Pledge of Love

1 Peter 1:18-19, Revelation 19:6-9

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Hello. My name is Tony Pittenger. I’m one of our synod’s pastors serving out at Bethany Lutheran Church out in Port Orchard, Washington. And I’ve got a picture here on my phone. This is a picture of my wife, Melissa. This summer, we will have been married 25 years. 25 years. I can tell you all about Melissa. I could tell you how much I love her. Because I love her, I do nice things for her. I cook for her. I’ll buy her nice gifts. I don’t know yet what we’ll get for the 25th anniversary, but try to show my love for her by doing other things.

But look here on my finger. This ring doesn’t talk about what I’ve done, how I feel, anything that I’ve accomplished at all. This ring was given to me by her. This ring is her pledge of love and faithfulness to me. So again, it really says nothing about me. Instead, it says something about her. It says something about what she has done and how she feels about me. She bought it with her own money. She even placed it on my finger. I didn’t do any of that.

Now, I suppose, I could take the ring off. And now why would I do that? If I took it off and I was going out to a restaurant or a bar? I’d probably be trying to appear as if I wasn’t married. If it was if I wasn’t attached to my wife, wouldn’t I? I could take it off, I could leave it on the dresser, and I could walk right out of our life together. But Melissa won’t come in the middle of the night and take it off of me. She paid for it. She placed it on my finger. It’s her pledge of love and faithfulness to me.

Listen to what the Bible says. This is in 1 Peter chapter 1.

Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

The cross, Jesus on the cross, that is God’s pledge of love to you. That tells you not what you’ve done or what you’ve promised to do for him. It tells you what he has promised to do for you. The cross tells you how God feels about you. He loves you. He loves you in spite of any failings. In spite of all your sins. Jesus, on that cross, paying for your sins, speaks volumes about how God feels about you. It is God’s pledge of love for you. Paid in full by him. Done. Accomplished completely by him.

And so marriage is one of God’s favorite analogies. Favorite illustrations. The Bible ends with a marriage. Listen to this from Revelation chapter 19. Saint John says,

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (Revelation 19:6-9)

My friends, you have been invited to that marriage supper. And the pledge of love is not a ring on your finger. God’s pledge of love for you is His Son, the Lamb of God who has given His life for you. So until we see each other again, God bless and keep you right there under that pledge of love, right beside your Savior Jesus, the Lamb of God.