Jude
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We begin with the title - Jude... Judas but not Iscariot… This Judas was not the son of perdition but a true son of God, a sincere and earnest hearted believer. As I studied, I drew much pause over the name and the thought of Jude sitting there being led by the Holy Spirit and writing his name… Oh, how tears of joy must have run down his cheeks as he remembered the other Judas, which he shared the same name with and the same nature from birth. To think, that if it were not because of the work of grace, he may have had the same ending as the other Judas. I am sure that he could not have written his name without reflecting upon that son of perdition, and how his name, “not Iscariot” was different in being it is written in the book of life! Oh, the grace of God, even the Holy Spirit gave distinction to his name!
Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
It is interesting to me how he refers to himself, a servant of Jesus Christ, and the brother of James. He was indeed the half brother of Christ, but there was not qualification to him in that. The Bible lists 6 siblings by name for us of our Lord.
Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
His brother James is often referred to as James the less, he is the pastor of the church in Jerusalem and servant to the Lord Jesus Christ.
And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
The servant of Jesus Christ: Although Jude does not refer to himself as an apostle, to even a leader of any sort, what special title it is that he is given, he is called the servant of Jesus Christ. Not the brother of, but the servant of...
Understand that this was not a servant that could come and go as he pleased, but to Jude, he perfectly belonged to the Lord Jesus Christ!
Though he was free from the law of ordinance, and freed from sin, it was a delight to declare himself bound to Christ! Bound by chains of love, that were softer than silk, yet stronger than steel! He rejoiced to feel that he had no liberty to run away from Christ, and had desire like that of the Hebrew servants in Exodus 21.
Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them. If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing. If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
There were ways in which people became servants… They were purchased, like buying something today, you gain possession of that item and if someone took it away from you it would be stealing.
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
Like the servants of old we have been purchased by the precious blood of Christ, therefore we are not our own possession but the Lords! So as the stewards of God, we live our life according to His will and pleasure.
Another method to be made a servant, was by birth.
O Lord, truly I am thy servant;
I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid:
Thou hast loosed my bonds.
Some where born into the life of servitude! We have become are the twice born servants of Christ! Being redeemed through new birth, we are bound to service to our Master and Lord! Our old nature of rebellion, is to be bound up by our new nature of obedience. Our old nature in Adam wants it’s own will, while our new nature is subject to the will of God!
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Jude did not call himself and apostle, or a leader of any kind but simply a servant. Sometimes men also became bondservants by indenture. A free man loves himself, and does that which pleases himself, but let us love the Lord, and walk accordingly, not because of a cage, or bondage, but simply because we love Him, because He first loved us!
From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
Paul belonged undoubtedly, and eternally, to the Lord Jesus Christ!