In the Old Testament, Yahweh is described as the spouse of Israel. Theologically speaking, we know that Jesus is identical to the God of Israel. Jesus is the same as Yahweh, God's name revealed to Moses at the burning bush. In today's Gospel, Jesus presents himself as the groom, the same image of God in the Old Testament. Jesus points out that the wedding between God and his people had just begun. But then the groom will taken away. Here, Jesus points out that the marriage between God and his people will end with the death of the bridegroom. Obviously, Jesus refers to his passion, death, and resurrection. But the Church will await the return of the bridegroom so He can lead us to the Heavenly Kingdom.
Many of us know that a wedding is just the beginning of a new life. After the honeymoon, the married couple soon feels the hard realities of married life. Indeed, the year leading up to the wedding is usually very stressful and fraught. A honeymoon is a short period of doting between dating and debting. The pressure might be doubled when the children come. Indeed, fatherhood and motherhood are not always glamorous jobs. Parents might feel tired when their house looks like a tornado has torn through it, with the baby crying or children fighting and screaming at each other. As children grow up, more problems might arise. So, throughout their marriage, the couple will experience passion and death like Christ, the bridegroom. But the sadness and struggle in family life also allow us to put our hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ –the bridegroom that will lead us to His heavenly Kingdom.