You May Kiss the Bride

by Stacy Sanchez

Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Psalm 85:10 NIV

“Heck yeah, I will! I’ve waited a long time for this moment,” exclaimed the joy-filled groom when I announced he could kiss his beautiful bride. His exuberance garnered a raucous cheer from the onlookers.

As well it should have. Their long-awaited wedding was a beautiful testimony to the power of God’s redemptive love and faithfulness. After many years of trials and heartaches, the mature couple finally recited their vows in front of God and those they loved the most.

Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints (Revelation 19:7-8 NIV).

As the Bride of Christ, we, too, will have the opportunity for such a glorious moment when we are gathered unto Jesus to partake in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. What a joyous time it will be when we are united with the One whom our soul loves. In the meantime, we wait patiently for his return and rejoice in the glimpses of glory we find here on earth.

On the night he was arrested, Jesus instituted communion for his followers—his body the bread, his blood the wine. I’ve heard the taking of communion likened to a beautiful engagement ring, reminding us that our groom will soon come. On the cross, Jesus bore our sins, thus fully satisfying God’s righteousness and, in the process, making peace between a holy God and a sinful world. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is where righteousness and peace kiss each other for the first time.

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:30 NIV

The next time you take communion, try this: pour some juice into a cup, then put a drop of water into the juice. Watch what happens. The water is surrounded and engulfed in the juice. So much so that you can’t tell where the water ends, and the juice begins. Try as you might, the water and juice cannot be separated. They are one. They will forever be one. This is a perfect example of our lives in Christ.

On that magnificent day, after all the trials and heartaches of life have ceased, and we stand before our Savior, we might hear, “Son, you may kiss your bride.” I wouldn’t be surprised to hear Jesus exclaim, “Heck yeah, I will! I’ve waited a long time for this moment!”

Jesus, we cannot wait for the day we are finally gathered unto you. What a glorious day it will be! Until then, we earnestly await your return while striving to unite righteousness and peace here on earth. Come soon, Lord, Jesus. Come soon! Amen

This article is brought to you by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA).

About the author: Stacy Sanchez and her husband, John have been married for over 35 years. She is a mother of 4, step-mother, the fun, “Best Aunt Ever” to many, and (a very young) grandmother of nine grandcherubs. Stacy is a pastor, author, and speaker. Her passions include baseball (Go Yankees!), the beach, and Bible study. She loves teaching Christians about the Jewish roots of their faith, as well as helping to empower women to become all that God has created them to be. When not teaching or writing, you will find Stacy and John on the beach, at a baseball game, or playing with their grandchildren. Look for her new devotional book “Diamond Dust: Lessons from the Ball Field” to be published soon.

Join the conversation: Are you looking forward to our groom’s return?