Here Comes The Bridegroom

Matthew 25:13
"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” 

When This Day Becomes That Day
There are days that pass with little fanfare — days that feel like every other — until something happens to make them unforgettable. It could be the day you finally graduated, the day you got engaged, the day you were offered your dream job… or the day you missed something so important that you still replay it in your head years later. Maybe you overslept and missed a flight that only runs once a week. Maybe you showed up late to a concert and the doors had already closed. That sinking feeling of too late stays with you. But there is a day coming when too late will carry eternal weight. Jesus spoke of it in a parable about a wedding party — a story about lamps, oil, and a bridegroom. It’s the story of people who had the invitation, knew the wedding was coming, and yet weren’t ready when the moment arrived. One day, the day you’ve been hearing about all your life — “Jesus is coming soon” — will no longer be a future event. It will be this day. And on that day, there will be no time to “get ready.” There will only be two kinds of people: the ready and the unready.


The Promise of His Return
The Bible is unshakably clear: Jesus is coming back. He promised His disciples in John 14:2–3, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” For nearly two thousand years, believers have lived with this expectation. The Apostle Paul wrote of it in 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” This “catching away” — often called the Rapture — is not a theological side note. It is the blessed hope of the Church. Without it, our faith would be incomplete, our longing unfinished.


Why the Skeptics Scoff
Of course, not everyone believes this promise. Peter wrote: “Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’” (2 Peter 3:3–4 NKJV) This skepticism isn’t new. In Peter’s day, they mocked the idea of a returning Messiah. In Noah’s day, they laughed at the idea of rain. People tend to reject what requires both faith and repentance — and the return of Jesus requires both. But here’s the truth: God’s timing is not our timing. Peter goes on to say, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise… but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The delay isn’t a sign of God’s absence; it’s a sign of His mercy. Every day He waits is another day for someone to come home.


A Wedding Story They Would Have Understood
To really understand Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins (bridesmaids), you have to picture a first-century Jewish wedding. In that culture, the groom didn’t set a public wedding date months in advance. Instead, after paying the agreed-upon price for his bride — a price that could take months or years to save — he would return to his father’s house to build an addition or prepare a home. Only when the father approved the home would the groom set out to fetch his bride. The exact day and hour were unknown, even to the bride herself. Her friends, the bridesmaids, would wait with lamps and oil, ready to accompany the bride in a joyful nighttime procession when the groom arrived. When Jesus told this story, His audience instantly connected the dots: He is the Bridegroom. We are His bride. He has paid the price for us with His own blood (1 Peter 1:18–19) and has gone to prepare a place for us. One day — without warning — He will come to bring us to the wedding feast.


The Wise and the Foolish
In Matthew 25:1–13, Jesus divides the bridesmaids into two groups: the wise and the foolish. The difference wasn’t in their invitations — all had been invited. It wasn’t in their position — all were part of the bridal party. It wasn’t even in their initial readiness — all started out with lamps. The difference was in their preparation. The wise brought extra oil. They were ready for a delay. They weren’t presuming the Bridegroom would come on their timetable; they were prepared for the long wait. The foolish had lamps, but no extra oil. They assumed the timing would work in their favor. When the shout rang out at midnight — “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!” — they scrambled in panic. While they went to find oil, the Bridegroom arrived, and the wedding began without them. When they returned, the door was shut. And they heard the most chilling words in all of Scripture: “Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.”


Why This Hits Close to Home
This isn’t a story about them — it’s a warning for us. You can grow up in church, sing on the worship team, serve in ministry, even know all the right theology — and still be unready when Jesus returns if your heart grows complacent. All ten bridesmaids slept. All were invited. All expected to be part of the wedding. But only five had what it took to endure the wait. The lesson? You can’t borrow readiness. You can’t share someone else’s oil. You must have your own supply — a personal, ongoing relationship with Jesus, fed by prayer, obedience, and the daily filling of the Holy Spirit.


The Danger of Delay
In the story of Jeremy and James, two brothers who shared the same upbringing, one was ready, the other was “almost” ready. But “almost ready” is another way of saying “not ready.” That’s the tragedy. Most people who miss the Bridegroom won’t be shaking their fists at God in open rebellion. They’ll be people who meant to forgive, meant to get back to church, meant to get serious about prayer… just not yet. But when the trumpet sounds (1 Thessalonians 4:16), there will be no yet.


Living Ready in a World That’s Distracted
So how do we live expectantly without burning out or growing cynical in the wait? Stay filled with the Spirit — Oil in Scripture often represents the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 tells us, “Be filled with the Spirit.” This isn’t a one-time experience; it’s a daily refilling. Guard your heart against offense — Many grow cold because they allow bitterness to stay (Matthew 24:12). Forgive quickly, so nothing hardens your heart toward God. Stay in the Word — Scripture keeps your perspective anchored in God’s reality, not the world’s distractions.
Keep your eyes on the promise, not the scoffers — Don’t let the voices of doubt drown out the voice of Jesus. Live as if today is that day — If you knew Jesus was returning tonight, what would you do differently? Then do that — today.


A Final Picture
The day will come when this day is that day. The Bridegroom’s arrival will be sudden, the separation final. For the ready, it will be joy beyond words. For the unready, it will be a locked door. No one else can prepare for you. Your pastor can’t. Your parents can’t. Your friends can’t. You alone can make sure there’s oil in your lamp when the midnight cry comes.


Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your promise to return for Your people. I confess that it’s easy to get distracted, to let the urgency fade, and to grow comfortable in this temporary world. Forgive me for every moment I’ve lived as if this day could not be that day. Fill me fresh with Your Spirit. Keep my heart tender and my faith strong. Help me live in joyful expectation, forgiving freely, loving deeply, and staying ready for Your appearing. Let me be among the wise — prepared, faithful, and longing for the sound of the trumpet.  In the name of Jesus, amen.