Day 42 - Saturday, January 7
Title: JOY AT THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB
Scripture #1: John 2:1–3, 5, 7–11
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” . . . His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” . . . Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
Scripture #2: Isaiah 25:6
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
Scripture #3: Revelation 19:6–9
And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 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.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

Poetry & Poet:
“Epiphany at Cana”
by Malcolm Guite

Here’s an epiphany to have and hold,
A truth that you can taste upon the tongue,
No distant shrines and canopies of gold
Or ladders to be clambered rung by rung,
But here and now, amidst your daily  living,
Where you can taste and touch and feel and see,
The spring of love, the fount of all forgiving,
Flows when you need it, rich, abundant, free.
Better than waters of some outer weeping,
That leave you still with all your hidden sin,
Here is a vintage richer for the keeping
That works its transformation from within.
‘What price?’ you ask me, as we raise the glass,
‘It cost our Saviour everything he has.’

THE BRIDE MAKES HERSELF READY

Jewish weddings lasted seven days. During this time the bride and groom’s family and friends would be together in the home of the couple. However, the only one permitted to see the bride was her groom, until she emerged on the 7^th day. Similarly, the Marriage Feast of the Lamb occurs at Jesus’ Second Coming, when He comes to take His bride with Him to heaven for seven years. The disciple John describes an embarrassing moment where the groom’s family runs out of wine on the wedding day and Jesus performs his first public miracle of turning water into wine. Wine has both a physical and spiritual symbol. Physically speaking, wine is often used as a libation for celebrations, like in the wedding at Cana, and is thought to bring joy to the guests of any special occasion. Spiritually, on the other hand, Jesus used wine at the last supper to symbolize His atoning blood and told His disciples to drink it in memory of Him as a sign of the new covenant (I Cor. 11:25). “…The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin (I John 1:7).” We lift the glass of wine to celebrate and remember the sacrificial blood of the Lamb, as so beautifully described in the poem, Epiphany at Cana.

The symbolism of marriage on earth is an important covenant that depicts our eternal life with Christ. I am blessed to have experienced this marital bliss on earth with my beloved groom of twenty-nine years. I often wonder how it will be when we are in our eternal heavenly bodies as saints and not as husband and wife anymore. Focusing many artistic years on this topic of eternity, the Japanese artist, Kusama, beautifully creates the Eternity Infinity Room. She has produced over twenty rooms for people to escape into the boundless world of eternal and infinite bliss. Ecc. 3:11b says, …He (God) has set eternity in the human heart. In both Rev. 19:9 and Isaiah 25:6 the author says, “Blessed are those who are invited” or “called to the wedding feast,” this eternal place of bliss. Your invitation is in the mail and all you need to do is respond to the Savior.

The composers, Morton and Vitug, in “Come and Dine,” also speak of eternity with the Lamb of God and His bride with these lyrics, “Soon the Lamb will take His bride to be ever at His side. All the host of heaven will assembled be, Oh then what a glorious sight. All the saints in spotless white and with Jesus they will feast eternally.” Here we see the reference to saints as the Bride of Christ. Likewise, In Revelation 19:7-9 the wedding has come, and the bride is ready. She is wearing fine linen, white and clean, representing the righteous acts of God’s holy, chosen and anointed people. How are we made clean you might ask? The good news is according to Heb. 10:10-12, “Our sins are washed away, and we are made clean because Christ gave His own body as a gift to God. He did this once for all time. Jesus is the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29).”

I am so glad that my husband knew Christ and shared in the Good News of this sacrificial blood of Jesus. In the early morning of August 26th, I found him without a pulse and breathless. I began CPR but to no avail. Because of this great loss, I have an aching heart, and I long for the day to see my beloved Chris again. At times I am unsure how I am going to make it through the day without him by my side. I expect that is how Jesus wants us to feel about His return, to have a longing and a passion to be with Him and needing Him as a constant companion. Are you prepared for Jesus’ Second Coming? The bride is to make herself ready: pure, unblemished and eagerly waiting for her groom to bring her home.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I praise your holy name for you are the only one worthy of praise, glory and honor. Abba, I need you. Every second of every minute of every hour of the day, I need you. I am desperate without you by my side. Help me to long for your Second Coming. I want to be ready and prepared for that day. Help me to set aside my goals and agenda and allow the Holy Spirit to speak new life into these dried-up bones and fill me to overflowing with the anointing of the Spirit so I can share the Gospel of peace and be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks. May I meditate on your Word and allow it to transform my heart and mind from the inside out. Forgive me for believing the lies of the devil when he whispers, “You are not good enough.” For I know your word tells me I am very good. Before the foundation of the world, You have chosen me. You have created and fashioned me together in my mother’s womb and created me with a purpose to further Your kingdom. You have endowed me with special talents and gifts to share with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Allow me opportunities to use these gifts. Help me to fast and pray and not forget You when times are good. Forgive me for any sins I have committed against you and lead me in the everlasting way, as I long for Your return. Come quickly! Lord Jesus come!
Amen.  

Tammy Henderson, MSN, RN
Alumni and former Assistant Professor of Nursing 
Biola University

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Blessings,
    –CCCA