A Picture of the Messiah

What does Scripture mean when it refers to the church as a bride and Jesus as a bridegroom? Is this just flowery language? Is it merely indicating God’s love for His people? Understanding ancient Jewish wedding practices makes the meaning of Scripture clear. The wedding is a picture of the covenant Jesus made and reveals His plans to return for His bride, the church. The people of ancient Israel understood what Jesus was going to do because they understood the model of the wedding.
The analogy between a wedding and Christ and the Church is described
in Ephesians 5:31-32:

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery — but I am talking about Christ and the church.”

The following overviews the practices of an ancient Jewish betrothal and wedding. In parallel, it shows how Jesus has fulfilled the betrothal portion of the wedding and how He may fulfill the remainder when He comes again for His bride, the church.
 
 
ANCIENT WEDDING PRACTICE: MARRIAGE COVENANT AND BRIDE PRICE
 
When a young man desired to marry a young woman in ancient Israel, he would prepare a contract or covenant to present to the young woman and her father at the young woman’s home. The contract showed his willingness to provide for the young woman and described the terms under which he would propose marriage.

The most important part of the contract was the bride price, the price that the young man was willing to pay to marry the young woman. This payment was to be made to the young woman’s father in exchange for his permission to marry. The bride price was generally quite high. Sons were considered to be more valuable than daughters since they were physically more able to share in the work of farming and other heavy labor. The bride price compensated the young woman’s family for the cost to raise a daughter and also indicated the love that the young man had for the young woman — the young woman was very valuable to the young man! The young man would go to the young woman’s house with the contract and present his offer to the young woman and her father.
 
 
JESUS’ FULFILLMENT: MARRIAGE COVENANT AND BRIDE PRICE
 
Jesus came to the home of His bride (earth) to present His marriage contract. The marriage contract provided by Jesus is the new covenant, which provides for the forgiveness of sins of God’s people. Jesus paid the bride price with His life.

At the last supper, when breaking bread, He spoke of the price He was paying: “…This is my body given for you…” –Luke 22:20. Hebrews 8:15 makes it clear that Jesus died as the price for the new covenant: “…Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance — now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
Other Scripture references include 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Acts 20:28 and John 3:29.

The marriage contract, the new covenant, is described throughout Scripture: “…This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people… they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” — Jeremiah 31:31-34.