Jude: Contend for the FaithExemplo

If you are going to read something, it usually is beneficial to know the author. Or at least to know something about the author! Some of you may be wanting to jump ahead to know why this little letter was written at all, but you will have to wait until tomorrow! For today, let’s stick with the opening introduction, shall we?

Both James and Jude were fairly common names in the early centuries after Jesus was born. There were several mentioned in the Bible if you want to go back and do the research. But who is this Jude who wrote the letter? And why did he say he was the brother of this James? Scholars have different ideas, but the most common solution is that this is Jesus’ actual brother! That’s right, the same ones that didn’t believe He was the Messiah, changed their minds after the resurrection! The fact that James needed no introduction seems to point to him being a very prominent leader in the early church and the fact that he wasn’t identified as an apostle seems to point to James the brother of Jesus as the correct one. Not much else is known about this Jude. In fact, the book was debated by the reformers as to whether it should be included in the New Testament. It obviously survived the cut!

It is addressed to those called, loved by God, and kept by Jesus Christ. That is comforting, isn’t it? God knows you by name. He has called you to Himself. He has done this because of His great love for you. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Himself is the one who keeps you! I am thankful that it isn’t just up to me to remain faithfully committed. God has commissioned His Son to keep us because of His love for us!

The greeting concludes with the prayer that mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to us. Mercy because we all need it due to our tendency to drift from the truth. Peace because we continue to live in a world marked by violence and sin. Love because we need more of it every day in every circumstance and because Jesus said we would be known as His disciples because of our love for one another.

Jude is a real book. It deals with real stuff. It might be one of the best books in the New Testament to help modern believers deal with life right now. Especially those who are living and moving on college and university campuses right now! Over the next four days, lets explore what this book can show us about how to be better followers of Jesus in a culture that seems bent on making that more difficult every day.