GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH

THE BRIDEGROOM AND THE BRIDE
The Marriage Supper Of The Lamb
Revelation 19:7-8

Don Fortner

In just a little while, we will once again celebrate our redemption by Christ, by eating the bread and drinking the wine of the Lord's Table together. This is a highly symbolic ordinance of the gospel. It has absolutely no saving merit or efficacy. It has no spiritual, mystical power. The table is an ordinary table of wood. The bread is ordinary, unleavened bread. The wine is ordinary concord grape wine. But the ordinance is highly significant!

1. It symbolizes Our Savior's Death as our Substitute – (I Cor. 11:26).

2. It is a Declaration of Our Faith in Christ – (I Cor. 10:16).

By eating this bread and drinking this wine, we profess to all men our faith in and dependence upon Christ's finished work for the pardon of sin and righteousness with God.

3. It is an Act of Grateful Remembrance – (I Cor. 11:25).
4. It is A Symbol of Our Union With One Another in Christ – (I Cor. 10:17).
5. And The Lord's Supper is Prophetic.

It is a type and prophecy of the marriage supper of the Lamb. When he instituted the Supper, our Lord said, "I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matt. 26:29). His eye looked down through the ages of sorrow, oppression and blood through which the church must pass to the day of final triumph. He saw his disciples, of every age and people and nation, gathered in one body before his throne, exulting in his presence. As we gather around the Lord's Table tonight, let us look backward to his agony upon the cross, and remember the price of our redemption. But let us also look forward to the day of his glorious triumph and ours at the marriage supper of the Lamb. It is described for us in Revelation 19:7-9.

We have seen The Processional (The Destruction of Babylon), and The Meaning Of The Marriage. This marriage supper of the Lamb shall be…

1. The glorious consummation of the everlasting covenant.
2. The blessed consummation of our hearts' betrothal to Christ.
3. The perfecting of Christ's body, The Church.

Tonight, I want you to see The Bridegroom And The Bride. Try to get a picture of the royal pair on their wedding day.

The center of attention at this wedding will not be the Bride, but the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ. Try to get the eyes of your soul fixed upon him. On that glorious day of glorious days, Christ will appear in his most glorious, most honorable most dazzling character. What shall it be? How shall he appear? The text tells us. When John saw him, he saw "The Lamb"! This is the marriage supper of the Creator, the King, the Ruler, the Sustainer, the Governor, the God of the universe. But when he comes to show forth all the splendor and glory of his Being, he appears as "The Lamb". This is "the marriage supper of the Lamb".

Throughout the Book of Revelation our Lord is worshipped as "the Lamb". Almost every time we see him or have mention of him, he is called "the Lamb". The Lamb Is The Sacrifice, the Sacrifice by which justice is satisfied and sin is put away – (John 1:29). Whenever we see Christ presented as "The Lamb" it is to remind us of his sufferings and death in our room and in our stead, as our great Substitute to put away our sin.

• The Lamb as the Center of God's Decrees (5:6).


• The Lamb as the Object of Worship (5:8).


• The Lamb as the Ruler of Providence (6:1).


• The Lamb as the Executioner of Justice (6:16).


• The Lamb upon the Throne (7:17).


• The Lamb as the Source of Victory (12:11).


• The Lamb as the Source of Life (13:8).


• The Lamb standing upon Mt. Zion (14:1).


• The Lamb as our Leader (14:4).


• The Lamb the Song of Heaven (15:3).


• The Lamb the Preserver of His People (17).


• The Lamb as the Light of Heaven (21:22).

1. The first time we looked to Christ in faith, we looked to him as "The Lamb".
2. We look to our Savior now, trusting him as "the Lamb".
3. And when we shall see him as he is, in all the glory of his Eternal Being, we will see him as "The Lamb".

What do we know about Christ as "The Lamb"? I know this…

1. Provided in the Covenant – (Rev. 13:8).
2. Promised in the Scriptures – (Gen. 3:15).
3. Pictured in the Types – (Passover – I Cor. 5:7).
4. Presented by the Baptist – (John 1:29).
5. Punished upon the Cross – (Isa. 53:6-8).
6. Proclaimed in the Gospel – (John 12:32).
7. Praised at the Throne – (Rev. 5:8-14).
8. Pleased in Eternity – (Isa. 53:10).

C. It Was As "The Lamb" That Our Savior won our Hearts and Caused us to Love Him – (I John 4:19).

• He first loved us.


• His love for us is the cause of our love for him.


• But we do love him!

D. It was as "the Lamb" that our Savior come into the closest possible union with us.

When he was numbered with the transgressors, the Son of God came nearer to us than at any other time (II Cor. 5:21; Ps. 40:12).

E. We never feel nearer to, or more perfectly one with, the Son of God than when we see him as "The Lamb".

F. It is Christ "The Lamb" who conquers the hearts of rebels and saves lost sinners.

G. And when we see our Savior on his glorious wedding day, and ours we will be Wed to Him, Worship Him, Adore Him, and Embrace Him as "The Lamb".

• This will be Heaven!


• This will be an Endless Feast of Love!


• This will be The Glory of God!

The Lamb loved us! The Lamb redeemed us! The Lamb called us! The Lamb has kept us! And The Lamb shall have us!

Let me briefly describe the beauty of the Bride, the church of God's elect. But really I will still be describing the beauty of the Lamb and the glory of the Lamb, because her beauty is his beauty which he has put upon her. "His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness (righteousnesses) of the saints."

We are told, "His wife hath made herself ready". What does that mean? How do we make ourselves ready for heaven's glory?

1. She has willingly, of her own accord, given herself to Christ to be his forever.
2. She has come out of Babylon and put away from herself the corruptions of the great whore.

• Ritualism.


• Legalism.


• Free-willism.

Illus: Barnard at "Old Faithful."

B. But notice this: Her Gorgeous Apparel Was Given To Her As A Free Gift of Sovereign Grace, As A Royal Grant From The King of Heaven.

All that she carries with her to heaven was given to her. All that she wears was given to her. She brings nothing of her own and wears nothing of her own. In fact, she is there altogether as a matter of free grace.

The garment she wears is "the righteousness of the saints". I grant that the word "righteousness" should be written "righteousnesses", in the plural. But I do not grant that it should read, "The righteous deeds of the saints"! All the righteousnesses of God saints is the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, freely given to us by God's almighty grace.

1. It is the righteousness of our forgiveness by the blood of Christ (Rom. 3:24-25; I John 1:9). – Redemption!
2. It is the righteousness of our justification by the imputation of Christ's righteousness to us (Rom. 5:19).
3. And it is the righteousness of our new nature, the righteousness nature of Christ imparted to us in regeneration (I Pet. 1:4; I John 3:8-9).

Now we wear the filthy robe of sinful flesh. But there we shall wear the robe of perfect righteousness, even "the righteousnesses of the saints", without spot or wrinkle. This is the free gift of God's almighty grace.

• A righteous Pardon!


• A Righteous Robe!


• A Righteous Nature!

This is "the marriage supper of the Lamb". Will you be there? I bid you, Come to the marriage. There is plenty of room. But you dare not come without the wedding garment. May God grant to you this night "the righteousnesses of the saints".

1. The Pardon of Sin by the Blood of Christ.
2. Perfect Righteousness by Divine Imputation.
3. Eternal Life by the Power of His Grace.

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