Jesus has just been under immense personal attack—in his own house! He has systematically, and Scripturally, rebuffed the malicious questions of his opponents. Now, as a king should when attacked, he has gone on the offensive—Matthew 23-25 is his last great sermon before his death.
Matthew 24 is preached just to his disciples. Impressed by the edifice of the Temple, Jesus declares to them the truth: this Temple will be destroyed! They are curious about these days, and so ask him of the signs of those times.
The sermon that emerges is striking for these two facts. First, it deals with the ’now’ (the destruction of the Temple in AD70) as a lens through which to understand ’then’ (the end of the world). Second, it proclaims how God’s people are to live in the end-times, not when the end-times will be.
In many ways, then, this is a simple sermon: be alert, proclaim, persevere, be ready… every day!
God’s mob are a singing people. This is what we will do forever (just look at Revelation 4, 5, and 7!). It is what God’s mob have done right throughout their history (just look at the Psalms!). It is what characterises our gatherings now. And singing has been crucial at key turning points in church history (Luther’s songs set to pub tunes applied truth to the minds of people!).
But what IS a Christian song? In fact, what IS a song?
Here is a rough definition: ‘Truth to music, to stir emotion and to invite a response’.
Now, there are probably many things to quibble with in such a definition, but it is a starting point to help us think through what we do as we sing as God’s mob. First, ‘truth’ is central: the truth of the faith. Second, this ‘truth’ is set to ‘music’ – and music is both an aid to memory and a spur to ‘emotion’. Third, the stirring of ‘emotions’ is crucial for songs – and emotions are a gift from God, rightly used to respond from deep within our natures as His image-bearers. And, finally, this ‘response’ is the right application of truth warmly received, in daily life.
Having warned us about the dangers of false teachers and what will happen if we follow them, Jude now shows us how we can avoid their traps.
He reminds us of the importance of praying, building each other up and waiting patiently for the return of Christ. He tells us to look out for our friends and help them with their doubts. Then in a final exclamation of praise he reminds us that ultimately Jesus is the one fighting for us, and he is waiting to present us to God with great joy.
We need not fear because Christ is on our side and is working to protect us from all the attacks that come our way.
A small book, the penultimate in our Bibles, Jude was written by the brother of Jesus (Matt.13:55) to God’s people, with one clear message: ‘fight for the faith!’
In our current world, where we seek peace above everything, where so much offends or divides, where we want to avoid conflict, such a message jars a little. But we must hear its exhortation.
There is one ‘faith’, one set of truth, that is Jesus Christ, who lived, died and rose for our sins, so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to God, and each other (see 1 Cor.15:1-7). There are slippery men who have slipped in amongst God’s people. Their teaching is slippery, and they look just like God’s people and even use the same language and words and phrases. But their conduct threatens this ‘once-for-all-handed-down’ faith – they abuse God’s grace, they deny Jesus’ lordship, and they live lives that rebel against God and His desires.
Such men need to be fought! Such faith needs to be fought for!
