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Jude 1:1-2

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to the little letter of Jude. It’s the second-to-last book in the New Testament, just before the book of Revelation. It’s only one chapter and twenty-five verses long and thus can easily be overlooked. That’s one of the reasons that we’re going to be studying it – because it’s often neglected from the pulpit – and you’ll see why as we move forward in the weeks to come.

As I mentioned, it’s only twenty-five verses long, so perhaps you’ll want to read it regularly over these next several weeks. Trust me; there’s plenty to meditate on and pray over in this mighty message from the pen of Jude – not the least of which is some strange comment about Michael, the archangel, contending with the devil over Moses’ body, angels being kept in chains, and some guys named Balaam, Korah, and Enoch. We’ll get there (Lord willing), and I’ll do the best I can to explain the text and make some applications for us along the way. In the meantime, let’s take a look at the first two verses:

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,

To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

A brief prayer: “Speak, O Lord, as we come to You, to receive the food of Your Holy Word. Take Your truth, plant it deep in us; shape and fashion us in Your likeness” (Speak, O Lord, Stuart Townend and Keith Getty). For it’s in the name of Christ Jesus that we pray, amen.

I don’t want to jump too far ahead of myself, but the entire letter of Jude can be summarized and understood by one word, one verb, and it’s found in verse 3. It’s the word “contend.” Jude says, “I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” That’s the book of Jude in one word – contend for the faith, fight for the faith, defend the faith. Now, we’ll unpack that more next week, but that’s what this little letter is all about.

It was a matter of urgency for Jude, and it’s really a matter of urgency in every generation. Because we become aware of those who, by their conflicting voices, plunge God’s people into confusion and into chaos. But the issue he’s going to address isn’t the issue of secularism. He’s not talking about what’s coming from outside the church. It’s something far more sinister. It’s the confusion and chaos that emerges from the collapse of conviction in the hearts and minds of those who once believed these things but have lost their confidence in them.

It’s not uncommon at all for folks to visit Mountain Hill or even join our congregation and hear them say something like, “The struggle to find solid teaching and a high view of God and His Word is very real. We visited several churches, and rarely did one begin with the opening of the Word of God.” Or sometimes they’ll say, “We were pleasantly surprised to find a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and loving church in our community.” That’s not uncommon. It doesn’t happen every week but it’s frequent enough. And one of the things that comes out of that conversation, when I inquire further, is often the sentiment that many churches and even entire denominations have strayed from orthodoxy, strayed from preaching and practicing “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (v. 3), and folks are actually grateful to find a church that’s attempting to do that.

Now, to be fair, we all agree that Mountain Hill is not a perfect church. In fact, there are no perfect churches, only imperfect churches. Churches are made up of sinners who have been made saints by the blood of Jesus, but we’re not saintly all the time. We still struggle with sin, and consequently, to some degree or another, all churches are places where believers seek to learn the Bible and live in accordance with its teachings – or they should be. So, let’s just understand that while many folks find it refreshing to find little ole Mountain Hill doing these things, there’s still room for us to grow.

However, you want to look at it it’s vital, in every generation, to recognize the threat, to heed the warning, and to keep the faith. And so that’s really what we’re going to be doing over these next few Sundays as we consider this letter. This morning I want to introduce us to the writer, the readers, and the prayer.

The Writer

First off, we’re introduced, in verse 1, to the author, “Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James.” There’s only one Jude in the New Testament with a brother named James, and you’ll find him when you read Matthew 13:53-57. You might recall, near the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry, He goes back to His hometown of Nazareth to teach and heal, but He gets rejected. This is how it reads:

53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, He went away from there, 54 and coming to His hometown He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And are not His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all His sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in His hometown and in His own household.” (Matthew 13:53-57)

The Judas that’s listed there in verse 55 is this Jude, and I believe the reason he’s referring to himself as Jude instead of Judas is so that nobody confuses him with Judas Iscariot – the disciple who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. So, Jude identifies himself as the brother of James. The James that Jude refers to is the one who, in Acts 15, is given leadership to the Jerusalem church. James is also the one who gives us the New Testament letter bearing his name, and he’s a half-brother of Jesus, which makes Jude a half-brother of Jesus.

But look back at verse 1. Notice how Jude introduces himself. He’s a servant, a doulos (Greek), a slave, a bond-servant of Jesus, but a brother of James. Now, I don’t know about you, but if I was the half-brother of Jesus I probably would’ve played that card, but not Jude. “I’m Jude. You’ve heard of Jesus. Well, actually, I am his half-brother.” That’s not what he does. Rather, “I’m a brother of James, and a servant of Jesus Christ.”

Oh, and also notice the ordering: Jude, Jesus Christ, and James. Most of us think sequentially when we talk about order: first, second, third, etc., where what’s first is most important. And that happens a lot in the Bible, too, but there’s also a way of ordering where the person or the thing in the middle is most important. We see this demonstrated a lot on platforms and podiums. Think about the presidential race. Usually, you have the primary candidate in the middle and they’re flanked on either side by a spouse and another member of the family or a member of their team, but the person of prominence is in the middle. Where’s Jesus? (In the middle.) Jude is a servant of Jesus.

There’s one other thing that I want you to notice about Jude and then we’ll move on. Look at verse 4 and pay attention to how Jude refers to his half-brother, Jesus. He calls Him, “our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” There was a time when Jesus’ brothers didn’t even believe in Him (John 7:5). Dick Lucas, in his commentary on Jude writes, “no one is too privileged to be exempt from the need to be converted.” The fact that Jude grew up in the same house as Jesus doesn’t mean that he gets a pass. The same is true of Mary, the mother of Jesus, although I know that’s very offensive to our Catholic friends. She needed to be converted. We all need to be converted. And Jude is pointing this out as he introduces himself: “I’m the brother of James, but I’m a servant.”

The Readers

Unlike a lot of letters, for example Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, or the Galatians, or the Thessalonians, or the Ephesians, or the Philippians, we don’t know who Jude’s audience is. Historically speaking, the church has lumped Jude into a group of seven letters that we refer to as the “General Epistles” – that’s James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1-3 John, and Jude. And if you look at how those letters are addressed, they’re typically addressed to Christians that have been disbursed because of growing persecution. So, it’s likely that the audience is Christians everywhere, but what we do know for certain is how Jude views these believers. He gives us a description of them. Jude writes, “To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.” And I want to look at those terms briefly.

First, Jude writes to those he says are “called.” What does that mean? Well, there’s a “general call.” It’s extended whenever the gospel is preached. We hear this in places like 1 John 1:3, “that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” We hear it in Jesus’ own teaching, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). But just because the call is extended and the gospel is proclaimed doesn’t mean that everyone responds to the call.

So, Jude must have something more in mind than just those who received a “general” call. And, indeed, he does. It’s a calling that’s described in places like Romans 8:28-30, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.” It’s a calling that’s described in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” It’s a call that was extended generally, but was accepted individually.

We heard the call as a kind of vague noise in the background. And then we began to consider and think a little more, until suddenly, one day, in our car, in our home, on our knees, reading a book, whatever it is, you said, “O Lord, You called me! You called me. I’m the weary one. I’m the wanderer. I’m the fainting one.” That’s to whom this letter is addressed: those who are called.

Second, Jude refers to them as “beloved,” but not simply beloved, “beloved in God the Father.” I looked at that, and I said, “Well, surely it’s beloved by God.” Well, the preposition is used purposefully. These individuals are beloved by God, but they are beloved in God. In other words, it addresses the issue of the sphere into which these people have come. Listen to what Jesus tells the disciples in the Upper Room just before His crucifixion. He says, “Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him… If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:19-21, 23).

There’s a dimension to it that isn’t just heady. It’s far more significant than that. It’s as if Jude is saying this is a love which stretches all the way across the Old and the New Testament; a love which is unimpaired by time or by distance; a love which is enjoyed in Jesus. You take the picture of the shepherd picking the lamb up, putting it between his shoulders, and bringing it safely into the fold; all of us like sheep going astray (Isaiah 53:6) coming up with our own ideas, heading in our own direction, and the call comes, the call of the Shepherd: “Come to me. I am the Good Shepherd. I give my life for the sheep” (John 10:11, paraphrased). And He picks us up and carries us. So, “called,” “beloved in God,” and lastly, “kept.”

Jude describes his audience as “kept for Jesus Christ.” We’re entering wedding season again, and one of the things that always unnerves me is turning to the Best Man and asking for the ring. Inevitably, you get that one wise guy that thinks it’s funny to pretend he lost the ring. (By the way, that’s never funny. “You’ve got one job, Charlie, and that’s to give me the ring when I ask for it.”)

The keeping power of God is important here. We’re not going to delay, but notice that it’s used three other times in this short letter. It’s used in verse 6, speaking of God’s power to keep rebellious angels “in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day.” It’s used again in verse 21 where Jude urges us to “keep [o]urselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.” And it’s used in Jude’s mighty benediction in verse 24, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy.” But probably the greatest verse, in my opinion, that outlines the awesome power of God to keep us and hold us and guard us is John 10:28-29 where Jesus says, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”

This is something that’s vast enough for the greatest mind to ponder, and it’s simple enough for the smallest child to understand: “called,” “beloved,” and “kept.” That’s Jude’s audience, and my question to you is this: does that describe you? Can you identify? If you’ve been to more than one worship service at Mountain Hill, then I can promise you’ve heard the call. Have you responded personally and positively to the call of God? Do you know what it’s like to be a lost sheep who’s found by the Great Shepherd and placed on His shoulders? Is the assurance that you’re safely in the palm of the Father’s hand a reality in your life? If so, then you’re part of Jude’s audience too. If not, may I urge you to surrender your heart and life to our Master and Lord. Confess your sinful state and your tremendous and overwhelming need for His grace, and receive His forgiveness and righteousness by placing your faith and trust in Christ Jesus today.

The Prayer

Jude closes his introduction with a prayer, “May mercy, peace and love be multiplied to you.”

“Mercy,” whereby God does not give us the things that we deserve. The great wonder that dawned on the self-righteous Pharisee Saul of Tarsus when he looks back on things and he says, “To me, I was shown mercy” (1 Timothy 1:16). He didn’t think that he needed mercy. He thought he was in perfect shape until God showed him his incredible need for mercy. Some of my favorite Christian musicians are Keith & Kristyn Getty, and in their song What Grace Is Mine, the first verse says, “What grace is mine that He who dwells in endless light, Called through the night to find my distant soul, And from His scars poured mercy that would plead for me, That I might live and in His name be known.” Do you think much about mercy? I do. Oh, to think about what a predicament I’d be in were it not for Jesus bearing the punishment that I deserve – I’d be absolutely positively without hope in this life and doomed in the next.

Anne Cousins wrote a poem and later a hymn based on the memoirs of Scottish Presbyterian minister, Samuel Rutherford, and one of the verses reads this way:

With mercy and with judgment
My web of time He wove,
And aye, the dews of sorrow
Were lustered by His love;
I’ll bless the hand that guided,
I’ll bless the heart that planned
When throned where glory dwelleth
In Immanuel’s land.

It’s a wonderful picture, isn’t it? Anne says, “As I look back over my life, I realized: with mercy and with great judgment God has woven my story together.” We all have bits and pieces in our story we’d like to change. We all have disappointments that we look back on with regret. But the God who called us, who loves us and keeps us, is the God of mercy. Paul puts it this way in Ephesians 2:4-5, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.”

“Peace,” that calm and steady assurance that God is in control. Peace in the face of disruption. Peace in the face of opposition. Peace of mind. Peace in your heart. The prophet Isaiah says, “You will keep in perfect peace the one whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3). Our minds are pulled in a million different directions at the same time. Remembering this appointment, recalling that person’s name, thinking about what’s for supper, praying for this, that, and the other. It’s no wonder that people are searching for peace. Do you take time daily to allow your mind to focus on God? Perhaps reading the Bible, perhaps listening to good Christian music, perhaps contemplating His creation in nature, perhaps in prayer as you simply extol the wonders of God’s virtues and character. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Jude prays for mercy and peace.

Finally, there’s “love.” Among the triads in Scripture, love is the common denominator. At the end of 1 Corinthians 13, a part that we didn’t read in our Call to Worship, Paul ends with “faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love.” Jude prays for mercy, peace and love.

This is very important, because I’ll tell you: it’s not uncommon to hear a preacher delivering a sermon on Jude and he gets so excited about contending: “We’re contending!” And so, the guy, his vein gets more and more… “Contending! Contending!” Right? But the same “contending” does not involve being contentious. Because “love is patient and kind.” It “does[n’t] envy or boast; it[’s] not arrogant”; it’s not “rude. It does[n’t] insist on its own way; it[’s] not irritable or resentful; it does[n’t] rejoice at wrongdoing”; it “rejoices with the truth.” It “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

I’ve often pondered the fact that God could’ve made just one fish, could’ve made one animal, could’ve made one flower, could’ve made, like, fifteen stars and be done with it. Why didn’t He do that? Because He’s God! He’s the multiplying God. So, Jude says, “My prayer for you is that these things will not just simply be added to your portfolio, but that they’ll be multiplied to you. Because I was planning on writing, really, all about our common salvation. But I decided that I needed to appeal to you. But I want you to understand, before I come to my appeal, that you are called, that you are beloved, that you are kept, and that I’m praying that mercy, peace, and love will be multiplied to you.”

Well, there you have it – our introduction to the little letter of Jude. Let’s pause for a word of prayer and then we’ll celebrate the Lord’s Table together: