The Hope of Perfect Intimacy
“Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” Revelation 21:9 There’s no way we’re through pondering the riches of Rev. 21:9 yet. Yesterday morning we just scratched the surface of John’s magnificent description of the City-Bride. As stated yesterday, because the gospel is true, we’re destined for a life of perfect relationships in the new heaven and new earth with every single member of our eternal family-the Bride of Jesus. Awesome, eeh? (as our Canadian friends say)
Yes, we will recognize one another there. No we won’t forget anybody’s name! No, you won’t live in a mansion next door to Jesus, ’cause that was just a bad song lyric! Yes, we will eat, ’cause our first day begins with the wedding feast of the Lamb, and the tree of life will yield a different fruit each month is the timelessness of eternity (go figure that one out!). No you won’t be married to your current spouse, or any spouse… except Jesus. And that’s our focus this morning.
I cannot imagine a title, state or reality more profound, privileged and precious than getting to be “the wife of the Lamb.” What could any of us want, more or beyond, than a relationship with Jesus that is everything the best marriage on this earth only hints at? Eternally to know the intimacy we’re always reaching for; the multiple joys we only savor in small measure and fleeting moments; a connection and communication that will never be bruised or broken; to be completely “naked” without any shame, or need to hind, pose or pretend…
I’ll never tire of saying or exploring this statement: Jesus is the spouse we always wanted. No doubt this is one of, if not the main reason the Bible says that we will neither be married nor given in marriage in eternity. Like so many important things in God’s unfolding story, the shadow will give way to the substance, the type to the antitype, the rumor to the reality.
So how will we relate to the one(s) who was our spouse in this life? I believe we will know and enjoy them better than we could have ever hoped to in this life. Obviously, there are many things God has yet to make clear to us in his Word, but let’s give ourselves to what is patently clear: No human, no relationship of any kind, can fill the deepest longings of our being like Jesus’ relationship with us. If we are presently married, let’s love our spouses as unto Jesus, the ultimate spouse. If we’re not married, let’s stay open to getting married while we steward well the state of singleness. But in any case, let’s saturate ourselves with and marinate in this blessed gospel-gifted state: “wife of the Lamb.”