Who Gives This Bride Away? John 3:27-29

I do weddings from time to time and I find them a lot of fun. Not doing the wedding itself, but the time I spend with the couple before hand. I require that they sit down with me and I council them about marriage; Which is really funny, I'm not married. Its not like I really council them, I more of lead them through questions they need to think through of as a couple before they get married. It also allows me to share with them how Scripture views marriage. As I was studying for this latest couple I was listening to John Piper* and came across a part of the wedding ceremony that I know I hadn't thought about and always just considered it just part of the wedding, part of the tradition.

When a bride walks down the aisle, it is her moment to shine, her time to be the center of attention, he is gorgeous and when she gets to the alter, the pastor asks the audience a question. His question is not to an individual, but to all that are gathered. The pastor asks, "Who gives this bride away?" The bride's father proudly stands up and says, "I do." Is this not just a formality. Check this out.

John 3:27-29 (NASB)
John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven." You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, "I am not the Christ, but, I have been send ahead of Him." He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice so this joy of mine has been made full.

John the Baptist has been baptizing people and then Jesus comes along. John the Baptist has the privilege of baptizing Jesus and points people to Jesus as the Christ. Now that Jesus is on the scene, more people are being baptized by Jesus' disciples than by John the Baptist, as it should be. But this upsets some people because they think that Jesus is stealing John the Baptist's followers. John's answer is perfect. John says Jesus is the bridegroom and the people are the bride. Here is the kicker, the people have been given to Jesus by the Father.

Verse 27 says, "A man can receive nothing unless it is given to him from heaven." Now who is in heaven to give things away? God the Father! In the picture of a wedding that is given throughout the New Testament as symbolizing the relationship between people and Jesus, God is the Father that gives the bride, the people, away to the groom, Jesus. Our Father in Heaven loves us so much that He has given us Jesus to save us.

Next time your in a wedding don't let this moment when the father of the bride proudly gives his little girl away slip you by as just tradition. It is God's plan of salvation. God sent Jesus as a man to be the groom so that we could marry him as the bride and give us His name. Guys get over it, you're the bride in this picture as well as the ladies, but you want to be. What a beautiful moment, when God the Father gives the bride, believers, to Jesus the Son and groom and we are taken into the family of God.

*John Piper's web site is www.desiringgod.org and is a great resource.