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Tag: brother

  • God’s Personal Love -3 Brothers Beloved & more

    God’s Personal Love -3 Brothers Beloved & more

    Father, Sons & Brothers – a more Personal love

    We have begun this series about God’s love for us and see a MOST PERSONAL love between Jesus the Son and the Father God! Here we will glance at the personal love of Jesus’ brother Jude, a personal love of brothers, of sisters — family connections we do not choose. Yet as saints chosen by God in Christ, Jesus’ brothers grow in the Father’s love and nurture the faith of His church family.

    Remembering my Brother

    “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life. - john 5:24

    A few years ago one of my brothers died. Pictured here is the lake he loved near our childhood home. My sister and youngest brother also shared in many moments of life, some with our departed brother near this beautiful place on earth.

    I give thanks to God that my mother and father raised a family which included my younger sister and two younger brothers. And like yours and the siblings of every family, we did not choose this relationship; never-the-less God made me their brother.

    Brothers of Jesus

    Imagine what life must have been like for James and Jude, the brothers of Jesus. Their brother Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross far from the Sea of Galilee near home. And He died beyond the gates of Jerusalem as they celebrated a feast of the Passover with the blood of lambs.

    The Lord’s own brothers had not been disciples of the Messiah Jesus. But then, Jesus rose from the tomb!

    Now, for a few weeks after His resurrection they could expect something new and different. What must it have been like for James and Jude to again walk with their brother Jesus after His resurrection near Jerusalem.

    Can you imagine your risen brother walking with you in the hills overlooking Lake Galilee?

    Years later their memories of Jesus would return to His glorious ascension into heaven.

    After Jesus’ other return to Heaven

    Along with the Eleven, Jesus’ brothers James and Jude had discovered to their belated joy that Jesus IS the risen Messiah and had also personally witnessed in awe their brother ascending into the clouds!

    The Lord’s brothers both encouraged the church from this time until their own deaths years later. I have written series from each of their letters previously.

    James and Jesus: Brothers – 6
    James and Jesus would have been known as Galileans, Nazarenes and familial brothers, not Judeans or leaders of Jerusalem. But now he is one of more than five hundred witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection. James accepts the difficult call to lead the church in Jerusalem.
    James – Come now, brothers – 8
    Come now, —the Lord is compassionate and merciful. Count it all joy when the world tries your patience.

    Jesus’ brother James was later martyred, even as most Apostles had died for their faith in the Messiah Jesus. James had led the church in Jerusalem for some 30 years until he was killed around A.D. 62.

    Letters to a First Century Church

    The first century Church grew rapidly and the Good News of Jesus Christ is now shared by believers in much of Asia.

    The Lord’s other brother Judas, who now preferred to be known as Jude, also wrote a brief letter to fellow Jewish believers in Jesus (Yeshua). Like any letter Jude sent it to the saints by messenger sometime around A.D. 65-80, decades after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension.

    ‘Christians,’ as the Jews and pagens denounced them at every opportunity, continued to see the world’s hatred for them increase. In fact, the world seems to decay into hatred’s destruction of fires and wars of the Roman Empire in Jerusalem, Asia, Egypt and even Rome itself.

    Faithful followers of Christ Jesus refuse to conform to worldly standards and consequently suffer in an environment of sociatal sin.

    Jesus’ biological brothers, the same ones who once urged the Lord to refrain from such radical teaching now write to the saints of many churches — Christians who now also suffer for His Name.

    What Jesus said about his brothers

    One time when Jude, James and Mary went to see Jesus among the crowds the Lord had claimed only those who followed Him as family.

    “Who is My mother, and who are My brothers G80?”

    And extending His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold: My mother and My brothers G80!

    Matthew 12:48b-49 NASB20 – Strongs G80 – adelphos

    Now in the many years after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension Jude humbly claims Jesus as His bond-servant. Jude does not take advantage of his biological connection to this first Son of Man, also a son of Mary.

    The Letter of Jude

    It's very short. (Read it above on a secure link.)
OR
Read & Comment on my previous 3-part series on Jude (linked below).
    Jude – Now I will praise the Lord
    The brother of James could have begun his letter to the church as a ‘brother of the King and Messiah,’ implying his authority of position via his family..
    Jude -2- Necessity is the Father of Exhortation
    Jude will exhort believers to keep in Jesus’ love, abide in His love or live as Jesus taught us by His example..
    Jude -3- Apostates
    apostasia
    Definition from the Greek: defection from truth (properly, the state) (“apostasy”):—falling away, forsake.
    מְשׁוּבָה
    Definition from the Hebrew mĕshuwbah : turning away, turning back, apostasy, backsliding

    Jude greets faithful saints:

    Hear a tenderness of Jude’s greeting to the church, the very same personal love Jesus exemplified throughout His thirty mortal years:

    Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,

    To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:

    May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

    Oh mercy, how by grace we all need it.

    Peace – εἰρήνη, that is: eirēnē, Christians know best from benedictions at closings of church gatherings and departure from each another.

    “Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful.

    John 14:27 NASB20 – Jesus’ encouragement to the Disciples prior to His crucifixion

    And ‘love‘ of which we have just spoken.

    God’s Personal Love -2 His Love of the Church

    agapē love (as Jude uses in his greeting)

    ‘āhaḇ in Hebrew [i.e. thou shalt love H157 thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.] – אָהַב

    AND also phileō love defined for the church — That’s right, same as a city church to which the Apostle John will write — Φιλαδέλφεια.

    Known for its “brotherly love,” philadelphos – philos or ‘friend’ and ἀδελφός adelphos – literally ‘a brother from the womb.’

    Jude, a brother of Jesus who had not believed his brother IS the Messiah, now urges the Church through a letter to keep to their true faith.

    Christians: Called, Beloved and Kept

    Jude.. To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:

    Called, because the Lord chose you to receive His grace
Beloved, because God loves those who accept His immeasurable love &
Kept, for eternal life and the glory of Christ's holiness.

    Christians to whom Jude now writes may hear his message as Good News. It is the same Gospel James and Jude had heard before straight from their very own brother, Jesus.

    Yet like Jesus’ brothers before, not all will receive the Gospel written for the saints to whom Jude writes.

    Then and now some so-called ‘christians’ gather in the guise of worship without mention of Jesus our Lord and only Savior. And some pulpits bring rise to power as well as false teachers (just like now), Jude’s central concern for the church.

    How do we know who to believe?

    Jude now humbly preaches Christ crucified and risen in the flesh as he has witnessed personally in the Person of his own brother Jesus. He addresses his letter and his preaching to those attentive to the Spirit with ears to hear.

    Who are the true saints and followers of Jesus Christ? They are those whom Jude exhorts to faith.

    Christians who receive this word of Scripture are: Called – invited by God or divinely selected ; Beloved – agapaō (You recognize this love from our previous post) and Kept for Jesus Christ.

    Jude 1:3 NASB –

    Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith that was once for all time handed down to the saints.

    Jude has just written to the Church greeting Christians who are ‘called,’

    (‘I know that,’ you will witness and claim your calling.)

    ..beloved (Not only important to us as Christians, but what attracts others to Jesus)

    and kept (A rather quaint concept. What does Jude mean in calling us kept?) .

    Kept in Christ’s Holiness

    Let’s define this refining of faith that keeps Christians in Christ as exhortation. It’s a sort of ‘religious word’ which points to the loving fatherly discipline of the ‘One who will come again.’

    • I urge you to consider our relationship of being ‘kept’ by Christ Jesus.
      • Can you answer this:
    • Who keeps Christians ‘in Christ?’

    In our NEXT message of this series on GOD’S PERSONAL LOVE, we will look to the Lord’s exhortations for seven churches.

    Jesus’ message sent by revelation to John is specific exhortation for the ‘saints’ of His ‘Church.’

    And just as the Lord’s brother Jude exhorts the church in his letter, Jesus will warn followers of the Lord — servants who claim Christ — that we must respond to Him who is to come.

    Exhortation

    παρακαλέω – parakaleō

    1. to call to one’s side, call for, summon
    2. to address, speak to, (call to, call upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc.

    Suppose that your church received a letter from one of the Lord’s brothers AND that Jesus also sent an appeal for the faith of scripture.

    How would you respond?

    Will you comment below, beloved brother or sister in Christ?

To be continued, God-willing...

  • Who are my brothers?

    Who are my brothers?

    Family! Gotta love ’em

    I have two brothers and a sister, not to mention other challenging family members who generally disagree with my considered path which seldom offers the least resistance. Lately we’ve had some ‘family disagreements.’ Has that ever happened with you?

    We’re all hard to convince on important points of life, so in general most of us just go about our own way until someone comes to us mentioning that your brother or your mother (or father or cousin) wants to see you.

    What could be so important? Interruptions by brothers or family happen to all.

    Perhaps you recall an incident like this mentioned in a couple of the Gospels about Jesus. When I first read of it, I thought that Jesus seemed rude to ignore His family members. Now, after many such interruptions of my own agenda by family members I’m not certain that ‘rude’ is the best description, though I’ll bet my family frequently thinks I’m rude.

    Matthew 12:46-48 ESV

    While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. But he replied to the man who told him,

    “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”

    Jesus had been teaching and had had a rough day. (More about that later.)

    Doesn’t it always seem like your brother or a family member shows up with an issue when you are busiest?

    Mark 3:31-34 BSB

    Continuing just a bit further in the same story as recorded by Mark:

    Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came and stood outside. They sent someone in to summon Him, and a crowd was sitting around Him. “Look,” He was told, “Your mother and brothers are outside, asking for You.”

    But Jesus replied, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”

    Looking at those seated in a circle around Him, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!

    Jesus’ Brothers Before & After the Resurrection

    We’ll visit the prior scenes and conclusion later, but moving ahead in our story here, authorities doubting the true identity of the Messiah ask:

    Is not this the carpenter’s son?

    Is not his mother called Mary?

    And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? – Matthew 13:55

    They mention Jesus’ sisters, question His wise teaching and mighty miracles and they even took offense to him.

    Once again Jesus makes a seemingly disrespectful comment about his community and family.

    “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” – Matthew 13:57b

    The world around Him is trying to disrespect the Lord, associating Him first to His brothers and sisters and mother. Have you ever experience that?

    Later John would reveal something of Jesus’ brothers and others who had witnessed the Lord’s teachings and healings. Even Jesus’ own brothers (half-brothers, really) challenged Jesus:

    “… If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” – John 7:4b

    Then John observes,

    For not even his brothers believed in him. John 7:5

    After Jesus’s resurrection and fifty days of witness on earth, observe Jesus’ brothers at Pentecost. The brothers (and sisters) of Jesus had proof. They then lived lives of witness along with the Apostles, but at first they had no faith.

    Acts 1:14

    All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers [adelphoi may refer either to men or to both men and women who are siblings].

    True Brothers

    Brothers in a larger sense are ones connected to you closely, ones united by family and life and circumstance.

    [ctt title=”Even a prodigal brother may roam from the security and promise of those who were once inseparable.” tweet=”Are you a true brother to the Lord by your obedience to His will?” coverup=”zfRWy”]

    Some won’t change even if the Lord appears

    Some believed Jesus and they followed. He called these disciples brothers, even the many faithful who followed our Lord in addition to the Twelve. Yet looking back at Jesus’ day leading up to His half-brothers and mother beckoning the Lord from His teaching, we see the importance of His work.

    Let’s trace back the Lord’s teaching of the day He was interrupted by family.

    Matthew 12:

    46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him.

    • 43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none… and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”
    • 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
    • 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
    • 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks… 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
    • 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
    • 22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”

    It had all started with Jesus doing good: powerful healings. Jesus proved to eyes which would not see and ears that refused to hear: He IS the Son of Man, the Messiah!

    Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath.

    14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him…

    15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known.

    Now moving forward once more to hearing Jesus’ question, “Who are my brothers…?”

    [ctt title=” “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” – Matthew 12:48-50″ tweet=”For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”” coverup=”w41LB”]

    49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

    Do you have a brother closer than those of your own blood?

    By the Blood and Sacrifice of Christ Jesus for our sins, we are redeemed into the family of God our Father.

    As beloved sons, beloved daughters, co-heirs of our same eternal inheritance in Christ, are these not our nearest brothers and our dearest sisters?

    Who is your brother, your sister, dearly beloved one of the Lord?

    Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ invites us into His Own Royal Family of the Most High! Even unsaved family and loved ones may join the Lord. They may by believing join our true brothers?

    Won’t you allow the Lord to speak into your life? For like in this story, He will have a place for you always at the time of His joyous return.

    Pray for our dear family in Christ, beloved. Pray also for me.

  • Dearly Beloved

    Dearly Beloved

    If you think only of a moment of marriage vows for these kind words, think again.

    How can you claim a relationship to Jesus Christ when you will not witness by your relationships to other Christians that we are dearly beloved by you?

    Christ Jesus demonstrated a genuine love for sinners. (Do we not all remain sinners, even in Christ?) Yet some sinners do cling to an earthly love for temporal things, though Christ offers a clear choice to follow Him or be condemned to judgment.

    Jesus has genuine compassion for us. Yet His compassion is not enough to save you from Hell unless you embrace a relationship with Him.

    Dearly beloved, dear brother in the Lord,

    (Though I speak to you as a beloved brother in Christ, I include our sisters in the Lord also by my appeal.)

    Do you have love and compassion for other Christians? Do you care about those of your church – the body of Christ?

    Dearly beloved,

    Are you not beloved believers, near to the heart of our Lord?

    Yet how far removed from His love are your hearts of stone which reject fellowship with your fellow disciple.

    Who would Jesus embrace? Think of the example of His Disciples, those who gave up everything to follow Christ Jesus.

    Who acknowledges the love of Jesus by nearness to His love?

    The risen Christ had been asking Peter for the commitment of His love in leading the church after His ascension. Jesus had asked Peter three times: “Do you love me?”

    Following this, the Gospel records:  Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved— John 21:20

    John will so embrace the believers of the church, evidenced by his witness, letters and Revelation. Yet the Apostle John also cautions believers to have relationship with Christ and not to claim Him only in Name.

    1 John 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

    7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,

    we have fellowship with one another,

    and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

    The ‘disciple Jesus loved,’ who as a young Apostle reclined at Jesus’ side in the fellowship and communion of the Twelve, instructs the church to ‘have fellowship with one another’ – a relationship. John and Peter both frequently address believers as, ‘dearly beloved,’ as do Paul, Jude and the writer of Hebrews.

    Dearly beloved,

    Do you claim a relationship to the love of Christ Jesus?

    You who call yourselves Christians, why do you boast about your special relationship with him? [see Rom. 2:17]

    Dearly beloved,

    We must also embrace the relationship of fellowship with our beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord. You know the scripture:

    But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. [Romans 5:8]

    Do you neglect the call of righteousness which follows?

    So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. [Romans 5:11]

    Let us, dearly beloved, also rejoice in the new relationship with one another in Christ Jesus, our Lord and beloved friend.

    The beloved disciple, John, writes to us, the chosen, dearly beloved Bride of Christ:

    2 John

    I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children, whom I love in the truth—as does everyone else who knows the truth— 2 because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever.

    3 Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love…

    5 I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. 6 Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning…

    Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. 9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.

    Dearly, beloved,

    Remember the example of our loving Lord, Christ Jesus. Remember the example of love and fellowship witnessed through the Apostles of our Lord.

    Remember your relationship to our loving Lord by nurturing and embracing the relationship of Jesus’ unfailing love with one another.

    Dearly beloved, I pray for you.

    Pray also for me.

    Roger