Jude Simplified

Jude is a Strange Book

He Refers to Some Old Testament Stories

But He Also Refers and Quotes From Some Non-Canonical Jewish Writings

Writings that would have Been Familiar to Jews of that Time:

The Assumption of Moses & 1 Enoch

Like Many Books in the Bible…

If You Get Bogged Down in the Details…

You Might End Up Confused

But if You Keep Your Focus on the Main Point…

It’s Very Easy to Understand

Author & Audience

Like Most of the NT Letters, We Receive Our Answer in the First Verse

Jude 1–2 (NASB95)

1 Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.

The Author is Jude (“Judas” or “Judah”)

He Calls Himself a Servant to Jesus and Brother to James

The Most Famous James in the First Century was Jesus’ Brother James

He was a Leader in the Jerusalem Church

This Means that Jude is Likely Jesus’ Brother Too

From a Worldly Mindset, We Ask:

“Why would He Not Refer to Himself as the Brother of Jesus?”

“If I Were Jesus’ Brother, I’d Definitely Brag About it!”

We’ve Probably All Thought Something Like that

But that Comes from a Worldly Mindset

According to Jesus, We are Just as Much His Brothers…

As James and Jude are

But Do We Brag About it?

No

Often, We’re Ashamed of it

Jude Chose the Humble Route and Called Himself a Servant to His Own Earthly Brother

He Knew Jesus was Much More than His Brother

And He was Willing to Humble Himself to His King

The Audience/Recipients are:

“Those Who are Called, Beloved in God the Father, and Kept for Jesus Christ”

This is Definitely Referring to Christians

And They Were Likely Jewish Christians…

Since He Refers to OT Stories and Non-Canonical Jewish Writings

Purpose

Originally, Jude was Going to Write About Salvation in Jesus

But He Decided to Change Topics

Jude 3 (NASB95)

3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.

Instead of Focusing on Salvation, He Decided to Urge His Recipients…

To Contend Earnestly/Work Hard for the Faith

That is, to Put Every Effort into Teaching and Living the Gospel of Jesus

Why Did He Make this Change of Topic?

Jude 4 (NASB95)

4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

He Changed His Topic Because Certain Ungodly People…

Had Infiltrated the Church He was Writing to

People Who Lived Unrestrained Lives…

And They Denied Jesus’ Identity of Master, Lord, and King

Whether They Did this Through Their Teaching or Lifestyle, We Don’t Know

But it Really Makes No Difference

Whether By Words or By Actions…

They have Denied Jesus as Their King

These Ungodly, Unrestrained People Were Influencing the Church

And Jude Wants These Christians…

To Work Hard to Teach and Live According to the Gospel:

To Teach the Teachings of Jesus

And to Live the Life of Jesus

Read Jude

We’ve Already Read Verses 1-4

So Let’s Start in Verse 5 and Read the Body of the Letter

Jude 5–16 (NASB95)

5 Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day, 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

8 Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties. 9 But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these men revile the things which they do not understand; and the things which they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed.

11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.

14 It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” 16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.

Without Getting Bogged Down in Some of the Details…

We Understand the Point Jude is Making, Right?

These Ungodly, and Unrestrained People Who have Crept into the Church…

Are No Different Than Many Ungodly and Unrestrained People…

Who have Come Before Them

The Ungodly, Unrestrained Israelites in the Wilderness

They Suffered Judgment for Their Ways

The Angels Who Rebelled Against God

They are Suffering and will Suffer Judgment for Their Ways

Sodom and Gomorrah

They Suffered Judgment for Their Ways

Cain, Balaam, and Korah

They All Suffered Judgment for Their Ways

These Ungodly and Unrestrained People will Suffer Judgment as Well

Jude 17–19 (NASB95)

17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.

Apostles Like Peter, John, and Paul All Warned…

That Ungodly, Unrestrained Mockers would Come

These Christians are Witnessing the Fulfillment of Those Prophetic Warnings

These Ungodly, Unrestrained People are:

Causing Divisions

Worldly-Minded

Don’t have the Spirit

These Infiltrators Were Worldly and Not Spiritual

They Followed After Their Own Desires and Not the Desires of the Spirit

Jude 20–21 (NASB95)

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

Jude Tells These Christians to Keep Themselves in the Love of God

How Do We Remain in God’s Love and Continue Loving Him?

By Building Themselves Up Upon Their Faith/Allegiance to King Jesus

By Praying in the Holy Spirit (Praying as a Child of God According to the Will of God)

By Looking Forward to the Merciful Return of Our King and His Gift of Eternal Life

That’s How We Keep Ourselves in the Love of God

Jude 22–23 (NASB95)

22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting; 23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.

False Teachers and Immoral Influences in the Church…

Can Cause Some to Doubt, or Even Fall Away From Their Faith

It’s Our Duty to have Mercy on Those Who are Struggling with Doubts

But it’s Also Our Duty to Save Our Siblings From Leaving the Faith

Jude Describes this as Snatching Them From the Fire of God’s Judgment

Jude Ends His Letter with:

Jude 24–25 (NASB95)

24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Application

Jude Wanted to Talk About the Salvation that We All have in Jesus…

But He Recognized a Greater Need:

To Encourage These Christians to Contend Earnestly/Work Hard/Fight for the Faith

There Were Corrupting Influences in the Church

Ungodly, Unrestrained People…

Who were More Interested in Money, Sex, and Selfish Indulgence

We All Live in a Fallen World in Fallen Bodies that have Fallen Natures

We have Natural Desires

When We are Surrounded By Christians Who Indulge Their Natural Desires…

It can Be Very Tempting to Fall into the Same Behavior

We Need to Remind Ourselves of the Future of Such People:

Terrible Judgment

We Need to Build Every Part of Our Lives on the Foundation of Our Allegiance to Jesus

“Everything I have and Am is for His Glory”

We Need to Keep in Constant Communication with God

And We Need to Keep Jesus’ Merciful Return as Our Constant Hope

This is How We Keep Ourselves in the Love of God