5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.
- Jude 5-7
Having exhorted the churches to contend for the faith by proclaiming the gospel of grace and living properly under the Lordship of Christ, Jude now calls on them to remember how Jesus has judged sin in the past. It is necessary for him to remind them of these things so that the churches can be warned against the long-term consequences of embracing the false teaching that has come in among them.
In order to justify his warning to them in v.4, Jude now offers three examples from the OT of judgment, which he describes as the work of Jesus. Although some translations (NASB, NIV, KJV) say “the Lord” in v.5, others (ESV, NLT, NET Bible) follow the early manuscript traditions that specify “Jesus” as the one who destroyed the unbelieving following the Exodus and who is the “he” in vs.6 who has kept rebellious angels imprisoned for the day of judgment. It is important for Jude to emphasize Jesus as the means by which God carried out His judgment in order to further prove to the churches that, as Lord, Jesus is willing to extend mercy, but will also render judgment upon the false teachers and those who follow them.
The first of Jude’s to the churches is that the unbelieving generation which experienced the Exodus as an example . Judgment was poured out several times upon them for various reasons, but it was ultimately their unbelief, which was the basis for their series of rebellions, that led God to ensure that all the men (apart from Joshua and Caleb) who came out from Egypt died in the wilderness. Second, he speaks of the angels who rebelled against God’s authority in Genesis 6, taking human form and having children with human women, a passage that was frequently referred to in intertestamental Jewish literature. Finally, he speaks of how Sodom and Gomorrah rejected God as Creator by “going after strange flesh” or “pursuing unnatural desire.” The result was His fiery judgment poured out upon them.
These examples are not random, but are intentionally employed by Jude. First, they each illustrate rebellion against the authority of God. Second, they demonstrate that rebellion against God’s authority frequently involves sexual sin. Finally, they serve to collectively illustrate that Jesus has authority over all of His creation (He is Lord of His people, He is Lord of the angels, He is Lord of unbelievers) and therefore has the right to judge rebellion in all its forms.
As we seek to apply Jude’s words to our own lives and to our church, we must heed his warnings and recall Jesus’ position of Lordship. We must begin first by examining our own hearts and confessing and repenting of our own internal rebellion against God and lack of contentment with all that He has provided for us. We must then be willing to contend for the faith within our church, guarding against the rebellion against authority and sexual sin that can easily arise among us. Finally, we must be willing to declare that all people are ultimately accountable to Jesus Christ and must therefore believe the gospel in order that they might experience His mercy instead of His judgment.
Join us this Sunday as we consider these things together and gather around His table in order to be reminded of His person and work!
Soli Doe Gloria.
-Thomas