Jesus Christ "Bridegroom" icon (2)

Orthodox icon of Christ the "Bridegroom" (2) Christ the Bridegroom is the central figure in the parable of the ten Virgins (Matthew 25: 1-13) The Church is His bride. In His crucifixion He gives His life of His Church and all humanity. The Orthodox Bridegroom icon shows Christ stripped of His garments and clothed in a scarlet robe to mock Him. He wears a crown of thorns, causing blood to flow from the wounds. A reed is placed in His bound hands as a scepter. The crown is also a symbol of Christian marriage in the Orthodox Church, and the ropes binding Christ's hand are a near-universal symbol of marriage. The reed used as a mock-scepter is a symbol of humility, of a person that does all possible to bend in service to others. "Behold, the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night, And blessed is the servant He shall find vigilant;But unworthy is he whom he shall find neglectful. Beware therefore, O my soul, lest you be weighed down by sleep, Lest you be given over to death and be closed out from the kingdom; But rise up crying out: 'Holy! Holy! Holy are You our God;Through the intercessions of the Theotokos, have mercy on us." (Troparion of the Bridegroom Service)