Betrothal

Betrothal
Words of Faith 3-26-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Mark 14
[25] "I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God."
[26] When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

One of the most powerful backdrops for this supper is found in the wedding customs of Judaism. These words were familiar to every Jewish person, as they were used at many village weddings.
In the time of Jesus, a marriage included several stages:
1) A Father selected a bride for his son, and in arrangement with the bride's father, a price was discussed to be paid to the bride's family.
2) A marriage contract called a ketubah was drawn up that included the price for the bride and all that she would bring with her in material goods: dishes, clothing, silver, etc. This was her dowry. The dowry did not "purchase" a place in the marriage but did make the bride more desirable as a blessing to the new family.
3) With the consent of the bride and the bridegroom, the price was paid and was sealed with a glass of wine called the cup of betrothal. At the signing of the Ketubah, the Bridegroom would say: "I will not drink again from this cup until I come for you." This began the period of betrothal that could only be broken by divorce.
4) The bridegroom went to work preparing a home for his bride, usually an addition to his father's house. The wedding date was set only when this was ready and met his father's approval. Only the father could actually say when the wedding day would be.
5) The bridegroom would return for the bride! Though preparations were made for the feast, the bride did not know the actual time or hour of the return. The wedding was a great feast that would last for days.
When Jesus said He would not drink again from this cup, He declared that He accepted the "bride price" dictated in the Ketuba arranged by His Father. He was saying, "I will not drink again from this until our wedding feast." He was saying that we are the Bride of Christ, and He is the Bridegroom. He declared, "I am going to prepare a place for you, and I will come and take you there." He declared that only the Father can say when the preparations are complete.
As we partake of the bread, we remember the broken Body of the Messiah, who will return for us. As we partake of the cup, we remember His promise to return after He prepares a place for us. We do not know the time or hour of His return for the Bride, but a great banquet will begin when He comes.
Jesus told a parable of ten bridesmaids who were waiting with a bride for the return of a Bridegroom (Matt. 25:1-13). Five were wise, and five were foolish. The foolish bridesmaids did not have enough oil to light their lamps. They were not prepared and were not watching. They were shut out of the banquet. Jesus concluded by saying, "Therefore, keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour." Our preparedness is to receive the oil of the Holy Spirit in our lives so that we are ready for His return.
We declare our readiness to wait when we celebrate the Lord's Supper. We affirm that we have not forgotten our "bride price," the tremendous cost of our salvation-- the broken body and shed blood of Christ. We declare that we still remember our betrothal and the promise of the Bridegroom sealed with the cup to come and return for us, taking us to a place that He has prepared.

Come, Lord Jesus, for Your bride. I am watching today. Fill me with the oil of Your Holy Spirit that I may burn brightly in anticipation of Your coming. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.