BIBLE LESSON

“He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled.”

— John 3:29

Do the followers of Jesus Christ see themselves as friends of the bridegroom? Though today we have shortened “bridegroom” to “groom,” the titles mean the same. What does the friend of the bridegroom normally do? If he is also the best man at the wedding, and John the Baptist would have been too humble to call himself “a best man,” the best man stands ready to serve the groom in every way possible before and after the wedding ceremony. All the groom's friends would be ready to do the same. Since Jesus is the bridegroom and the New Testament calls the Church the “Bride of Christ,” surely everyone in the Church can consider themselves friends of Jesus and the Church. After the wedding, the special work of the best man eventually comes to an end, but the friendship of a true friend never ends. The work of John the Baptist eventually came to an end, but he acted as a friend of Jesus throughout all the time he knew

Him. John described how a friend of Jesus would act. First, a friend of Jesus will always stand ready to serve Jesus. At a wedding the needs of the bride and groom come first, and all their friends rejoice at their happiness and make themselves ready to be of service. Second, a friend of Jesus will joyfully anticipate hearing Jesus' voice and His call to be of service. They will read the Bible to learn how they can best serve the groom and the bride: Jesus and the Church.

— L.G. Parkhurst Jr.