Because He Loves His Bride

Lyrics

Verse 1
The very voice of God on high (John 1:1)
That formed the earth and spread the sky (Gen. 1:6-10, Ps. 33:6, Isa. 40:22, Isa. 42:5, Heb. 11:3)
Became a baby’s helpless cry (John 1:14, Phil. 2:6-8, Matt. 1:23)
Because He loves His bride.

Verse 2
The wrath of God upon her head (Rom. 5:8-9)
He took upon Himself instead (II Cor. 5:21, Isa. 53:6)
He drank the cup and broke the bread (Matt. 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:14-20, I Cor. 11:23-26, John 18:11)
Because He loves His bride. (Eph. 5:25-27)

Verse 3
He sees her walking through a trial
He hears each cry and feels each mile (Ps. 34:15-17, Ps. 56:8, Ps. 22:24)
But waits to walk her down the aisle (Rev. 19:7-9)
Because He loves His bride.
He waits till she is purified (Eph. 5:27, Ezek. 36:25, Tit. 2:14)
Because He loves His bride.

Bridge
He chose her from a world of sin (Eph. 1:4, John 15:18-19)
Redeemed her for Himself again (Eph. 5:25, I Pet. 1:18-19, Rev. 5:9)
He intercedes for her alone (Rom. 8:27, Rom. 8:34, Heb. 7:25, I Jn. 2:1)
Because He loves His bride. (Eph. 5:25-27)

Verse 4
One day His voice will rend the skies (I Thess. 4:16, Joel 3:16)
A righteous fury in His eyes (Rev. 19:12, Rev. 19:15, II Thess. 1:7-9, Nahum 1:6, Rev. 6:16-17)
For those who dared to touch His prize (Zech. 2:8)
Because He loves His bride.

Tag
He’ll spend the ages at her side (Rev. 21:3, I Thess. 4:17)
Justified and glorified (Rom. 8:30, Rom. 5:1, Rom. 8:17, Rom. 3:24, Phil. 3:21)
Because He loves His bride!

Release Information

Released on Somewhere East of Eden (CD/streaming, 2020).

Author & Composer

Words and Music by Dianne Wilkinson and Daniel J. Mount

Publishing Information

Completed on October 14, 2012.

Song Story

I wrote this lyric in 2012. Shortly after I finished it, I sent it to Dianne Wilkinson, who wrote a majestic melody, as well as words to the bridge and tag.

The central image of this song is the church as the bride of Christ. This is drawn from Ephesians 5:25-27: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

To what lengths did Jesus go for us? That’s the first two verses.

Here’s where the lyric takes an unexpected turn. To what lengths does Jesus go for us today? He serves us by waiting. We (as His church) are purified and spotless in one sense, but in another sense, we are not yet as purified and spotless as we will someday be. So He waits.

And to what lengths will He go? That’s where verse 4 looks to the future.