With God as our shepherd all our needs are met and we are well cared for even through the dangers of life.

Like a good shepherd leads his sheep to lush green grass and still water, we receive spiritual nourishment through God’s word and our souls are restored through forgiveness and peace by following Him. When we follow Him we are led along the right path, free from danger and pitfalls because He is trustworthy.

Even when we find ourselves in the darkest valley we need not fear because He is with us. He will never leave or forsake us. He will protect us as He leads us through.

God is our provider who provides lavishly, like a banquet—even in times of impending danger. He anoints our head with oil like a refreshing welcome and we receive abundant blessing from the Lord like a cup overflowing.

God’s abundant love will be with us throughout our lives regardless of our circumstance and we can live in His presence through the rest of our lives and forever.

Having been rescued from his suffering, David turns to praise. He worships God who did not leave him in his trouble but restored his life. Jesus wasn’t delivered from death but resurrected afterwards and verse 22 is repeated in Hebrews 2:12 as Jesus’ praise for deliverance. David encourages those gathered around him to praise God with him because of his answered prayer. “May your hearts live forever” is a call to not give up in seeking and praising God. Then David turns to the rest of the world and anticipates that all will worship and bow down before the Lord because He is the sovereign King who rules over the nations. Jesus suffered at the hands of cruel enemies, died and then was rescued in resurrection. Now we have the opportunity to tell all people about God’s rescue plan in Jesus Christ and tell them all that “He has done it.”

David again describes the relentlessness of his suffering. He feels like he is surrounded by cruel animals, strong bulls and a ravening and roaring lion. He is so weak and weary that it is like he has been poured out like water. All his strength has gone and he is on the brink of death. His enemies look at him as if he is as good as dead. The psalm speaks of his hands and feet being pierced. The Hebrew used here describes his hands and feet torn by animals but in the New Testament, these words have a greater significance speaking of Christ nailed to the cross. He speaks of his garments being divided and gambled over, his last possessions being taken from him as he lies dying. This predicts the soldiers doing the same thing at Jesus’ feet as He hung dying on the cross.

Once again David changes from lament to prayer. He is confident that God will rescue him from his suffering. He prayed that God would save him and then switches his prayer from a request, “save me”, to expecting an answer, “you have rescued me”. God will not leave us alone in our suffering. When suffering overwhelms us we must move our focus from all that surrounds us to the One who saves.

This psalm describes being forsaken by God while being surrounded by one’s enemies persecution. This psalm doesn’t appear to describe any known incident in David’s life. The events described are more fitting for an execution than for an illness. The church has recognised this Psalm as describing the events of Jesus’ death. The Gospel writers pointed out connections between this psalm and Jesus’ death. David’s poetic words of suffering became literally true of the suffering of Jesus, a righteous man, being put to death at His enemies hands.

There are times when we all feel forsaken and forgotten and alone in our troubles. David rightly recognises that even when he feels abandoned by God, God would never fully abandon him. His confidence was in his training from when he was a child and he had been taught to trust in the Lord. Where is your confidence? You cannot trust a God you do not know. The more you learn about who God is, the more you will be able to to trust that He will never leave you and is always working for your good, even when life feels completely hopeless in the moment.

It is our responsibility to keep ourselves from the harm of false teachers. We can do this by building ourselves up in our most holy faith by reading and studying God’s word. Unlike the false teachers who do not have the Holy Spirit (Jud 19) we must pray in the Holy Spirit with prayer oriented to God’s will. And we must live in the love and mercy of Jesus that is available to us until we reach eternal life.

Having looked after ourselves and kept ourselves from harm, we must work to help and restore those believers who have fallen. Having received mercy, we must offer mercy to others. We must rescue them from the fire of sin being careful not to fall into sin ourselves (Gal 6:1-2; Jas 5:19-20). We must hate the garment stained by sin and yet love the person wearing it.

God is the one who is able to keep you from stumbling (into the traps of false teaching) but it is not automatic. If we want to reach heaven and stand before Jesus as blameless, then we need to live in dependence on Him. Listen to God and He will protect you.

Jude ends with wonderful worship for God, the only true God who has saved us through Jesus Christ. He alone is worthy of praise and honour. He alone is sovereign over everything. He alone has the power to rule over His creation now and forevermore!
Who are you depending on to live a successful life?

Jude continues his description of the false teachers and now uses six illustrations to describe their lack of integrity.
They are like hidden reefs, waiting just below the surface, an unseen danger ready to wreck a ship or in the case of these believers, make a wreckage of their faith. They attended the church’s fellowship meals without love but also without fear of consequence.
They are shepherds feeding themselves, looking after themselves rather than having any concern for others.
They are like waterless clouds that look like they are useful but produce nothing useful. Their teaching doesn’t provide anything for thirsty souls.
They are like trees that should have produced fruit but should be pulled out making it twice dead. They have no spiritual fruit and are spiritually useless to others.
They are like wild waves on the sea, unrestrained and causing destruction. They cast up foam bringing rubbish onto the shore. Their sinful actions pollute the church.
Finally, they are like wandering stars. Unlike the fixed stars of the constellations which can be used to navigate with. Following these false teachers would only lead one astray.
Jude refers to Enoch’s prophecy that when Jesus returns, he will judge all unbelievers, including these false teachers whom Jude repeatedly refers to as ungodly.

As believers, we must remember the prediction (and warning) of the apostles (2 Pet 3:3) that in the last days there will be those who mock others, follow their own ungodly passions and cause divisions in the church. We must be on guard and ensure that we are not caught up in their deception. The only way to recognise their falsehood is to know the truth better. How well do you know your Bible?

Just like the groups who rebelled against God, the false teachers are dreamers. They live in a fantasy world in which they can do whatever they like without consequence. They defile their flesh, their bodies, by living in sexual immorality. They reject all authority.

Jude refers to a dispute between the archangel Michael and the devil over the body of Moses. This event is not discussed elsewhere in the Bible. Apparently Micheal, as chief of the angels assigned to guard and protect Israel (Dan 10:21; 12:1), was sent to bury Moses’ body but was apposed by Satan. Michael didn’t take it on himself to dispute with Satan but in humility left it to God to rebuke Satan. Michael’s humility is a stark contrast to the false teachers Jude is describing. The false teachers on the other hand blaspheme those in authority with ignorance and lack of reason. They are behaving like animals.

Woe to these false teachers. They live under God’s judgement just like Cain who did not offer God his best. They live under God’s judgement like Balaam (Num 22-24; 31:8,16) who used his position as a prophet to gain wealth. And they live under God’s judgement like those who rebelled against Moses’ authority along with Korah (Num 16:1-40).

God has placed those in authority over you and expects you to listen to them. That includes parents, teachers, coaches, pastors and elders, law enforcement and government (Rom 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13-17). God calls us to a life of submission and obedience, not to arrogantly live how we want to.

Jude doesn’t mention exactly which Jude he is. But because he writes with the assumption that he is known and known as a brother of James, who he also doesn’t see the need to qualify, suggests this is Jude, little brother to James and Jesus (Matthew 13:55; The greek for Jude in this letter could also be translated Judas). Like James, Jude doesn’t see himself in any way elevated at being a brother of Jesus and refers to himself as a servant of Jesus Christ.

Because he refers a lot to Old Testament events, Jude is probably writing to Jewish believers. He is warning them about false teachers who have brought not only false doctrine but permissive sinful conduct into the church.

Jude says that he would have preferred to have written about their common salvation but felt compelled to write about false teachers and warn them to keep firm in their faith. False teachers had crept in unnoticed like a thief and begun to pervert the grace of God, promoting their immoral living and even rejecting God’s authority in Jesus Christ.

Jude then refers to three examples that show God’s judgement on sinful conduct.
Even though Jesus (1 Cor 10:4-5) delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, he punished those who didn’t have faith and rejected His leading.
The angels who attempted to corrupt the human race (Gen 6:1-6) were not spared but have been kept in chains (2 Pet 2:4).
And Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities who are notorious for their sexual immorality, specifically pursuing the unnatural desires of homosexuality, serve as an example as they were punished with fire (Gen 19:24).
These three examples show that God will not let sin go undealt with. God will deal with unbridled sin in the here and now, not only in eternity. If we live in open sin, we should not expect that it will go unpunished. It is a sobering thought to remember that even though Jesus has dealt with all our sin for eternity, God still requires that we live holy lives today and will punish those who choose to remain in sin.

As the women headed off to tell the disciples about Jesus’ resurrection, so some of the guards went off to tell the chief priests. The chief priests and elders colluded and bribed the guards to say that the disciples had come and stolen the body at night. There are too many holes in their story. The Roman guard would never have been sleeping. If they had, breaking the seal and rolling away the stone would have woken them up. The disciples would never have overpowered the Roman guards. And the Romans had to have been awake to be able to report on what had happened. Matthew reports that at the time of his writing the cover-up story was still being spread. And it’s a story that continues today.

The eleven disciples went to Galilee where Jesus had directed them to meet Him. When they saw Him they worshipped Him, but some doubted. There Jesus gave them what has become known as the Great Commission. Jesus directed His disciples to go out with His authority and make disciples of all nations, to baptise these new disciples in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and then to teach them to do all He had taught them. Jesus promised to be with them always until the end of the age. Jesus had come to the Jews, God’s chosen people to offer them the kingdom, which they rejected. Now Jesus sends His disciples out to all nations, to the Gentiles, and offers the kingdom to the whole world. Jesus’ instruction was to make disciples, not just believers. Are you following Jesus and doing all He commanded? Are you helping others to follow Jesus and do all He commanded?

The day after the Sabbath, the third day, the two Mary’s head off to the tomb and there is an earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled the stone away from in front of the tomb and sat on it. He was clearly an angel because his face shone and his clothes were pure white. His appearance had the Roman guards paralysed with fear. The angel tells the women not to be afraid because Jesus has risen. He invites them to examine the tomb. Then he sends them to tell the disciples that Jesus has risen and that He will meet them in Galilee. As they set off to tell the disciples they meet Jesus. He greets them and they fall at His feet and worship Him. Then Jesus gives them the same message, do not be afraid and go and tell the disciples that He will meet them in Galilee.

The women fell down and grabbed hold of Jesus’ feet and worshipped Him. He is risen indeed. He has a physical body. He is not just a spiritual manifestation that can be confused with hallucination. Jesus is alive and He has conquered death as He said He would. Jesus did everything God had promised in the Old Testament. He did everything He Himself said He would. We don’t believe in a fanciful idea. We believe in a risen Saviour who has conquered the ultimate affect of sin—death. He came that we too might have life!