This is another in a series of excerpts from What Every Christian Should Know About the Return of Jesus, released by High Street Press and available at Amazon.com.
There are well over a hundred parables in the Bible, but the most beloved are the 30-plus parables Jesus shares with us. While he’s not the first to use this form of teaching, Jesus endows his parables with unparalleled originality and spiritual depth. In fact, more than one-third of all his recorded sayings are parables.
Several of Jesus’ parables address the suddenness of his future return in glory. One of these is the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25:1-13.
The central theme of this parable is readiness for the return of Christ. Like the bridegroom in first-century Galilean society, Jesus most assuredly is coming, but he’s coming suddenly and catches the unprepared by surprise.
The central character in this parable is the bridegroom (Christ), who is delayed in coming for his bride (the church). Scripture often refers to the church as the bride and Christ as the bridegroom (Matt. 9:15; Mark 2:19-20; Luke 5:34-35; John 3:29). Believers are “betrothed” to Jesus, who promises to come one day and take them to his Father’s house (John 14:1-3).
A general understanding of first-century Jewish wedding customs is helpful in navigating this parable.
In Jesus’ day, if a young man acquires sufficient means to provide a marriage dowry, his parents select a girl for him, call in a “friend of the bridegroom” to represent them (see John 3:29), and begin negotiations with the bride’s father, who also has selected a representative.
If an agreement is reached, congratulations are exchanged, coffee or wine is brought out, and everyone drinks as a seal of the marriage covenant. Later, the families of the bride and groom meet. The young man gives the young woman either a gold ring, some article of value, or simply a document in which he promises to marry her, saying, “See by this ring (or this token) thou art set apart for me, according to the law of Moses and of Israel.” The young man then leaves his bride-to-be, promising to return once he has prepared a place for her.
Returning to his father’s house, and under his father’s supervision, he prepares a wedding chamber. The period of betrothal normally lasts a year or more, and it only may be broken by obtaining a bill of divorce. While the bridegroom works on the wedding chamber, the bride prepares herself, remaining chaste, and covering her face with a veil in public to show she’s pledged to be married.
At long last, the father tells his son all is ready; the night of the wedding approaches. The groom dresses as much like a king as possible. If he’s wealthy enough, he wears a gold crown; otherwise, it’s a garland of fresh flowers. The bride, meanwhile, goes through an elaborate and costly adorning. Every effort is made to make her complexion glossy and shining like marble. Her dark locks of hair are braided with gold and pearls, and she is decked with all the precious stones and jewels her family has inherited from previous generations.
The groom sets out from his father’s house in a nighttime procession – often very late, adding to the drama. Wedding guests bearing torches accompany him until they reach the bride’s home. The bride steps out to meet the groom, receives the blessing of her relatives, and proceeds with the groom to his father’s home.
A grand procession follows them. Invited guests light their lamps, join the march, and swell the ranks of those headed for the marriage feast. Along the route, family members hand out ears of parched grain to the children, musical instruments are played, and there is dancing and shouts of “Behold, the bridegroom comes!”
At last, they reach their destination, where the specially built wedding chamber is prepared. In time, the bride and groom enter the suite and shut the door. For up to seven days they stay inside, alone. Meanwhile, an extended celebration breaks out. In the end, the bride and groom emerge, leave the father’s house, and set out to establish their own home.
This is the Galilean context in which Jesus’ disciples hear the parable. The details of the groom going away, preparing a place, and promising to return are well-known to them, as are the elements of delay and surprise.
Jesus tells this parable to prepare them for what’s ahead. After his imminent suffering, death, and resurrection, Jesus returns to his Father, prepares a place in heaven for believers, and then calls his bride to meet him at his return.
We’ll finish our look at this parable in the next column.
Next: You don’t know the day or hour