JUN 12

Jude 1-25
Memorise Ephesians 6:6
“…we may not be apostles, but all of us are servants of Christ….”

WHO IS THE WRITER OF JUDE?

Often when studying an epistle, we can identify the writer of the epistle by its opening address. However, in some epistles such as Hebrews, the writer does not identify himself so clearly. In the epistle of Jude, the writer states his identity at its opening. He describes himself as “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James”.

Jude, or Judas, was one of the Apostles of Jesus Christ as mentioned in Luke 6:13-16. He was also called Lebbaeus and Thaddaeus as in Matthew 10:3. He must be distinguished from his evil namesake, Judas Iscariot, the Apostle who betrayed Jesus. He instead was faithful to his Lord and his calling as an Apostle. He stated that he is the brother of James as also mentioned in Luke 6:15-16, and both were the sons of Alphaeus. By mentioning his brother, he made it easy for others to know which Jude he was, as the two brothers were known together as Apostles of Christ.

Jude describes himself as “the servant of Jesus Christ”. The Greek word for “servant” is “doulos” which means a “slave” or a “bondman”. Although he was an Apostle, he did not see himself as a high and mighty religious leader like what the Pharisees did, but instead called himself a slave of his master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of seeking self-glorification, he humbly acknowledged he was but a mere servant and gave the glory to Christ. He knew that because of what Jesus had done on the cross for him, he was eternally bonded to Him and his Master’s work. This self-proclaimed title of “servant of Jesus Christ” not only shows his humility and understanding of his position before Christ but also his focus on labouring for Christ.

We may not be ‘capital-A’ Apostles, but all of us are servants of Christ. We are indebted to our Master for His death on the cross for us. Let us be faithful to Him like Jude and not betray Him like the other Judas. As faithful servants, we must do His work here on earth by propagating the Gospel and bearing a good testimony for Him until we are called home to Him.

Thought: Do you see yourself as a servant of Jesus Christ? What does it mean to be a servant of Christ?
Prayer: Lord, grant me humility and strength to be Thy good servant.