John 2:1-2

I went to a bible study on Monday night and I wanted to share some of what I learned.
We only studied John 2:1-2, but I got so much out of it. John 2:1-2 is about the wedding that Jesus attended, in where they ran out of wine and Jesus made more out of water. The leader went into detail about typical Jewish weddings and how their weddings are such a picture of us being Christ's bride. There are typically three steps to a Jewish wedding:



1st. there is the betrothal, in where the man haggles over a purchase price with the girl's father. After the purchase price was decided, he would take a drink from a cup of wine and then offer the girl a drink, if she took a drink from the cup she was accepting his proposal and they were 'considered married.' After this took place, he would leave to prepare a home for the girl while she prepared for him.

2nd. After the man prepares a home for his bride, he would go get his bride and carry her off to their bridal chamber. Typically this would occur at an unknown time to the bride and it was usually in the evening, she always had to be ready.

3rd. There would be a 7 day party, in which the bride could not attend. She was held captive in the bridal chamber while her husband partied outside. (That's not fair!) After 7 days of partying, the groom would bring his bride out, unveiled (this would be the 1st time anyone had seen the girl unveiled.)

The comparison to Jewish weddings and us being Christ's bride is as followed. (And I'm only listing a few comparisons.)

1. As the groom leaves his father's house to go to his house with his new bride, so God left his house to come to earth to be with us.
2. Just as the groom makes a covenant with wine, so God makes a covenant with his blood.
3. Just as the groom pays a "purchase price," so Jesus paid a purchase price for us--his own life.
4. As the bride is set apart after her betrothal, so the church is also set apart.
5. Just as the bride would prepare for her husband, so the Church also should prepare.
6. The same way the group prepared a house for his bride, so God prepares a house for us.
7. Just as the bride was unaware as to when her groom would show up for her (but she always had to be ready), so we don't know when Christ is coming for us, be we also have to be ready for him.