groom to come; while the other five only had enough oil in their lamps. When the groom came at midnight as the lamps were going out, the wise virgin who had extra oil went into the wedding feast to join in the celebrations; while the foolish virgins were running about searching for oil and were shut out of the feast.
The Canadian Wedding Industry is a $4 Billion a year industry. According to the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada Inc., 1 in 5 in Canadian couples hired a Wedding Coordinator in 2010. That's 2-% of couples who got married. What about the other 80%, you ask? I'm glad you did.
Most women have planned their weddings, since they were little girls. They know the style of their dress. They want to wear a tiara. They plan every little detail of their wedding, and all is ready - even many years before they even meet their groom. Quite often the wedding plans change when the girl's mother or future mother-in-law becomes involved in the planning of the actual weddings. But, for the most part, most women know what they want for their weddings.
They get to be glamorous. A princess for the day in a beautiful gown, having an intimate ceremony, having a celebratory ball.
When one becomes engaged, what is involved in planning a wedding?
- They need to get engagement and wedding rings and other jewellery
- They have to buy a bridal gown, bridemaid gowns, and tuxedos
- They need to determine if it will be a church wedding or if they will use some other venue
- They need to determine who will be the Officiant – a minister or a registrar
- They have to plan the bridal party and determine how many guests to invite
- They have to print invitations
- They need to find a good florist
- There is the wedding cake and wine; and will they need catering services
- There are also decorations and Favours/Gifts
- They have to consider hair and makeup
- Entertainment
- Photography/Video
- Transportation
- New clothing
- A home to live in after the wedding
There is a lot to be done, before the wedding occurs. What about Jewish weddings? What happens when a Jewish couple becomes engaged?
Jewish wedding customs in Jesus' days:
- The Betrothal (the Kiddushin) was more than an engagement – it was a legal contract and as binding as the marriage. Remember when Joseph was engaged to marry Mary and she was found to be pregnant? He considered divorcing her secretly, so that she would not be stoned to death.
- The Ketubah was a marriage contract that includes the price for the bride and an expressing of the groom’s love for the bride
- The groom would say the Marriage formula “You are consecrated to me according to the law of Moses and of Israel” [Consecrate means to be set apart, make sacred or holy]. The woman would not say anything, and her silence was acceptance of this marriage.
- Exodus 32: 29 – “consecrate yourselves today to the Lord … that He may bestow upon you a blessing this day”
- Groom would then leaves to prepare a place for his bride - usually in his father's house
- The bride remains pure – she wears a veil to show she is spoken for and she prepares for her wedding
- The Wedding – the groom could come at any time (usually at night time), so the bride and her bride maids must always be ready
- The Shofar – a shout and the shofar announces that the groom is approaching
The preferred shofar is a bent horn from a ram, that is hollow on the inside, and makes sound when a man blows into the instrument.
“The bend in the shofar is supposed to represent how a human heart, in true repentance, bends before the Lord. The ram's horn serves to remind the pious how Abraham, offering his son Isaac in sacrifice, was reprieved when God decided that Abraham could sacrifice a ram instead. The man who blows the shofar is required to be of blameless character and conspicuous devotion; he must blow blasts of different timbre, some deep, some high, some quavering.”
- Jewish Virtual Library
- The Chuppah – a canopy that symbolises the groom leaving to build a room for his bride on his father’s house; The Chuppah is a marriage canopy that symbolizes the couple's first home together.
- John 14: 2, 3 – “In my Father’s House are many mansions … I go to prepare a place for you …”
- During the Jewish wedding ceremony, the bride and groom stand under the Chuppah, blessings are recited, the wedding ring is given, the Ketubah is read aloud, and the glass is broken. [A Ketubah is a marriage contract that explains the basic material, conjugal and moral responsibilities of the husband to his wife. It is signed by the groom, as well as two witnesses, and given to the bride during the ceremony. It protects the woman's rights during the marriage, and in case she becomes divorced or widowed.
It is forbidden for Jewish couples to live together without a Ketubah. If the Ketubah is lost, a new one must be written.
The Tallit is a Prayer Shawl worn by Jewish men and women after they reached their Bar Mitzbah (13th Jewish Birthday) for boys or Bat Mitzvah (12th Jewish Birthday) for girls The Tallit is used during the morning prayer every day. It is not worn for afternoon and evening prayers. It is a white rectangular piece of fabric, which is usually made of wool, but sometimes is made of cotton, polyester or silk. On each of the four corners are special knots called Tassels, which are there to remind us of God's commandments.
Back to the Chuppah. The Chuppah is open on all sides, which commemorates the hospitality that Abraham and Sarah showed guests in their open tent. It is usually held outside, under the stars, just prior to sundown, as a reminder of the blessing given by God to Abraham, that his children will be as numerous "as the stars of the heavens."
- The marriage is consummated [Genesis 2:24 – become one flesh] – the groom announces that the marriage is consummated. And everyone celebrates.
- There is a seven day feast
The ceremony ends the betrothal period and starts the marriage
Let’s recap and put everything in context:
The Groom is Christ. The Bride is the Church
- Betrothal (the Kiddushin) – a legal contract and is as binding as the marriage
Isaiah 1: 16 – 19: “Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes, cease to do evil, learn to do well, seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now and let us reason together … though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.”
John 3: 16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”
You are the “whosever” that Jesus spoke of; so am I; we become worthy in His Eyes. He declares His Love for us and sets the price for us.
- The Ketubah – a marriage contract that includes the price for the bride and an expressing of the groom’s love for the bride.
Matthew 26: 28 – Jesus said, “This is My Blood, which is shed for the remission of sins”. Our transgressions are fully pardoned as he makes full payment for the debt that we owe to God.
He paid the full price for my sins and for yours, and we are made righteous in Christ - Romans 8: 1 says – “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
- Marriage formula “You are consecrated to me according to the law of Moses and of Israel”
1 Corinthians 6: 17, 19, 20; 1 Corinthians 7: 23 – “You are joined to the Lord; your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost – you do not belong to yourself. You are bought with a price – glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which belong to God” (Sharon’s Paraphrased Version)
- The bride remains pure – wears a veil to show she is spoken for; she prepares for her wedding
Colossians 3: 12 – 17 – “Put on as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another … put on charity which is the bond of perfectness … let the peace of God rule in your hearts to the which also you are called in one body, and be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him.”
We put on Christ. He radiates through us and sets us apart as belonging to Him.
- The groom goes to prepare a place for his bride.
- The Wedding – the groom could come at any time (usually at night time), so the bride and her bride maids must always be ready
Matthew 25:6 – “At midnight there was a cry made, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him.’”
- A shout and the shofar announces that the groom is approaching
In Psalm 47: 5 – God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. When He returns, it will be the same.
1 Thessalonians 4: 16 – the Lord Himself shall descend with a shout, and with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. The shofar is blown and a shout announces that He, the Groom, is coming.
- The wedding occurs
Revelations 19: 7, 8 – “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.”
You can always identify a bride. She is usually the one in beautiful clothing, who is looking radiant and happy.
Yesterday, as I left to walk the dog, I saw a woman in the Foyer of the building in which I live. I parked and went in to speak to her. I told her how absolutely beautiful she looked. She was wearing a short, white dress, that made her look more like a fairy than a bride. But there was no mistaking the happiness that radiated from her.
We will be beautiful brides for the Lord. We, too, stand under the Chuppah for the ceremony. Song of Solomon 2:4 says, "He brought me into His banquet hall, and His banner over me is love."
- The marriage is consummated – the groom announces that the marriage is consummated.
John the Baptist declared that He heard the voice of the Bridegroom. He rejoices in the happiness of the Bridegroom.
A Marriage
Let's speak of marriages. I am not talking about Hollywood type marriages – such as Kim Kardashian’s wedding to Kris Humphries that cost $10 MM and included 3 wedding dresses for a marriage that lasted only 72 days. Our relationship with God is far more intimate – it is a marriage that will last forever. It is a union that is pure and holy.
Ephesians 5: 22 – 28 – speaks of the relationship between husbands and wives.
- Ephesians 5: 25 – 27 “Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it; That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word, That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
- The Church has been declared to be sanctified and set apart for Christ – Ephesians 5: 2; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11; Hebrews 10:10; 13:12
- God is a consuming fire – Hebrews 12: 29 – burns off any impurities within us so that as the Bride of Christ, we may be radiant, beautiful, blameless, lovely, pure and holy.
The Groom is glorified in her – 2 Thessalonians 1:12 (“That the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ”)
Let's speak of another wedding that happened a long time ago.
Diana Spencer married Prince Charles in the summer of 1981. The wedding ceremony was watched by 750 million people world wide. She wore an ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown, with a 25-foot (7.62 metre) train, valued at £9,000. Since Diana was bulimic, she dropped from a size 14 to a size 10, and the dress looked big on her. The dress was huge, and so her father had difficulty fitting into the coach that transported them to the church for the wedding ceremony. Needless to say, when Diana emerged from her coach, her dress was noticeably crushed, even on television.
She was spectacularly beautiful. Beside her, Prince Charles was tall, dark, and handsome in his military dress. She was a nervous bride, and managed to muddle his name from Charles Phillip Arthur George to Phillip Charles Arthur George.
Like Diana Spencer, we are also in a high profile relationship with Royalty. The difference is that our Betrothed is the King of kings and Lord of lords who loves us and paid for us with His Blood on Calvary's Cross. Our marriage to the Lamb will last forever.
- Ephesians 5: 27 – A glorious church without spot or wrinkles.
Spots and wrinkles
- Wrinkles are folds, creases or ridges – may be clearly visible or faint
- Dictionary.com calls them: furrows, creases, ridges, defects, a clever trick, a new idea, a minor problem
- Jesus outlined some of the wrinkles that we may have in our lives in Matthew 5 - 7
- Our attitudes
- Our secret thoughts
- Hypocrisy
- Lies; Thievery
- Unforgiving nature
- Judging others
- Mean spirited and hateful
- Without faith
- Jesus concluded in Matthew 7:21 – 23 – Not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” will enter His Kingdom
- When our clothing has wrinkles, how do we get rid of wrinkles? Usually by ironing our clothes.
- Romans 12: 1, 2 tell us to present body as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable; that we should renew the mind; and that we should allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us to renew us.
- How do we demonstrate renewal of the mind, as seen in Romans 12: 9 – 21?
- Love for each other
- Kindly affectionate
- Being good stewards
- Not being lazy
- Being joyful
- Patient
- Hospitable (Hebrews 13:2 – entertaining angels unawares)
- Humble
- Kind hearted and good
- We change our outward man though renewing the inward man (2 Corinthians 4:16)
Spots are a little more difficult than wrinkles.
- A spot is an impairment, defect, or imperfection that is clearly visible to others.
- Dictionary.com call them "marks, stains, blemishes, flaws, spots, something that mars one’s character".
- According to Matthew 15: 16: It is “What comes out of a man that defiles him”
- What are some spots in our lives, according to Colossians 3:5? They include fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness. Others, as noted by 2 Peter 2: 1 - 22 are:
- Our deviant value system
- Strife ... contention
- Strange doctrines – Hebrews 13:9. There are many cults and false teachers who are very charismatic, but who are not of God and whose ways lead to destruction and death.
- If we adhere to or promote teachings that are not Biblical
- Breaking God’s commandments – we are dishonest, lie, steal, commit adultery, bear false witness against others, hate others
- Dishonouring the Lord
- If we are corrupt
- Deception
- If we are lustful and unfruitful
- How do we normally get rid of spots in our clothing? Through washing and/or bleaching.
- Ephesians 5: 26 says, “sanctify and cleanse with washing of the Word”. The Word of God sanctifies us.
- 1 John 4: 7, 11 – Love is of God; love one another
- Hebrews 9: 14 – the Blood of Jesus purges our conscience from dead works to serve the living God
- Ephesians 4:23 - 32 – We become renewed and put on a new man
As the Bride of Christ, how do we keep ourselves from committing adultery against the Lord?
- 1 John 4:1 – believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God. We don't go chasing after false or strange doctrines.
- Believe in His saving power – Ephesians 2:8 calls it “a gift”. Salvation is a gift from God to mankind.
- Think on pure things – Philippians 4:8 says, “Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, if there is any virtue, if there is any praise – think on these things”
How do long distant relationships survive? Through love, friendship, trust, and good communication.
- Pray without ceasing – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
- Ephesians 6: 18 – pray always
- Philippians 4:6 – be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God
- Give thanks – 1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18
- Rejoice in the Lord – Philippians 4:4
- Quench not the Holy Spirit – 1 Thessalonians 5: 19; Hebrew 10: 15 – 17 – the Holy Spirit witnesses the covenant in which God puts His law in our hearts and minds and forgives us of our sins and iniquities
- Worship God
- Read His Word – Listen to Him
- Philippians 2: 6, - Be Christ-like
- Do good – Philippians 2: 12, 13
- Be blameless and harmless and shine like lights in the world – Philippians 2: 15
- Abstain from the appearance of evil – 1 Thessalonians 5:22
- Allow God to keep you blameless – 1 Thessalonians 5:23
- Be hospitable
In Matthew 25: 31 – 40, Jesus said, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto Me. When I was hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and in prison, you cared for me.” Let us, therefore, never cease from doing good.
Romans 12: 1 - Let us present ourselves as a living sacrifice to God, which our reasonable service. It is our reasonable sacrifice to be living sacrifices to God. He paid for the right when He allowed His Blood to be shed for us, so that we would live.
Romans 13: 1 – Let our soul be subjected to God. If we belong to Him, we are subjected to Him. He takes first place in our lives.
Romans 14: 16 – Let not our good be evil spoken of – don’t allow anything to overshadow the good and steal glory from God. The Kingdom of God is “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” – Romans 14: 17
How fitting it is that Jesus’ ministry began at a wedding. His second coming symbolises a marriage
As the Bride of Christ, are we preparing ourselves for His second coming? Will He come and find us ready for the marriage feast? Will we stand before Him blameless as a glorious church without spot or wrinkle? Will we rejoice in the realisation that we are being called up to the marriage supper? Will we be able to look around, with joy, and see that our loved ones are also being called up to join in the marriage supper with the Lamb?
Jesus called us salt and light in Matthew 5: 13 – 16.
Salt is a mineral that is made up of sodium chloride - two essential minerals. Salt is used for seasoning and food preservation. Within the human body, sodium chloride maintains fluid balance, is essential to the nervous system, enables red blood cells to carry oxygen to blood tissues, facilitates in digestion and helps in the absorption of potassium.
Light is used to illuminate things ... to make things visible Jesus said that light is to be placed in prominent areas to help people to see. In Matthew 5:16, He said, "Let your light so shine before me, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven." Are our lamps shiny and clean so that the light shines forth for all to see?
God wants us to be a glorious church, but we can't do that without Him. We need the Holy Spirit working in us and through us to transform us. When we become a glorious church, He is glorified in us.
