Jude 1:17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.

I am deeply impressed by Jude’s humility. He was Jesus’ half-brother, raised in the same household, but the only reference he makes to that in the whole letter is in verse one, where he mentions that he was the brother of James. Since James the son of Zebedee was the first of the apostles to be martyred, (Acts 12:2) he wasn’t of that family, but he makes no further “claim to fame.” Here he speaks of his half-brother in the most respectful, reverential terms. He probably never forgot his own attitude, up until Jesus’ resurrection. (John 7:5) Here, he explicitly does not include himself among Jesus’ apostles, though others might have done so. It was this attitude that enabled him to write, at the very end of this letter, one of the most glorious doxologies in the whole Bible, memorably set to music by Don Francisco. “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25) We have far fewer credentials, humanly speaking, than Jude did, so we need to learn from him to glory in our low position and in the magnificence of God’s grace. Amazing Grace isn’t just a hymn, it’s a declaration of the foundation of our salvation!

I have a lot to learn from Jude. Like Paul, I have a considerable religious pedigree, being descended from generations of faithful servants of God. (Philippians 3:4-7) However, nothing of that sort could ever qualify me for heaven. As has been said, the ground is absolutely level at the foot of the cross, even though physically speaking it was on a hill. Having tasted God’s grace myself, it is my privilege and responsibility to share the news of that grace with as many as will receive it. In the kingdom of God, the way up is indeed down!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the examples of humility You have given me, particularly my father. Like him, may I glory in Christ alone, so that Christ in me may draw many to Himself, for their salvation and His glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!