The Bride2006/02/18 · meaning the shows the heart of God and His purposes in our lives and through Christ. Jesus also desired a Bride - a pure spotless bride - for Himself. When

The Bride

Written By: David and Lisa Myrick©Copyright 2006-2008, By Bridges of Light Ministries All Rights Reserved

Bible Study The Bride

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InstructionsThis study may be used individually or in a group setting. The Leader’s Guide is designed to beused by the Leader during a group discussion. The Guide is color coded to assist in directingthe discussion. If you are going to lead a group discussion, then we suggest that you read thesummary first, and then review the discussion, including the discussion points and answers. Ifyou are using this study for your personal study time, then read the summary and then answerthe questions on the Study Section. Make sure that you read and study the scriptures used in theStudy. After you have completed the Study Section, then compare your answers to those that youwill find in the Leader’s Guide.

CopyrightThis study is protected by the Copyright laws with all rights reserved. You may make as manycopies of this study as you need for use in your study group, personal study time, Sunday SchoolClass or Bible College Class. You may not charge for any copy that you produce, including thecost of duplication. You may not change any part of the study or remove the references toBridges of Light Ministries, David Myrick or Lisa Myrick.

©) Copyright 2006 By Bridges of Light Ministries, All Rights Reserved

Web SiteCheck our website out for new studies, messages and other information. www.bridges-of-light.org

Color Code�Scripture References in Red �Notes and Questions in black�Leaders Guide points in Green �Summary of typical responses in blue�Other comments


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Summary

This study examines the similarities between Eve and the Bride of Christ. God knew that it was notgood for Adam to be alone, so He determined to make a help meet - a Bride - for him. Hecaused Adam to go into a deep sleep and then opened his side, removing a rib. When Adamawoke, he found a beautiful, pure and unblemished Bride awaiting at his side. The wonderfulpoint of this story is not God’s provision for Adam in terms of a help meet. There is a symbolicmeaning the shows the heart of God and His purposes in our lives and through Christ. Jesusalso desired a Bride - a pure spotless bride - for Himself. When Jesus was upon the Cross, adeep sleep came upon Him as well. That sleep was called death. While He "slept", His side waspierced and a flow of both water and blood poured forth. It was out this shedding of cleansingblood and Truth, that the Bride was created for Him. And when He awoke in the Resurrection,He saw His Bride - pure and spotless, holy and without blame. The bride that His Blood, HisSacrafice bought and cleansed.

His death and resurrection not only made a way for us to stand at His side - it created us as apure, spotless Bride. His Blood cleansed and washed away the stain of sin and gave us a newgarment. A garment that was not wrinkled or stained by the workings of sin, but white as snowand made of the linens of Christ's Righteousness. The Word tells us He shed His blood "onceand for all". He shed it for one and for all. He also shed it "once" for the sins we had committedin the past and "for all" the sins we would commit in the future. We do not need Him to dieagain for us, He did it once and for all. Never needing to do it again. Fulfilling therequirements of the Law upon our behalf and fulfilling the desire of the heart of the Father. God’s desire to fully restore His relationship with us. God’s desire for us to experience thefullness of the love of the father and for the Father to experience the fullness of the love of theBride of Christ. Knowing that His love is not dependent upon our ability to be perfect changes everything. Itallows us to be secure in the relationship; without fear of rejection or wounding by the One welove. It also enables us to freely receive His love and return it as freely. Knowing His love isunconditional releases us from needing to earn His approval, because we recognize He treasuresus and values our love for Him. It equips us to walk by His side and hear His heart cry. It drawsour hearts to respond to that cry as we see Him responding. And even in our weakness, thatknowledge causes us to run toward Him in repentance rather than run from Him in torment. Heloves us. He loves us fully and completely. He loves us in His fullness and His completeness -not based upon our own merit or our own sense of value. He loves us based upon Hisimmeasurable value of us.


www.bridges-of-light.org Leaders Guide- 1

Leader’s GuideU Genesis 2:21-24 (KJV)

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and21)

closed up the flesh instead thereof;

And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 22)

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because23)

she was taken out of Man.

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one24)

flesh.

1) Where did Adam’s wife come from?

� Eve was taken from Adam’s flesh.

� God took a rib from the side of the first Adam to create his wife.

His body - his rib, from his side

A) What is the significance of Adam’s falling into a deep sleep?

� Sleep is symbolic of death and often referred to as such. Adams sleep was a type and shadow

of the death of Christ and His resurrection.

2) How does Adam describe Eve?

� Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, part of man. (Genesis 2:23)

� Eve - Mother of all living. (Genesis 3:20)

Flesh of his flesh, bone of his bone;

One flesh with him.

A) When Eve was presented to Adam, what was her condition?

� She was pure and spotless, without sin and holy - created in God’s image

3) What was the price required for Eve?

� Adam had to give of his own flesh in order for his wife to be created.

Wounding of the flesh;

Part of who he was - sacrifice of his flesh;

Foreshadow of Jesus sacrifice

4) What did Adam declare regarding a man and wife?

� Man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and the two shall be one flesh.

They shall become one flesh - leaving old ways for the new and cleaving to each other. Letting go of

what they had known previously, in order to embrace their future together as one. By letting go of the

old, they walked unhindered and unrestrained (unburdened down). New wine vs old wineskin.

{Note: To cleave means to hang on to each other closely, leaving no room for anything to come

between them.}



U John 3:16 (KJV)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not16)

perish, but have everlasting life.

5) Why did God have Jesus beaten and crucified for each of us?

� Because blood and life was required to pay the price of sin.

[ Romans 6:23 (KJV)

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. ]

� The Law demands payment of sin. The only acceptable price is the death of something pure. God had to

give of Himself to pay the price that was demand of us for our sin.

He loved the world - to restore relationship. It was the payment required for the sins of man - to fulfill

the Law’s requirements there must be a sacrifice of a pure, spotless Lamb. Once and for all, Jesus

fulfilled it.

A) Was sin the only thing paid for by Jesus?

� Isaiah 53

He bore Our griefs and sorrows.

The chastisement of our peace was upon Him

With His stripes we are healed

� He paid the full price for sin, include sin’s many fruits.

U John 19:31-37 (KJV)

The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the31)

sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and

that they might be taken away.

Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. 32)

But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: 33)

But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.34)

And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might35)

believe.

For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. 36)

And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced37)

6) Why was it important for the side of Jesus to be pierced?

� It full filled a prophesy regarding Him found in Zech 12:10

To fulfill the scripture, as a proving that He was the Messiah. For the scholars of prophecy, it would

serve as both a reminder and a fulfillment of God’s promise to bring forth the Messiah.

A) Is the fact that water and blood poured forth significant?

� Washing by the blood and the water of the Word.

[ Eph 5:26, Romans 5:8-10 (KJV) ]

� It is the water, the washing of the word that enables us to understand the truth of His great gift and the

reality of God’s great love.

� It is the blood that speaks for us, declaring that the price was paid.



B) Is there any symbolic representation of the side of Jesus being pierced?

� Just as Adam was pierced in the side to bring forth woman (his helpmeet and Bride), Christ was

pierced to bring forth His Helpmeet and Bride. Jesus gave of His flesh and blood to bring forth His

pure and sinless Bride.

U Ephesians 5:21-32 (KJV)

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 21)

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 22)

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the23)

body.

Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 24)

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 25)

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that27)

it should be holy and without blemish.

So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 28)

For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 29)

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 30)

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall31)

be one flesh.

This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 32)

7) What did Jesus give for the church?

� He gave himself; his flesh; his pain.

He gave Himself - His body, spirit and soul.

Adam’s rib was separated from his side to form Eve - symbolic of our separation from God. Jesus’

death restored us back to His side - a creative miracle in it’s fullness.

8) Was the work of the cross complete and final?

� Jesus Christ paid the price for all sin, past and future. Hebrews 10:10.

� We are judged by our acceptance of Christ as our savior

� If we sin, He will forgive us of that sin when we ask.

� We can choose to walk away Christ because of the lust of the flesh and the lure of sin; thereby we reject the

gift of life and embrace the penalty of sin, which is eternal death.

9) When did or when will, the church reach the point of being without spot or wrinkle; without blemish; holy and

pure?

� When the work of the cross was completed, upon His resurrection.

Once we receive Jesus, we are without spot or wrinkle.

[The Blood of Christ washes away all evidence of sin and gives us new garments of His righteousness. This

is what enables us to come boldly before the throne of Grace. When God looks at us, He views us through

the cleansing flood of Christ’s Blood that was shed for us - which makes us white as snow. He calls us holy -

consecrated and set apart for His good purposes.

The Blood of Christ was shed once and for all - for us when we received Him and for all the times we would

sin in the future, He cleansed us. Though our understanding of this fact we are draw to Him when we

stumble and sin, seeking forgiveness and restoration. When we lack understanding of the fullness of His

work we build walls of shame between us and God. It is not the sins of His children that creates distance, it

is the lack of understanding of the heart of the Father. Our lack of understanding makes us believe we still

have to earn His approval. Because of our perceived imperfections, we withdraw or put up barriers that

hinder our ability to receive the fullness of His mercy and love. He does not withdraw, we do. ]



10) What was the fruit that came through what Jesus gave for the church?

� His Bride. A glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle.

� A way that man’s relationship with God could be fully restored.

Relationship restored; Right standing before God; everlasting life and salvation; Sanctification;

The Bride, pure and spotless - a companion to help complete the purposes of the Kingdom of God.

11) What is the significance of Ephesians 5:31 and 32?

� The bride, the Church and Christ have become one flesh.

� Marriage is a symbolic representation of our relationship with Christ that brings forth fruit and the

reproduction of a like kind of creation.

� We must separate from that which we once new and clung to so that we can cling to Him.

The relationship of Christ and Church; becoming one with Him in relationship - cleave to and require

Him as our vital necessity.

U 1 Corinthians 12:12 (KJV)

12) For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are

one body: so also is Christ.

12) How would you describe our relationship with Christ?

� We are his body. He is the head.

� He is our brother, LORD, Savior and Master.

Multi-faceted yet one with each other;

He’s both the Head and our Heart cry - we fulfill Him by giving Him the one thing He can’t get from

anything or anyone else - unmeasured love.

As an internship - we are learning the ropes, so to speak, of the kingdom, so that we can rule and reign

with Him.

13) What did Jesus give so that we could have our relationship with God restored?

� His flesh, His blood

His life - blood and flesh.

His Will.

U John 3:28-29 (KJV)

Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 28)

He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him,29)

rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

14) Who is the Bridegroom?

� Jesus

15) Who is the Bride?

� The Church

16) How was the Bride created?

� The sacrifice of Jesus Christ

The sacrifice of His flesh and blood, through God’s gift of love.



U Genesis 2:21-24 (KJV)

And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and21)

closed up the flesh instead thereof;

And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 22)

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because23)

she was taken out of Man.

Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one24)

flesh.

17) What happened when Jesus died for us?

� He gave of His flesh.

We became one flesh with Him.

A) Where was the flesh taken from Adam?

� His side

B) Where do we now stand?

At Jesus’ side

18) What is the most significant fact about a husband and wife?

� They become one flesh.

A) How does that fact apply to us?

� We are both the body of Christ and the Bride. We are one flesh with Jesus as the head.

B) Why is this important?

� It speaks of our position in Christ and our significance to Him.

It brings stability to the relationship and eliminates striving. When we know our value in a

relationship and are secure in that, we are better able to be who we are. We don’t need to

prove ourselves or earn anything, because we know we are accepted already.

Knowing that we are one flesh with Jesus, eliminates a need to preserve oneself against hurts or

wounds from Him.

He is complete and in Him, we are complete.


www.bridges-of-light.org Bible Study Questions - 1

Bible Study Questions

U Genesis 2:21-24

1) W here did Adam’s wife come from?

2) How does Adam describe Eve?

3) W hat was the price required for Eve?

4) W hat did Adam declare regarding a man and wife?

U John 3:16

5) W hy did God have Jesus beaten and crucified for each of us?

U John 19:31-37

6) W hy was it important for the side of Jesus to be pierced?

U Ephesians 5:21-32

7) W hat did Jesus give for the church?

8) W as the work of the cross complete and final?

9) W hen did or when will, the church reach the point of being without spot or wrinkle; without blemish; holy

and pure?


www.bridges-of-light.org Bible Study Questions - 2

10) W hat was the fruit that came through what Jesus gave for the church?

11) W hat is the significance of Ephesians 5:31 and 32?

U 1 Corinthians 12:12

12) How would you describe our relationship with Christ?

13) W hat did Jesus give so that we could have our relationship with God restored?

U John 3:28-29

14) W ho is the Bridegroom?

15) W ho is the Bride?

16) How was the Bride created?

U Genesis 2:21-24

17) W hat happened when Jesus died for us?

18) W hat is the most significant fact about a husband and wife?

Documents

The Bride2006/02/18 · meaning the shows the heart of God and His purposes in our lives and through Christ. Jesus also desired a Bride - a pure spotless bride - for Himself. When