| by Wayne Schatzle (West Chester, Ohio) |
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| Some time ago I read a book about the familiar nursery rhymes and childhood stories published by the Grimm brothers in the early 1800s. Apparently these were mostly German folk stories passed down through generations by word of mouth, and we can thank the Grimm brothers for recording them for posterity. More often than not each story has a prince on a journey, a princess in danger, and an evil individual bent on coming between them. The object of the book was to show that the point of these folklore stories was not just to entertain children but tell the wonderful message that Jesus is a magnificent prince that will one day return to destroy the evil one that persecutes the princess that he intends to marry. Jesus is depicted in many ways in scriptures- He is our Creator; our elder brother; our healer; our banner; and as our bridegroom. Maybe the reason women can relate better to the Christian religion is because the church is pictured as a bride, but in analogy all Christians, both men and women, are to be brides. Notice the language in Revelation 19 of the returning King of Kings, “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready. The love affair between Jesus and the church reads as a great love novel, how the rich bridegroom seen the low-class baby born, uncared for and literally thrown in an open field to die. He saw this helpless baby girl struggle in her own blood for life. With compassion, He reached down and saved her life, washed, and clothed her. He watched her as she grew in beauty and clothed her in fine clothing and jewels. When her “time of love” came the prince was moved by the love he developed for this young woman, he swore an oath and entered into a covenant, and she became his fiancée. {Ezekiel 16}. Just as the heroines of the Grimm’s stories, the Church is also deceived and in the clutches of the evil one and unaware of her destiny to become the bride of the King. Rarely if ever will you hear a sermon showing the reward of the saved is to become the very bride of Jesus. Finally, we read in Revelation of the returning King to put away the evil one and marry His love of the ages- the church. Oh yes, as the couple in the fairy tales so it is with the bride and Groom in the Bible- they shall live happily ever after. |
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