The Bride of Christ

Meditations on Christ in the Psalms 

September 5, 2022

The Bride of Christ

In your majesty, ride out to victory, defending truth, humility, and justice.

Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds!

Psalm 45:4

Psalm 45 was written to celebrate a royal wedding. Because Biblical metaphors often refer to Christ as the bridegroom and the church as his bride, Psalm 45 finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ. The Book of Revelation points to this truth in Revelation1:5-6 where John affirms Jesus Christ is the ruler of all the kings of the world, and “He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.”

When I read verses 14-15, I remember a wedding I performed in an outdoor setting:

“In her beautiful robes, she is led to the king,

accompanied by her bridesmaids.

What a joyful and enthusiastic procession

as they enter the king’s palace!”

As the groom and I waited under a terrace, the bride came into view, and the groom exclaimed, “She is so beautiful!” as his knees buckled. I held onto him, and he made it through the ceremony without fainting. But what a precious moment that was, and since he was wearing a microphone, it was recorded on the wedding video.

At least six times, the New Testament refers to the church as the bride of Christ. As a devotional exercise, take some time to think about your church. Let the people of your church parade across your mind. Take time to think about the various missions, ministries, and worship services in your church. After you have taken the time to gather your thoughts, think of your church as the bride of Christ. What do you think Christ will say when he sees his bride, your church, coming to him?

My Takeaway: As I read Psalm 45, I am thinking ahead to next week when our church will host a three-day denominational conference. At the center of the conference will be an evening service of Evensong, an Anglican service of prayers, psalms, and canticles. Our sanctuary will be full, in people and splendor, as we worship our Risen Lord.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.