What are some of the parallels between Jewish wedding traditions and our relationship to Christ?

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TL;DR:

The parallels between Jewish wedding traditions and our relationship to Christ reveal the love, joy, and faithfulness that God has toward us.

from the old testament

  • In the Old Testament, God often refers to His relationship with His chosen people in terms of a marriage where He is the husband and His people are the wife (Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 31:32; Hosea 2:16). The Jewish wedding traditions connect with our relationship with Christ as this is what the people originally reading the Bible would have understood. Understanding this will give you a better understanding of the metaphor God chose to use in describing His relationship with His people.
  • There are two stages to a traditional Jewish wedding: the kiddushin or betrothal period and the nissuin or the marriage.
  • In Genesis 24, we read about the betrothal of Isaac and Rebekah. During the kiddushin the couple is set apart from others and become dedicated exclusively to one another. This is a period of intention and preparation. The husband would offer a bride price (Genesis 29) to the woman's family to make his intentions known. When those intentions were agreed to and the bride price paid and accepted, he would then go and prepare a home for him and his wife to live in after the wedding ceremony. The woman would be collecting her dowry to bring into the marriage with her.
  • As the date of the ceremony approached, the families held a tisch, or bridal reception. During the tisch, the bride would go into the mikvah, or ceremonial bath, to be cleansed and then receive henna ink designs on her body both for protection and beauty.
  • The second stage of a traditional Jewish wedding is nissuin, or the marriage, when the bride and groom are committed to one another. It begins with a ketubah, or contract outlining the rights and responsibilities of the couple to each other, being signed and witnessed. Then the groom places a veil over the bride during the bedeken, or veiling ceremony. He then prepares the chuppah, or canopy, under which the ceremony will take place. When the bride arrives under the chuppah, she encircles the groom three times to remind the people of God's three-time promise to betroth His people to Himself forever in Hosea 2:19–20. The groom places a ring on the bride's finger stating, "Behold, by this ring you are consecrated to me as my wife according to the laws of Moses and Israel." Seven blessings (Sheva Brachot) are then recited reflecting themes of Jewish marriage and God's role in that. The ceremony ends with the breaking of glass. The couple then gets ten to twenty minutes of time alone together during the Yichud, the first opportunity by law for the couple to have physical contact and intimacy, whether physical or emotional, now that they are married. Finally, there is a reception filled with dancing, eating, and entertaining the couple. During the reception, two glasses of wine are poured into one for the couple to share representing their two lives blending together into one.

from the new testament

  • The story of Joseph and Mary in Matthew 1:18–25 reflects the kiddushin stage, or betrothal.
  • Jesus' first miracle at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1–11) provides insights on the Jewish wedding celebration, which lasted seven full days.
  • Jesus continues the metaphor of the marriage relationship reflecting His relationship with His chosen people in the New Testament (Matthew 9:15; 25:1–13). Paul refers to Christ as the husband to the believing church in 2 Corinthians 11:2 and Ephesians 5:25–27. In Revelation 19:7 and 21:9, God gives John a vision of a wedding feast at the end of time.
  • The parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1–13 illustrates the tradition of the bridegroom's arrival, where the bride and her attendants await his coming with lamps. This tradition highlights the anticipation and readiness associated with the bridegroom's arrival for the wedding feast.
  • There are many parallels between the kiddushin or betrothal period of Jewish couples and our relationship with Christ. Much like the bride price, Jesus paid a price for His people with His life on the cross (1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23). Thus believers have been called out and set apart for Jesus (1 Peter 2:9–10). Furthermore, Jesus said He was preparing a place for His followers in His Father's house (John 14:2–3). Ephesians 5:26–27 and 1 Corinthians 6:11 tell us that Jesus' blood shed on the cross washes believers, like the mikvah cleanses the Jewish bride. The Holy Spirit protects believers and marks them as belonging to Christ, much like the henna ink applied to the bride during the tisch (John 14:17; 16:13–15; Ephesians 1:13–14).
  • The nissuin stage of Jewish weddings also has many parallels to the believer's relationship to Christ. The ketubah for believers is the new covenant. Christ then clothes us in "the garments of salvation… [and] the robe of righteousness" like the groom covers his bride with the veil during the bedeken (Isaiah 61:10). The chuppah represents the couple creating a new life and home together, but the four sides are open to the community, just like our life with Christ is supposed to be openly shared with those around us (Matthew 28:19–20; Acts 1:8). The wife receiving the ring as an outward symbol of her relationship to her husband is similar to the Christian receiving the Holy Spirit as a seal guaranteeing our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13–14). Similarly, the words spoken during the ring ceremony echo Christ's words that all believers belong to Him in John 17:9–10. The Seven Blessings are prayers glorifying God for His creation and work in the couple's life, just as we are called to glorify God for His work in and around us (Romans 15:4–6, 9–12). Finally in Revelation, we see a wedding reception like none on earth with feasting and singing and joy unbridled. Just as the bride and groom are to become one as symbolized in the glass of wine, so too are we to have the mind of Christ and be one as His church (1 Corinthians 2:16; Romans 12:5; 15:5–6; Ephesians 5:29–32).

implications for today

The parallels between Jewish wedding traditions and our relationship to Christ encourage us to see the beauty, love, and joy found in our relationship with God. Just as in traditional Jewish weddings, where the groom offers a bride price and prepares a home for his bride, God demonstrated His love by paying the ultimate price through Jesus Christ and preparing a place for us in His kingdom. The betrothal period signifies our dedication and preparation, akin to how believers are set apart for Christ and await His glorious return. Just as the Jewish bride undergoes purification and beautification rituals before the wedding, believers are cleansed and adorned with the Holy Spirit, marking us as God's own. The Holy Spirit sanctifies and helps us to grow in His likeness. The marriage covenant parallels our deep commitment to Christ, sealed with His blood and celebrated in the unity and openness we share with our community. Ultimately, the anticipation of the wedding feast in Revelation echoes the joyous culmination of our union with Christ, where we will rejoice in His presence for eternity. Embracing this metaphor enriches our understanding of God's unwavering love, faithfulness, and desire for intimate communion with His people.

understand

  • Just as Jewish betrothal involves dedication and preparation, believers are set apart and prepared by Christ's sacrifice and cleansing.
  • Similar to the covenant in Jewish marriage, believers enter into a new covenant with Christ, marked by His righteousness and sealed by the Holy Spirit.
  • The joyous wedding feast in Revelation symbolizes the ultimate unity believers share with Christ, anticipating eternal union in His kingdom.

reflect

  • How do parallels between Jewish wedding traditions and our relationship with Christ deepen your understanding of God's love and commitment?
  • What aspects of preparation and commitment in Jewish weddings inspire your dedication to Christ?
  • Which parallels between Jewish wedding traditions and our relationship with Christ are most meaningful to you, and why?

engage

  • How does the concept of covenant in Jewish weddings inform our understanding of commitment and fidelity in our relationship with God?
  • What do the symbols in Jewish weddings reveal about our relationship with Christ and what He values?
  • What is the significance of community and openness in our life with Christ, paralleled by the symbolism of the chuppah? How can we live this out in our churches and communities?