Who Is The "Friend Of The Bridegroom?"

Common Sense Commentary:   The following verses are John the Baptist's, not Apostle John's, explanation to his disciples, whom he had baptized, that he was only the forerunner and heralder of Jesus Christ.

"Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews .... And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan (Jesus), to whom thou barest witness, behold, he baptizeth, and all men come to him. John answered and said, a man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.... He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeh and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled." John 3:25-29.  John the Baptist clearly makes a distinction between "the bride, the bridegroom and the friend of the bridegroom".  John gives not the slightest inference that he is, in any way, related to the "bride" (Christ's Church). He refers to himself as "the friend of the groom" who "rejoices at the groom's voice" and that was his "joy fulfilled".  What does that mean?

James, the Lord Jesus' younger, half brother said, "...Abraham ... was called the friend of God." Jm.2:23.

Jehoshaphat, King of Judah called Abraham the "friend" of God.   2Chronicals 20:7.

Even God called Abraham  "my friend". Isa.41:8.

Ex.33:11 says that ... "The Lord spake unto Moses ... as a man speaketh to his friend." 

The prophet Zechariah prophesied a question asked of Christ,  and answered by Christ, which will take place in the future when his wounds will still remain  in the Millennial Kingdom and maybe even in heaven.  "And it shall come to pass in that day .... one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thy hands? Then he (Christ) shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." Zech.13:6.  Please notice, He did not say "my friends wounded me" but "I was wounded in the house of my friends."  In fact, his friends, the house of Israel, the land of Israel, did not do the "wounding".  They demanded His death but it was the Gentile, Roman soldiers' hands who held the whip and Thorn crown, and drove the Roman nails, with a Roman Hammer, through his Jewish flesh into a Roman cross ... but it happened in Jerusalem, the "house" of his friends.  Since this scene will take place in the future, and long after his crucifixion, the establishment of his Church and even after the Rapture of His Bride, the Church, why will he then say, "wounded in the house of my friends" if they are included in his "Bride" the "Church"? And if not included in the bride (the church) those Old Testament saints must be the friends of the Bridegroom of whom John the Baptist spoke.   Everything before the crucifixion was in the O.T. dispensation even the birth and life of Jesus recorded in the first pages of the Gospels.  Only after His death and resurrection did He commission his church and then send the Holy Spirit to empower them to carry it out.

Now, the statement of Jesus himself concerning John the Baptist. "...Jesus began to say unto the multitude concerning John, What went ye into the wilderness to see?....A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written (Mal.3:1 &4:5), Behold I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Verily I say unto you , Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: not withstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  Now what could THAT mean? "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if ye will receive it, this is Elias which was for to come." Matt.11:7-14. Something ended here... the Old Testament ... the law for righteousness... and the O.T. prophets.   Here Jesus makes it very plain that there is a difference in whatever category John Baptist was in and those in the category of "the kingdom of heaven".... His Bride (the Church). Besides angels, the only other ones at the wedding are the Father, the Spirit, the Son Jesus Christ the Bridegroom, the Bride and the "Friend of the Bridegroom".

My original question, "Who is the friend of the Bridegroom?" In my opinion it is all those O.T. saints who were resurrected right after Jesus' resurrection when those who were buried in Jerusalem walked in the streets there (Matt.27:53). They were the first fruits of the first resurrection.  All who have accepted Christ since then are part of His Church (Bride), Jews, Negroids, and Gentiles (Shem, Ham and Japheth, Gen.5:32). These shall be Raptured when Christ returns in the air for his Church who will  attend the Marriage as the Bride of Christ attended also by the "Friends of the Bridegroom".

If you disagree with me, that's OK. It is not a Fundamental of the Faith.RB

Pass it on. RB
















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