THE TWO BECOME ONE

To Share and to Wear

Time with Jesus - Friday, 26 April 2013

Hi all,

When we think of being with Jesus, most of us immediately think, how wonderful it will be, to be with Him. Indeed it will be wonderful. What we seldom, if ever, think about, is how He will feel about being with us.

I’ve often pondered on creation, thinking about the fact, we were created for Him. In this regard, I recall David Pawson asking the question, “why were we created?” His answer suggested, the Father was so pleased with His Son, that He wanted to have a bigger family. The implications of this are staggering.

Ceremony in Progress

If He wanted a bride for His Son, what would He require? Clearly, He would want someone who would love His Son. I’ve been married and seen our children marry. The idea that we would marry someone we didn’t love, is preposterous. Who would you look for in a wife or husband? It would be someone who loved you voluntarily. To think of being forced into marriage, is anathema. I love Phyllida. It’s not a question of being compelled to love her. We married on the basis that we desired to do so. God wanted to create a people, who would love Him freely and voluntarily. From God’s perspective, what would creation be like? The answer is a people with a free will to love or reject Him. Yes, the ramifications are astronomical. Human history, tells the story of the ramifications!

Our Wedding Day
12/12/1981

God wanted a “bride” for His Son. So He created people who collectively would constitute the Bride of Christ. She comprises people from every language, culture and background; a people who love Him, because they want to do so. Paul teaches that those who love Him, are the Bride of Christ. Jesus gives the clue in His High Priestly prayer in John 17. He prays that we become one, in the same way He is one with His Father. In some inexplicable way, He wants us to be, like He is with His Father. We understand that the Trinity. is three persons in one. Somehow, His bride will be many persons in one. If you can tell me how this works practically, you’ll be able to explain the Trinity! So when we “marry” Jesus there will be many persons in one!

Prepared as a Bride
For her Husband

Against this background, let’s imagine what it will be like from His perspective. Of course, it’s impossible to know this in the fullness of the occasion. The best we can do, is to let our imagination describe a scene, based on our own knowledge and experience. That’s what I’ve tried to do in our meditation. I’ve tried to “stand in Jesus’ shoes” and describe what is felt and seen. In some respects it’s a bit like the Song of Song. 

Him and Her

The difference is Song of Songs is divinely inspired. Mine is only my imagination. Some of the experience and feelings flow from what I thought and felt standing and watching my bride enter. It was magnificent. Perhaps, in a small way, reflecting how Jesus will feel and think at that time.

Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Friday, 26 April 2013			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
©	These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes					©
INTRODUCTION			DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	THE TWO BECOME ONE
Today’s Scriptures are very interesting. They focus on Jesus Christ and His love for His People – His Church. It begins with the acknowledgement of her beauty by the young women. It progresses through the protection of the Church against false teachers and the love required by a husband for his wife. It culminates in heaven with a description of a glorious woman about to marry the Lord Jesus Christ. It concludes with Jesus’ “gift” to His bride; the same glory His Father had given Him. In our meditation, these aspects have all been drawn into one. I’ve described a wedding between Jesus and His bride. The poem is allegorical rather than something to be taken literally. This is not intended as doctrinal. It incorporates some features observed as a marriage officer as well as my own personal experience. Included is the reaction of the people – a reference to the young women in Song of Songs. As a marriage officer, I have had the privilege of standing next to the groom and seeing brides walking down the aisle. For me it remains one of the most moving parts of the wedding service. Seeing the faces of brides and grooms at this high point in their lives, has prompted me to attempt to describe it. There is a very special beauty in the deep love, expressed inaudibly to each, other as they make their marriage vows. What has this to do with Jesus marrying His bride? Perhaps very little. However I know what was in my mind, as my bride (Phyllida) walked towards me on the arm of her eldest son. It was awesome. Suddenly I wanted to be a husband who would lay down his life for his wife, in the way Scripture describes. It’s still true! I find it hard to believe that what I have known and experienced, is not a small expression of what the Lord will feel when He marries His bride! He sometimes allows His people, to get glimpses of the reality, He will bring in due course. If I have captured only 1% of this reality I will have achieved more than I dare to believe. Within the poem, I’ve included comments toward its end, regarding Jesus inviting His “wife” to join the Trinity. Once again, this is an allegorical comment. It describes the oneness between a husband and wife. We know that His wife will be One with Him. The impact of this on Father, Son and Spirit will be significant. It reminds me vividly of the Lord’s High Priestly prayer in John 17. This prayer has eternal implications, beyond anything and everything we can imagine. To share His glory with us, the way He shares His Father’s glory, beggars the mind. To some extent, it also provides an answer to why we were created. It was not to be some kind of Divine exhibition of humanity, in the zoo of His imagination. The purpose was far higher than that. Fathers want to lavish love upon their sons. They often “glory” in their son’s bride. Could it be that our Heavenly Father wishes to do much the same for His Son? Does He not also want to incorporate His Son’s “wife” into the family? I don’t know. Just perhaps there is a measure of truth in this idea? Jim & Phyllida Strickland			10 [The chorus of young women] Who is this young woman? She looks like the dawn. She is beautiful like the moon, pure like the sun, awe-inspiring like those heavenly bodies. Song of Solomon 6:10 GW 28 "So guard yourselves and God's people. Feed and shepherd God's flock--His church, purchased with His own blood--over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders. 29 I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. Acts 20:28-29 NLT 25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up His life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God's word. 27 He did this to present her to Himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. Ephesians 5:25-27 NLT 1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Revelation 12:1 ESV 7 Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give him the glory! The Marriage of the Lamb has come; his Wife has made herself ready. 8 She was given a bridal gown of bright and shining linen. The linen is the righteousness of the saints. Revelation 19:7-8 MSG 21 "I'll give those who overcome the right to sit with me on my throne. In the same way, I overcame. Then I sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 "Those who have ears should listen to what the Holy Spirit says to the churches.'" Revelation 3:21-22 NIrV 21 Father, I pray that all of them will be one, just as you are in me and I am in you. I want them also to be in us. Then the world will believe that you have sent me. 22 "I have given them the glory you gave me. I did this so they would be one, just as we are one. 23 I will be in them, just as you are in me. I want them to be brought together perfectly as one. This will let the world know that you sent me. It will also show the world that you have loved those you gave me, just as you have loved me. John 17:21-23 NIrV	He looked at her enraptured! Could He believe His eyes? Such beauty; was it possible beneath God’s cloudless skies? Who had been inspired that she be clothed like this? The urge to take her in His arms, to hold her and to kiss, Her lips as red as crimson He hardly could endure! Her eyes were bright as diamonds; her nails were manicured. The light shone on her wedding dress, exquisite in His sight. It glowed with holy righteousness, incredibly bright. It seemed the sun was shining from within her wedding dress, Casting sunbeams round her, of faultless loveliness. There was no spot, nor wrinkle that anyone could see! He wondered, ”Is it possible that anyone could be, Even half as beautiful? She’s perfect as my queen! Beyond all expectations or what any man could dream.” His heart went “pitter-patter” with expectancy and zeal “Do My eyes deceive Me and is she truly real?” I’ve looked at many virgin brides and know what I’ve been told. But she appears more ravishing than all I could behold! Here is now the woman, for whom I’ll give My life. And in a few short minutes, I’ll take her as My wife.” She took a step toward Him. The people gasped in awe! Was such a vision possible? They couldn’t take much more. They felt intoxicated! Who could this woman be, Who gives herself in marriage to the Man from Calvary? Where is her special father? Where is the wife who bore, This vision of exquisiteness, whom angels will adore? She started walking slowly; she looked at Him and smiled. He felt He had been smitten and was utterly beguiled. “Poetry in motion”, is what went through His mind. Nowhere in eternity could man or angel find, Anyone more fitting than the one with whom He’d wed. Live with for eternity, the way the Scripture’s said. Suddenly, in front of Him He noticed her bouquet. The fragrance and her loveliness quite took His breath away. Then she was beside Him. He saw her catch her breath. He remembered everything that led up to His death! This was whom He’d thought of as they drove home the nails. This was now the moment! No longer “fairy tales” He heard the question being asked; and then He said, “I do!” He added, “O My precious one, I have a love for you, Beyond what I thought possible. This is our wedding day. From this moment onward, if you honour and obey, You will have your heart’s desire. I’m yours and you are mine. You will be a member of the Trinity Divine Now that we are married, the two of us are one. Father, Spirit, Son and wife. The former things have gone” Jim Strickland Written 26th April 2012