[2020 Vision] Rest-Olutions and Resolutions: Wrap UpSample

A Brother Who Believed

In the Bible, the book of Jude is found almost at the end, right before the book of Revelation. Jude was actually named Judas. Why did he change his name from Judas to Jude? For the same reason, you never would name your kid Judas. He changed his name because Judas Iscariot was famous for betraying Jesus. But Jude, previously Judas, was actually the brother of Jesus. Really, he was Jesus’ half-brother, because Jesus’ Father was God. But Mary and Joseph, Jesus’ stepfather, had children after Jesus was born. They had James and they had Judas. And later, Judas had his name changed. No one wanted to read the book of Judas, okay? So in the Bible, his letter is known as the book of Jude. 

Now, in this book, Jude is trying to battle false teachers and to build up Christ-believers. It is great that he's doing this—combating false teachers and seeking to build up those who believe in Christ. Jude himself had to go through some skepticism in his own heart. See, he was a half-brother of Jesus, but he did not become a believer in Christ until after the resurrection of Christ. Isn't that interesting? He stayed back. He said, “I don't know about this. I'm not sure about this man. He is my half-brother. Maybe that miracle was . . . I don't know.” 

John writes that Jesus’ brothers encouraged Him to leave Galilee and go to Judea so that more people could see His works, but also that “even his own brothers did not believe in him” (John 7:5). Mark says that at one point in Jesus’ ministry, His family wanted to take charge of Him, saying “He is out of his mind” (Mark 3:21).

So, what happened to Jude? After Jesus rose from the grave, Jude became a believer in Christ. He was such a fervent believer that he wanted “to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (Jude 1:3). If anyone could speak about doubt and belief, it is Jude. He could say, “Let me tell you about believing in something that is false, and coming to believe in something that's true.”