- In this parable, Jesus tells the story of how the kingdom of God is like the traditional Jewish wedding, where the groom goes to prepare a home for the bride, and then shows up at an unexpected time to whisk her away for a “surprise” wedding. This period of anticipation can take as long as a year, during which time the bride and her attendants must be always watchful and ready to take part in a wedding ceremony at a moment’s notice. In much the same way, Christ - the groom - has gone to prepare a home for His bride - the church (us) - and He will return at a moment’s notice to whisk us away. In this message, Pastor Doug breaks down what it means to be ready for this great occasion, like the 5 wise virgins were in the parable.