“He was my brother. Now He is my Lord!”

Saturday 7-2-2016   Home in Modesto

Scripture Reading:  Isaiah 4 – 5   Psalm 115 – 116   Jude

S=Scripture  O=Observation  A=Application  P=Prayer  SOAP for the soul.

S.  Jude 1-2  Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

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

O.  Mary, the mother of Jesus, apparently later had four sons of Joseph after birthing Jesus, plus at least two sisters. His brothers names were James, Joseph (Joses) , Judas (Jude or Juda) and Simon.  We are not given his sister’s names.  (I should mention that the Roman Catholic church disputes this.  Since they equivocate sex with sin and want to present Mary as a virgin and thus as sinless “emaculate”, worthy of worship, they say these must have been cousins... even though they are clearly called brothers and came together with their mother, Mary, to visit Jesus.)  John 7:5 comments that even Jesus brothers did not believe in Him.  But now here are both James and Jude, half-brothers of Jesus, writing epistles.  It is generally believed that his brothers became believers after Christ’s resurrection.

A.  Doubtless these boys grew up with Jesus as their older brother working alongside their father, Joseph, as a carpenter. They knew Jesus as a brother. They ate with Him at the same table. How could they now accept Him as the Holy Son of the living God? 

I had a brother, Melvin, who was 11 years older than I.  I listened to him play the piano while I was still playing on the floor beside him. He taught me how to ride a bicycle. He was a good Christian.  From my standpoint he was always an adult.  To me he was perfect. But when I was 8 he joined the Navy and I lost him until the WW2 ended in 1945. I also had 3 sisters. One was 9 years older than I, married and out of my life.  But the next two were close siblings.  Both were Christians, but, early on I found out that they were not perfect. I also soon discovered that I was far from perfect. Here is Jude, Jesus brother, formerly an unbeliever, now teaching us how to trust his Savior Jesus Christ for our eternal life.   

P.  Lord, we tend to see the flaws in those who are closest to us.  You lived a sinless, flawless life before Your brothers, yet at first, to them You were only their big brother. But when they saw You alive after Your crucifixion, they believed and surrendered to Your authority.  You became their Savior and Lord... and mine, too.  Amen.

Ralph