It was a day of joy, and a day of sorrow, for in this life the two often walk hand in hand. It was the 24th of October 2025—a day God had appointed for a brother in Christ to wed his beloved. After a full week of rain, the sun broke through the clouds almost as if heaven wanted to smile with us on a day accompanied by its underlying sorrows. I say sorrows because we’d hoped the bridegroom’s sister would be there. But she lay in her hospital bed, joining us virtually—so we thought—only for as long as God would permit her.
Still, we celebrated; we enjoyed a beautiful day. We watched a radiant bride walk down the aisle toward her groom. We watched them make promises to one another, strong enough to weather the storms of this broken world, because God would be their anchor.
That is the beauty of covenant.
God continually pursues his wandering bride.
Covenant is—in fact—how God has always related to his people. He initiates: “I will be your God, and you will be my people” (Jeremiah 30:22; Exodus 6:7). And as a faithful bridegroom, God continually pursues his wandering bride (Hosea 2:14). And then Paul tells us that the one flesh union of marriage points to the greater mysterious union of Christ and his bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:32). The Church is the bride who Christ laid his life down for.
A More Beautiful, Glorious Aisle
On that day, underlying sorrow came fully into view when the groom’s sister took her final breath. After a long battle with cancer, God called her home and she heeded his call. As her sister-in-law walked down an earthly aisle, unknown to us, she had already walked down a heavenly aisle to be received by the bridegroom who knew and loved her before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4-5). This bridegroom had promised to prepare a place for her in his Father’s house (John 14:1-2). Not a day early, not a day late, at 27 years of age she made her move (Psalm 139:16).
As her brother rejoiced over his bride, Christ rejoices over her.
She had hoped one day to marry on earth. Yet Christ her ultimate bridegroom called on her sooner. I believe whatever joys she longed for in an earthly marriage, she now knows in fuller, richer measure. As her brother rejoiced over his bride, Christ rejoices over her (Isaiah 62:5)—God’s flower, Ruvarashe. How beautiful is that?
Better the Day of Death? Really?
Many young girls dream of marriage. Many mothers dream of seeing their children married. I watched the groom’s mother dance with great joy at her son’s wedding. And then, in the brokenness that followed, she was still able to say, “Better is the day of death than the day of birth” (Ecclesiastes 7:1).
Death didn’t take her away from life, it carried her to Life himself.
How? She understood that the same day her son began life anew with his wife, her daughter began life anew with her heavenly bridegroom, free from suffering and pain. Death doesn’t end the marriage between Christ and his people, it ushers them into its fullness. This is why scripture can say, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15); “blessed are the dead who die in the Lord” (Revelation 14:13).
We lost a very beautiful soul, everyone who knew her can testify. But she did not lose anything. To die was her gain (Philippians 1:21), and she gained everything. Death didn’t take her away from life, it carried her to Life himself (John 14:6). And in his presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).
To Be At Home With the Lord
Most of us will die before Christ returns, though none of us can be certain. But whether he comes to us or we go to him, the Christian hope is the same: to be absent in the body is to be at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). As her brother would take her bride to their new home together, so Christ welcomed his bride home.
Christ paid for his bride with his own blood. He died and rose again so that she, and all who believe, will one day rise. Her body was lowered into the earth, after her soul was lifted into the presence of God. She was “made perfect in holiness” and received into “the highest heavens, where [she beheld] the face of God” (WCF 32.1). As the hymn goes, “The bride eyes not her garment / But her dear Bridegroom’s face”, the One who held her through every moment of her life, even as her body gave way.
It is a beautiful thing that God does with an instrument as painful as death. This is not to romanticise death. There are few pains as piercing as the loss of someone you love. We grieve because death remains an enemy, a terrible intruder in God’s good world.
Our Anticipated and Arresting Bridegroom
But for all who belong to Christ, hope remains. He is our bridegroom. Even now. But the fullness of that union is yet to come. We are living in what’s called the ‘now and not yet’, betrothed while waiting and longing for him. One day:
- He will return for his bride
- We will feast at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7)
- Faith will finally give way to sight.
Wait on your Lord. Wait as his covenant bride.
May you anticipate that day more than you anticipate—or anticipated—your earthly wedding. On that day your deepest longings will be satisfied. So wait on your Lord. Wait as his covenant bride, held fast not by our promises to him but his promises to us. His covenant love will carry us to the day he returns. He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
DON’T HAVE PAYPAL TO SET UP A MONTHLY DONATION? If you would like to donate via Payfast – a secure payment gateway available to donors both inside and outside of Africa – please click here.
