A Jolt From Jude

“Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

— 1 Corinthians 1:31

I think if you asked the average person where you would find the letter of Judas in the Bible they would be somewhat taken aback, and yet that is what we find in the second to last book of the Bible. We know it as the Epistle of Jude. His full name was actually Judas.

As many of you probably know, this man was the half-brother of our Christ. You recall that the Pharisees in Nazareth said, “Is He not the carpenter’s son… And are not His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us?” (Matthew 13:55-56a). So we know that Jesus had four half-brothers, and at least two sisters who, in good first century Palestinian form, were not named.

As an unbeliever, Jude (along with his brothers) mocked Christ (John 7:3-5). So did James his brother, who was converted after the resurrection. James became the leader of the early church in Jerusalem. “Old camel knees,” he was known as from much praying.

While little is known about Jude, other than this epistle, which we shall consider over the next few days, we should notice how he identifies himself. He writes, “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James.” You notice he doesn’t say the brother of Jesus Christ, but the servant of Jesus Christ and the brother of James. Today, we have too many people trying to boast about who they are or who they know. We can learn a lesson in humility just from this one statement of Jude.

Father, with a humble heart I come before You. I praise You for the great examples in Scripture and ask that I may acquire some true humility. Lord, give us strength for today to walk humbly before You…

BY GOD’S STRENGTH,
WE CAN BE TRULY HUMBLE.