Today we come to the book of Jude, which is a book that is overlooked most of the time along with Philemon, and 2 & 3 John. Many scholars believe that the writer was the brother of Jesus, meaning that he was born from Mary, and it also seems like Jude main audience is Jewish due to the amount of Old Testament references he uses. This book has some unique things in it like the fact that Satan and Michael the angel were fighting over the body of Moses. It seems like Jude is quoting from resources that we no longer have but there are some major lessons to be learned here. Let’s try to digest this book a bit.

Judgment on False teachers and false teachings

Jude spends a lot of time addressing the false teachers in that church. There does not seem to be a specific false teaching that is mentioned but based on what he says it seems like these false teachers are living in an ungodly, evil, sexually immoral way, and denying Jesus. In verse 10 Jude refers to them as “unreasoning animals,” he is really rebuking them. These false teachers are taking advantage of the grace of the gospel, they sin and sin expecting to be met with grace. To combat these false teachers, Jude digs back into the Old Testament to remind the church what happens to people when they rebel against God and pursue ungodliness. Sodom and Gomorrah completely destroyed, the rebellion of Korah they were all sucked in by the earth as it opened underneath them. Several weeks ago, pastor Caleb wrote about Balaam and the way that he told the king that hired him to send over beautiful women so that the Israelites could defile themselves, after that happened, much judgment came over them. The reason Jude brings this up, is because he wants to show the false teachers that they will not get away with sinning against a HOLY GOD. He is saying you can be living your best life right now, giving into your passions, giving into sin, and leading people away but God will have your head. God is no one to play games with, and when you start to mess with his precious church, he will bring judgment. God is a ferocious lion that no one can tame, when he lets out his wrath none of them will be able to escape. God will execute his swift judgment on each of these false teachers who are perverting the grace of the gospel.

Perseverance

Even though most of the verses deal with combating these false teachers, the last 7 verses of this short book are glorious. Even though there will always be false teachings and false teachers in every age and era, God promises to hold fast to the true church. It is so refreshing to know that God is able to keep me from stumbling and that one day, on that glorious day I will be presented before him as blameless because of what Jesus did for me on the cross. The false teachers are going to be met with harsh judgment but those in Christ can wait in the love of God for his mercy. Did you notice that in verse 5 Jude says that Jesus is the one who saved the people out of Egypt? Even though the Old Testament does not make mention of the name of Jesus (but it says God delivered them) the New Testament is telling us that Jesus was the one that delivered them. That is because we see the triune nature of the Godhead working from the beginning all the way to the end. Jesus has always been at work in saving his people, Colossians 1 even says that all things were made through him and for him. Jesus did not just arrive on the scene when Mary gave birth to him, but from the beginning of time Jesus has been redeeming a people for himself and now in the New Covenant we have seen that play out. So, brothers and sisters, after reading this passage and seeing the work of the gospel through the history of humanity, be at peace that God is the one holding onto us through his Son Jesus Christ. That we may see the great mercy and love of God he showed us through the gospel. Vs 24-25 “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. to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”