v. 1 – Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,

Devotional:

What would it be like to be Jesus’ brother? What would it take for you to call yourself a servant of your brother? I love my brother but to identify myself as his servant would be a bit of a stretch for me. Most scholars agree Jude and James are included in the ‘brothers’ who wanted Jesus to go public with His power before it was His time (John 7:1-24). If this is true, as I am apt to believe it to be so, they are also on eternal record as not believing He was actually the Son of God because He wouldn’t perform the miracles they expected. To be skeptical of your brother claiming to be God is understandable, that is unless He actually is God which happened to be the case with Jesus.

Some may briefly wonder how they went from this state of unbelief to becoming missionaries carrying the message of Jesus across the known world and writing letters that would encourage believers for millennia to come. If that question crosses your mind too, then you only need to be reminded of one truth, “He is not here, for he has risen, as He said” (Matthew 28:6).

Jude and James’ brother was dead, brutally murdered, and then He wasn’t dead anymore. He was alive. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the reason Jude and James joyfully submitted themselves under Jesus’ authority and to His cause. It is the same reason I do and I hope the same reason you do. We do not follow Jesus because of what He will do but because of what He has already done. Be reminded today, believer, Jesus the Christ, the only begotten son of God, put on skin and became sin
to endure its curse unto death only to defeat it and come back to life so that by placing our trust in Him we can forever be His brother.

I ask, “What would it be like to be Jesus’ brother?” If you have
trusted Him as Lord then why don’t you tell me, because you,
too, are His brother?

“For those whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” – Romans 8:29

Jesus is your superior older brother. That is a worship-stirring, affection-creating truth for me and I hope it is for you as well. We are so bound to Him and in Him because of what He has done for us that He rejoices in calling us ‘brother.’ Jesus is glad to have you as His brother or sister. He is not ashamed of you. He is not indignant with you nor will he ever be. He loves you. Rest in that today.

REFLECTION:
What is it like to think of yourself as a brother/sister of Jesus?
How does knowing you are a sibling of Jesus impact your approach to your relationship with Him?