As believers in Christ, we are the bride of Christ. When Jesus assured His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them (John 14:2-3), He was using the language of a bridegroom preparing for the marriage. When the apostle Paul challenged men to love their wives, he pointed to the ultimate and eternal marriage they have with Christ (Ephesians 5:25-27). The Bible calls our future union with Him, “the marriage feast of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:7-9).
We became His bride not by anything we had done, but only by His mercy and grace. He pursued us and purchased us with His life and death. Augustine beautifully compared the creation of Adam’s bride with the creation of Christ’s bride.
When He slept on the Cross, He bore a sign, yea, He fulfilled what had been signified in Adam: for when Adam was asleep, a rib was drawn from him and Eve was created; so also while the Lord slept on the Cross, His side was transfixed with a spear, and the sacraments flowed forth, whence the Church was born. For the Church, the Lord’s Bride, was created from His side, as Eve was created from the side of Adam. But as she was made from his side no otherwise than while sleeping, so the Church was created from His side no otherwise than while dying. ~ Augustine
While Adam slept, His bride was formed. While Christ died, His bride was purchased. Through the wound in Adam’s side, his bride was created. And through the wound in Christ’s side, through His death, His bride was created.
