From Bridegroom to Husband
What does the Bible itself show about the change from Jesus being called the bridegroom to the Lamb having a wife?
1. Jesus Calls Himself the Bridegroom
During His earthly ministry, Jesus does not call Himself "the husband." He calls Himself the bridegroom.
"Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them?"
"Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?"
"Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?"
Jesus therefore identifies Himself with the bridegroom while He is with His disciples during His earthly ministry.
2. The Bridegroom Goes Away
Jesus tells His disciples that He is going away.
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don't go away, the Counselor won't come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you."
"I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also."
3. The Marriage of the Lamb Comes
"Let’s rejoice and be glad, and let’s give the glory to him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready."
Notice the change in the language.
During Jesus' ministry, He is identified as the bridegroom.
Later, Revelation says that the marriage of the Lamb has come and identifies the woman as his wife.
4. The Lamb's Wife
"One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, which were filled with the seven last plagues, came and he spoke with me, saying, 'Come here. I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.'"
The Bible explicitly calls her the Lamb's wife.
5. The Biblical Sequence
During Jesus' ministry: Jesus is called the bridegroom.
Jesus goes away: Jesus tells His disciples that He must go away.
Revelation 19:7: "The marriage of the Lamb has come."
Revelation 19:7: "His wife has made herself ready."
Revelation 21:9: "The bride, the Lamb's wife."
6. When Does Jesus Become the Husband?
The Bible does not record Jesus saying the exact words, "I am the husband."
However, the Bible does establish the marriage relationship. Jesus is the bridegroom before the marriage. Revelation then says that the marriage of the Lamb has come and calls the bride His wife.
Using the ordinary meaning of the words, a bridegroom becomes a husband through marriage, and a bride becomes a wife through marriage.
Conclusion
Jesus is explicitly called the Bridegroom before the marriage. Revelation 19 says that the marriage of the Lamb has come and that His bride has become His wife. Therefore, the Lamb is the husband in the married relationship at the point of the Lamb's marriage.
This is an inference from the biblical language, not a claim that Jesus explicitly said, "I am the husband."
7. The Word Is Jesus
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
"The Word became flesh, and lived among us..."
The Word became flesh and lived among humanity. Therefore, the Word identified in John 1 is Jesus.