Emmanuel Lutheran Church

Jude 1-25

¹ 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:

² Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

³ Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. ⁴ For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵ But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. ⁶ And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; ⁷ as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

⁸ Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. ⁹ Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” ¹⁰ But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. ¹¹ Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

¹² These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; ¹³ raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

¹⁴ Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, ¹⁵ to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

¹⁶ These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. ¹⁷ But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: ¹⁸ how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. ¹⁹ These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

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

²² And on some have compassion, making a distinction; ²³ but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Jude reminds us that in the church there are “ungodly men, who turn the grace of God our God into lewdness.” God’s grace is turned into lewdness—or an excuse for lewdness—when it said that God forgives all our sins regardless of repentance. God’s grace is also turned into an license for lewdness on the other side—when repentance and forgiveness are proclaimed but the new life in Christ is not encouraged, or it is said that it is impossible because of the sinful nature. These ungodly men defile the flesh with sexual perversions, reject authority, and speak evil of civil magistrates. They serve only themselves, their own bellies and their own egos.

To warn us against such men, Jude presents several examples of God’s judgment. He begins with God’s people. After bringing Israel out of Egypt in the exodus, God destroyed those who refused to believe in Him. Even the angels who rebelled and “did not keep their proper domain” have been reserved in everlasting chains for the final judgment. Sodom and Gomorrah serve as a type of the final judgment on the Last Day upon all who reject God’s word as Cain rejected God’s warning. These men, like Balaam they seek profit. Like Korah they seek prestige. God foretold their destruction in His Word, and even popular books outside of Scripture like 1 Enoch condemn them. From such men we must flee, lest they turn our hearts away from love of God and others toward license to sin.

As the world becomes more depraved and more ungodly men arise to lead more astray, Jude encourages you to build yourselves up in the most holy faith by adhering to God’s Word, praying in the Holy Spirit, and rooting yourselves each day in God’s love for you in Christ Jesus. Speak the truth to those around you to pull them out of the fires of sin, but do so carefully lest you yourself are tempted. Do all things with faith in Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and keep you faultless—righteous by faith—until His return in glory.

Let us pray: Keep us from stumbling, O Lord, and build us up in the most holy faith, that we may be faultless on the Last Day. Amen.

2 Peter 3:1–18 (NKJV)

¹ Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), ² that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, ³ knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, ⁴ and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” ⁵ For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, ⁶ by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. ⁷ But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. ⁸ But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. ¹¹ Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, ¹² looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? ¹³ Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. ¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; ¹⁵ and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, ¹⁶ as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. ¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; ¹⁸ but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

We are most certainly in the last days of this world. Scoffers walk according to their own lusts—for physical pleasure, power over others, prestige in their own eyes, riches, and the like. They imagine there is no end to this world, no judgment, and no return of Christ, if they believe there is a Christ at all. They see the fact that Christ has not yet returned as slackness. But what scoffers see as slackness, the eyes of faith see as patience. God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”—contrition over their sins and faith in the gospel—so that they may escape the wrath to come when the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up and dissolved with fire and fervent heat.

Those who live lives of repentance—daily contrition over their sins and faith in the gospel—look forward to Christ’s return. “We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” In the new heavens and earth there will not be any unrighteousness—no sin, temptation, and no consequences of sin. The unrighteousness of this world will be destroyed in fire. The unrighteous themselves—unbelievers who do not have Christ’s righteousness by faith—will be eternally punished.

Since we look forward to the new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells, how should we we live? “Be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.” We will be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless, by living lives of repentance. God justifies us by faith in Christ and gives us Christ’s perfect righteousness, which is without spot and blameless. Knowing all this is to come when Christ returns, be steadfast in faith. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by adhering to His Word and Sacraments, looking for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, give us your Holy Spirit to live as those who look for the new heavens and earth where righteousness dwells. Amen.

Revelation 22:12–21 (NKJV)

¹² “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” ¹⁴ Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. ¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” ¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. ¹⁸ For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; ¹⁹ and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. ²⁰ He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! ²¹ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Jesus tells us at the beginning and end of today’s reading, “I am coming quickly.” How does the church respond to this promise? “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’” The church is Christ’s bride. Christ “loved the church and gave Himself for her,  that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Eph 5:25-27). Having been washed by water and the Word in Holy Baptism, and clothed with Christ’s perfect righteousness, the church eagerly awaits the return of her Bridegroom.

The Bridegroom also brings His reward to give to everyone according to his work. With these words Christ wants to spur His bride on to good works. The faith that eagerly expects Christ’s return brings forth good fruit and Christ promises to reward that good fruit in the life of the world to come.

To all those who do His commandments He promises “the right to eat of the tree of life,” as well as the right to “enter through the gates into the city”—both of which are pictures of the bliss, joy, and security of everlasting life. St. John summarizes the commandments which we are to do in 1 John 3:23, “This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.”

Outside the gates of the city are the dogs, sorcerers, the sexually immoral, murderers, idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. They have not obeyed the commandment of faith in Christ and love toward neighbor. They chose to remain in their sins because they believed and lived according to the lie the that Christ would not return so they could live according to the desires of their flesh. To the faithful and unfaithful alike Christ says, “I am coming quickly.” For the faithful it is joyful news. For the unfaithful it is a call to repent, believe in the coming One, and bear good fruit.

Let us pray: Give us hearts that eagerly expect your coming, O Lord, increasing faith and good works in us. Amen.

2 Peter 2:1–22 (NKJV)

¹ But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. ² And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. ³ By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. ⁴ For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; ⁵ and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; ⁶ and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; ⁷ and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked ⁸ (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—⁹ then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, ¹⁰ and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, ¹¹ whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord. ¹² But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, ¹³ and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, ¹⁴ having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. ¹⁵ They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; ¹⁶ but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet. ¹⁷ These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. ¹⁸ For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. ¹⁹ While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. ²⁰ For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. ²¹ For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. ²² But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

False prophets have always been around, threatening the  Christian Church from within, and they will never leave the Church in peace on this earth. St. Peter isn’t warning his readers about pagan prophets, but about those prophets, preachers, and teachers who claim to be Christian, but who bring a message that corrupts or contradicts the true Christian faith.

False prophets have multiplied over the centuries, causing the visible Christian Church to divide and splinter countless times. Some are openly wicked and immoral, supporting abortion and sexual deviancy, teaching that there is salvation apart from faith in Christ, openly denying the truthfulness of God’s Word. Others shun such things, but still teach falsehood about the person of Christ, the ministry of the Word, the Real Presence of Jesus’ body and blood in the Sacrament, justification by faith alone, etc. They all have their own followers. They all are successful in their deceptions among certain groups of people who “do not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thess. 2:10).

But St. Peter assures us that God is storing up judgment for all these false teachers. They will not get away with their deceptions for much longer. Even now, Christ preserves a little flock on this earth that hears the voice of the Good Shepherd and adheres to the truth of His Word. He “knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations,” just as He knows how and when to mete out judgment to those who lead His sheep astray.

Hold onto the precious treasure of God’s Word. Pray for those who proclaim it rightly. Support them. Defend them. Listen to them. For in the midst of so much falsehood, God will continue to provide faithful preachers and teachers for His people, even if they seem few and far between.

Let us pray: Almighty God, preserve Your little flock and defend it against the assaults of Satan. Grant wisdom to Your children, that we may discern between truth and error, and make us bold to adhere to Your Word at all times; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.