Read John 3:22-36
Jesus and his disciples leave for Judaea where they are baptizing people. John was close baptizing people also. One of John's followers came to John and complained that more people were going to be baptized by Jesus. John reminded him that he was not the Christ but the one sent to usher him in. Then he said, "He that has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, which stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: by this my joy is fulfilled." Jesus was the bridegroom and the people that were coming to him were the bride. John was the friend of the bridegroom and just hearing Jesus voice gave him reason to rejoice in his spirit. There was no jealousy in John when it came to Jesus. I wonder if we can say the same thing. Are we jealous when we see God use someone else. It is like saying we are jealous of Jesus because it is him that is doing the work. If we want to be effective for God we have to decrease so He can increase through us or whoever he chooses to use. God doesn't share his glory with anyone.
Jesus was the only one who God said he gave the Spirit without measure to. There was no way Jesus was going to abuse God's power. God trusted everything to Jesus. Even in a humanity Jesus could be trusted with the things of God. And if we believe in him we will have everlasting life and miss the wrath of God. That's a pretty good trade.
When I looked up other scriptures about the bride and the bridegroom it always talked about their voice. Sound carries power and creates life. When God was pronouncing judgment he took away the voice of the bride and the bridegroom; when he was returning back to his people he was restoring the voice of the bride and the bridegroom. What does that mean to us. When we are walking in the blessings of God we hear his voice and he hears our prayers. When we are walking in disobedience he takes away his voice to us and he closes our ears to our requests.
Lord, we long to hear the voice of our bridegroom. Speak, for your bride is listening.
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