The wedding was an important part of Jewish, and also Middle Eastern, society. Frequently, the wedding was held at the gate of the city, which was the equivalent of our courthouse. This was done so the wedding was legally recognized, and also for witnesses.

The first miracle performed by the Lord Jesus was changing water into wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. (John2:1-11) The wedding was on the third day. We are not told what the third day was after. It is suggestive of the third millennial day, which is about where we are right now.

The last event for the Lord Jesus before the Second Coming is when He returns as King of kings and Lord of lords is His wedding to His bride, the Church. (Revelation 19:7-9)

Weddings, then, presented an understandable picture to the people at the time of Jesus here on earth, and are also “bookends” to the mission of Jesus. The first “bookend” was when He came the first time and presented salvation to mankind. The second “bookend” will be at His return when the Saved will be made part of God’s family through the Wedding. Christians are family, joint heirs with the Lord Jesus. (Romans 8:17)

As presented in previous lessons, one step of the Jewish wedding was the confirmation of the covenant between bride and groom. This confirmation in the traditional Jewish wedding took the form of drinking a cup of wine. At the Last Supper the Lord Jesus told the Disciples that He was leaving and was going to prepare a place for them, just as the groom prepared a place for the bride. (John 14:2-3)

Jesus also took the cup and described it as the new testament, or covenant, in His blood. (Luke 22:20) This confirmation of the covenant in His blood is also indicative of the Biblical Blood Covenant, which endured for the life of the covenanters. The blood covenant is forever. Of course, through Jesus we will never die and He, the covenant other party, is eternal. The blood covenant and the wedding covenant were confirmed by Jesus in one of His last acts before His crucifixion.

Jesus said that He would not take part in this covenant ceremony again until the Kingdom of the Lord comes. (Matthew 26:29) But He asked us to remember Him by this covenant ceremony. (First Corinthians 11:25) We do this when we take part in the Lord’s Supper.

The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of the death and resurrection of Jesus. But it is also a reminder of the marriage covenant between the groom (the Lord Jesus) and His bride (the Church). This places even greater importance on this wonderful, ancient ceremony. As Christians, we should not be neglectful of this memorial, nor complacent in our observance.

Praise the Lord for the covenant that the Lord Jesus confirmed, and for the eternal hope that we have because of Jesus!