Excerpt From
"Finding Her Identity in Oneness"
Bride Is in the Form of the Risen Lord
This Bride is now comprehended in the form of His risen Body. After His resurrection, she is no longer the sinner of the old creation but bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. She must come to know herself as she is now known by Him. “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then, face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known” (I Cor. 13:12). He knows His Church as those who are raised in Him as Him: His Body and Bride (cf. Eph. 1:20-23).
This reality of the Bride presents the resurrection in a whole new view. Christians must comprehend more about the resurrection of Christ than just a physical body that once was dead but now is alive. The resurrection of Christ brought forth the Bride of His heart that had been hidden from ages and generations. In Luke 24:33-45, it is apparent that the disciples had not yet understood His resurrection in this way. Several different passages in the New Testament show us this, but consider Luke 24:33-39:
“And they rose the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven assembled, and them that were with them, saying, ‘The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon.’ And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known to them in breaking of bread. And as they were speaking, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, ‘Peace be to you.’ But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts?’ Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see me have.”
This Bride is now comprehended in the form of His risen Body. After His resurrection, she is no longer the sinner of the old creation but bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. She must come to know herself as she is now known by Him. “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then, face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known” (I Cor. 13:12). He knows His Church as those who are raised in Him as Him: His Body and Bride (cf. Eph. 1:20-23).
This reality of the Bride presents the resurrection in a whole new view. Christians must comprehend more about the resurrection of Christ than just a physical body that once was dead but now is alive. The resurrection of Christ brought forth the Bride of His heart that had been hidden from ages and generations. In Luke 24:33-45, it is apparent that the disciples had not yet understood His resurrection in this way. Several different passages in the New Testament show us this, but consider Luke 24:33-39:
“And they rose the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven assembled, and them that were with them, saying, ‘The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon.’ And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known to them in breaking of bread. And as they were speaking, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, ‘Peace be to you.’ But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts?’ Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see me have.”
The disciples were terrified and frightened because they had only known Jesus in His earthly ministry but did not know Who He really was in resurrection. At this point, they did not know that they were raised in Him and were now one with Him (cf. Eph. 2:6). They may have known that He was now alive and not angry with them, but in their minds, they were still of the old creation and therefore separate from Him. And though the work was done and His view of them was now very different, yet Jesus had to begin the task of opening their eyes to this reality.
The Lord Reassures Them Concerning this Risen Union
The viewpoint of the risen Lord is that these believers are now His Body and Bride. Contrariwise, the viewpoint of the disciples was that they had seen a spirit and were afraid. From Jesus’ perspective, they were closer than they ever could have been as disciples, yet their reaction toward Him was more negative than before. For this reason He asks them, “Why are you troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts?” (Lk. 24:38). Then He continues to speak to them: “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see; for a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see me have.”
Do you remember that Ephesians 5:30 refers to His Bride as bones and flesh that is Him? Notice that the first words from His mouth pertain to His Body. He is speaking to them of His risen Body, a Body that has flesh and bones. He is speaking of Himself as He now is, joined to man in a New Creation. He is showing them that their fears are unfounded. They should no longer view themselves as separate from Him but now comprehend themselves as His resurrected Body. He is telling them that they are now bone of His bones and flesh of His flesh. The problem of communication that lay between Jesus and His disciples was based on their incorrect belief in a resurrection that did not include them while He was speaking to them of His true resurrection where they were raised in Him as one. The only way their fears will be relieved will be for them to comprehend the resurrection in greater terms than just a physical body rising out of a tomb.
In Luke 24:40-43, Jesus continues relating to these men as His Body and not as if they were separate from Him. “And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they still did not believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, Have you here anything for food? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and an honeycomb, and he took it, and ate before them.” Do you remember what Ephesians chapter five also says about His care for His Bride and Body? It states, “For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the Church” (Eph. 5:29). Jesus’ first act in resurrection was the feeding of His Body. As He ate the fish and honeycomb, He was manifesting that the disciples had no reason to fear Him and that they could draw near to Him. He was demonstrating to them that He will feed and care for that which is His own Body. This was the risen Lord tenderly expressing the care that He has for them, if they could only now see that they are now His Body and not separate. This revelation will remove all fear and cause them to embrace Jesus in a glorious new union.
If they could have only seen into Jesus’ heart, they would have seen that they were now the Bride and Body that He had always wanted. Before the world was created, Jesus had conceived in His heart to bring forth this Bride that would be one with Him. Up to this point, the disciples had only comprehended the Lord’s body as the one in which the man Jesus of Nazareth walked, but He was now teaching them of His view concerning His body now after resurrection. He was declaring through His words and actions that a union had taken place and that these men were no longer just His followers but His very flesh and bones.
It is the Church – the Body and Bride of Christ – that came forth in His resurrection (cf. Eph. 1:20-23). She did not exist before that, except in His heart. All that existed on the planet up to that time were sinners needing grace for salvation. The resurrection brought forth this Body that God had desired from before the foundation of the world: “According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4). Soon the Holy Spirit would be sent to reveal this resurrected Jesus (cf. Jn. 16:12-14). All that the disciples knew of Him in separateness would be washed away in a glorious new revelation of the risen Lord.
Knowing the Resurrected Jesus
When Paul was on the road to Damascus, he asked Jesus, “Who are you?” (Acts 9:4-5). Jesus’ response concerning His identity was, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” In Paul’s mind, he had never persecuted Jesus personally, only Christians. But in Jesus’ mind, these people were not simply believers any longer but were now His Bride and Body. Jesus was speaking from the viewpoint of the Body of His resurrection. He was basically saying, “I am Jesus, yet not the one after the flesh, but I am Jesus in my Body.” If you really want to know, “Who are you, Lord?” the Son will tell you by such words as this: “If you persecute Christians, you persecute not just those who are mine, but Me” (cf. Acts 9:4). Jesus does not just live in heaven; He lives in His Body (cf. Col. 1:27). It is a great mystery – the mystery of His Body and the mystery of the Bride of Christ and His Church (cf. Eph. 5:32). He Who was dead is now raised up and lives in us. Jesus does not just dwell at Jerusalem, for He lives in the New Jerusalem, which is His Bride (cf. Rev. 21:9-10; 22:3). This Jerusalem is neither Greek nor Jew, but Christ is all and in all (cf. Col. 3:10-11). This Body is raised as One New Man and not many new men (cf. Eph. 4:13, 23-24).
No Existence before Union
Eve did not have an existence, nor was she aware of an existence before she was brought forth from Adam. If Adam bringing forth Eve is truly a picture of Christ and His Church as referred to in Ephesians, then it is beneficial for us to consider some aspects of this view. What if all identities, all failures, all sins, and all that we were before we came into union with Jesus were as if they never were? What if our true existence began when we came forth from His death and resurrection?
Another way to say it is, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God…” (II Cor. 5:17, 18 NKJV). If you are in Christ, you are a new creature and no longer of the first creation. The old is gone. It is not you again, as Nicodemus supposed (cf. Jn. 3:4). We have been created in Christ, and our life is out from Him, even as the word “woman” means “out from man.” Jesus is not reshaping us for Himself out from our first existence. He has gone into a death that He might bring us forth out from Himself, even as Eve was taken from Adam’s rib. We are bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh. This Bride is a New Creation that did not exist before Christ brought her forth through His death, burial, and resurrection, except in His heart.
This Bride relationship is not “us for Jesus” by trying to be like Him. Instead, this relationship is that which He brought forth out from Himself. We cannot become what He has already made us; we can only awaken to what already is. Oftentimes this great mystery concerning Christ and the Church remains a great mystery to the Church herself (cf. Eph. 5:32). She must come to know herself as she is known (cf. I Cor. 13:12). In the light of His face, all of her mistaken identities will flee away, and she will allow herself to be washed with the word of oneness.
Adorned as a Bride for Her Husband
In all that we have been discussing in this book, we, as those of His Bride, desire to awaken to what is in the heart of Jesus, our Husband, and to understand what He has done to bring forth the Bride that He has longed for. However, only understanding these things is not our aim, for it is not enough. Even challenging old viewpoints in order to replace them with His true view will not suffice. We who love Him believe that seeing the heart of Jesus concerning His Bride will cause us to adorn ourselves in a way that will please Him, for it is for His pleasure that we adorn ourselves (cf. Rev. 21:2).
As we come into a deeper embrace of His Heart for His Bride and what He did to bring her forth, we believe we will know how to adorn ourselves in a way that will satisfy His heart. May our Lord receive unto Himself a glorious Church that has received His washing and embraced His heart and His expectations therein regarding a Bride.
