When the Titanic began to sink in 1912, lifeboats were launched with the rule “women and children first.” Many men willingly stepped back, knowing there were not enough seats and that doing so meant almost certain death. They did not give their place because they were weak but because they chose sacrifice over survival. Their restraint made life possible for others (Walter Lord, A Night to Remember [New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 1955], 91–112). In a far greater way, Christ did not cling to his own safety but gave his life so that his people might live. The Bridegroom does not merely risk himself; he gives himself entirely so the bride might be saved and made whole.
