Judas Thaddeus, not to be confused with Judas Iscariot.... is the other Judas of "The Original"...the 12 Apostles of Christ Jesus....
Actually, he went by at least 4 different names: Jude, Thaddeus, Lebaeus, and Judas. I simply prefer "Jude"...maybe because of the song from The Beatles in yesteryear...who knows.
Jude (or Judas...same name in original Greek) means "Praise or the praised one". Jude was thought to be of Jewish origin, born in the region of Galilee in village called Paneas. Paneas was the city the Romans through the Roman governor of the region Herod rebuilt and named it Caesarea Phillipi after Herod's brother...Phillip.
Jude, after meeting the Lord Jesus, also became a "Freedom Fighter" declaring in various Eastern areas of the world the liberty and power offered to individual lives through the acceptance of the Lord Jesus onto their hearts.
In the Gospel of Luke 6:16, Jude is listed as one of "The Original": "... Jude, who was the son of James , and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus."
Many bible scholars think Jude was a son of James "the Less" or "son of Alpheas" while others think he might have been a brother to James "the Less". If Judas were a son of James, this would have made Judas a cousin to Jesus. James "the Less" was a son of Alpheas and James "the Less" wife was Mary Cleophus...who was a sister to Mary, mother of Jesus.
As far as being the author of the letter by Jude in the New Testament, most bible scholars conclude the letter was written by a different "Jude"...not this guy. One thing in the letter by Jude that leans to that thought is the fact the author does not write of himself as an apostle of the Lord Jesus...which was a more common thing to do in that time period.
Nevertheless, "the verdict is still out" and we don't know for sure. What we do know...Jude was an apostle...one of "The Original" who gave his life to our Lord Jesus.
One other thought, in Matthew 13:55 it does say Jude was "one of the brethren", which could indicate he was a cousin of Jesus simply because the Hebrew word for "brethren" implies a type of blood relationship.
Not much is really known as to the life of Jude after he had given his heart to Christ, other than church tradition and history. Some ancient writings indicate he later married, had at least one child, with other references writing of Jude having grandchildren and in 95 A.D. Some say he might have died a natural death, yet much in church tradition writes he was clubbed to death for his faith in the Lord Jesus, dying somewhere in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq/Iran). Other writings indicate Jude evangelized in the East and suffered his death in Suanis, a city in the Persian Empire where he was brutally hit in the head with an axe and then clubbed to death, yet still other historical documents write he died at the age of 80 in Armenia where he was crucified and pierced with arrows for his faith. This is why many portraits of Jude include him holding a club, an arrow and an axe...who really knows for sure.
What we do know is there is a children's hospital and research center named in his honor: Saint Jude's Children and Research Hospital in Memphis Tennessee that fights in the various cures of cancer for children.
Saint Jude has become known by many as the "patron saint for lost causes" and is no better represented than Saint Jude's Hospital.
In the late 50's and on into the 60's there was a family TV show called "The Danny Thomas Show", and I remember enjoying Danny, his funny and outspoken wife Cathy, and their children. In 1962 Danny Thomas and a group of investors opened Saint Jude's Hospital with this thought in mind: " No child should die in the dawn of life". This dream became a reality...and the apostle Jude had a part in establishing this dream...
Early in the career of Danny Thomas, before his night club career and before he became a TV household name, Danny struggled in launching a career like many of us. One day he attended Mass in Detroit Michigan and was down to the "last few dollars to his name", when he heard the message from the parish priest and was deeply moved. In fact, Danny gave to the Church the last $7.00 he had, and made a pledge and prayer to Saint Jude that if Danny could receive assistance in finding his purpose in life, he would be faithful to remember this help and do something in remembrance of Saint Jude.
In certain Christian doctrines, praying to saints or angels is not a correct way to pray, yet even though as Christians there are variances to our beliefs, I am convinced over the course of time in my own life...God is not so much interested in whether our doctrines are all correct...He has much more interest in the condition of our hearts... and on this day, the heart of Danny Thomas was certainly in the right place.
Saint Jude's Children and Research Hospital opened in 1962, and what joy it has brought to the hearts of many, many children. In 1962 for example, a common type of child cancer was acute lymphoblostic leukemia, which at that time had a 4% survival rate. Today, with research at Saint Jude's and others, the survival rate today is 94%. A young child named Pat Patchell entered Saint Jude's in 1966 and was the first child to be taken off therapy. He commented: "Saint Jude's is the greatest!"...47 years later.
Angel Crum traveled from Ohio to Saint Jude's Hospital, being told in the early 1970's she would not live past the age of 12 due to embryonal carcinoma cancer. Angel spoke of how St. Jude's was the greatest blessing she had ever received...making her pilgrimage to see Saint Jude's once again...in the spring of 2012.
Over 70,000 children come to Saint Jude's Hospital each year, and their families never receive a bill for treatment or assistance in travel, for housing or for food. Their focus according to the staff at Saint Jude's...is to be on the life of their child. There are many reports of how Saint Jude's Hospital have not only affected the countless lives of children with no hope, but has touched the hearts of many throughout the world.
Danny Thomas passed away in 1991, yet his prayer to Saint Jude...at a time when he gave all he had...a mere $7 dollars...lives on! Thomas in his later years of life stated: " The greatest reward...is the smiles...when you see a child saved...from the jaws of death."
As we enter this time of Thanksgiving and the Christmas season...may we all follow this example, much like what Saint Jude is known for even today...to assist in offering hope to those who have no hope, a time to encourage those around us...who appear to be a "lost cause". In Proverbs 23:18 it reads: " Surely you have a future...and your hope will not be...cut off!"
Actually, he went by at least 4 different names: Jude, Thaddeus, Lebaeus, and Judas. I simply prefer "Jude"...maybe because of the song from The Beatles in yesteryear...who knows.
Jude, after meeting the Lord Jesus, also became a "Freedom Fighter" declaring in various Eastern areas of the world the liberty and power offered to individual lives through the acceptance of the Lord Jesus onto their hearts.
In the Gospel of Luke 6:16, Jude is listed as one of "The Original": "... Jude, who was the son of James , and Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed Jesus."
Many bible scholars think Jude was a son of James "the Less" or "son of Alpheas" while others think he might have been a brother to James "the Less". If Judas were a son of James, this would have made Judas a cousin to Jesus. James "the Less" was a son of Alpheas and James "the Less" wife was Mary Cleophus...who was a sister to Mary, mother of Jesus.
As far as being the author of the letter by Jude in the New Testament, most bible scholars conclude the letter was written by a different "Jude"...not this guy. One thing in the letter by Jude that leans to that thought is the fact the author does not write of himself as an apostle of the Lord Jesus...which was a more common thing to do in that time period.
Nevertheless, "the verdict is still out" and we don't know for sure. What we do know...Jude was an apostle...one of "The Original" who gave his life to our Lord Jesus.
One other thought, in Matthew 13:55 it does say Jude was "one of the brethren", which could indicate he was a cousin of Jesus simply because the Hebrew word for "brethren" implies a type of blood relationship.
Not much is really known as to the life of Jude after he had given his heart to Christ, other than church tradition and history. Some ancient writings indicate he later married, had at least one child, with other references writing of Jude having grandchildren and in 95 A.D. Some say he might have died a natural death, yet much in church tradition writes he was clubbed to death for his faith in the Lord Jesus, dying somewhere in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq/Iran). Other writings indicate Jude evangelized in the East and suffered his death in Suanis, a city in the Persian Empire where he was brutally hit in the head with an axe and then clubbed to death, yet still other historical documents write he died at the age of 80 in Armenia where he was crucified and pierced with arrows for his faith. This is why many portraits of Jude include him holding a club, an arrow and an axe...who really knows for sure.
What we do know is there is a children's hospital and research center named in his honor: Saint Jude's Children and Research Hospital in Memphis Tennessee that fights in the various cures of cancer for children.
Saint Jude has become known by many as the "patron saint for lost causes" and is no better represented than Saint Jude's Hospital.
In the late 50's and on into the 60's there was a family TV show called "The Danny Thomas Show", and I remember enjoying Danny, his funny and outspoken wife Cathy, and their children. In 1962 Danny Thomas and a group of investors opened Saint Jude's Hospital with this thought in mind: " No child should die in the dawn of life". This dream became a reality...and the apostle Jude had a part in establishing this dream...
Early in the career of Danny Thomas, before his night club career and before he became a TV household name, Danny struggled in launching a career like many of us. One day he attended Mass in Detroit Michigan and was down to the "last few dollars to his name", when he heard the message from the parish priest and was deeply moved. In fact, Danny gave to the Church the last $7.00 he had, and made a pledge and prayer to Saint Jude that if Danny could receive assistance in finding his purpose in life, he would be faithful to remember this help and do something in remembrance of Saint Jude.
In certain Christian doctrines, praying to saints or angels is not a correct way to pray, yet even though as Christians there are variances to our beliefs, I am convinced over the course of time in my own life...God is not so much interested in whether our doctrines are all correct...He has much more interest in the condition of our hearts... and on this day, the heart of Danny Thomas was certainly in the right place.
Saint Jude's Children and Research Hospital opened in 1962, and what joy it has brought to the hearts of many, many children. In 1962 for example, a common type of child cancer was acute lymphoblostic leukemia, which at that time had a 4% survival rate. Today, with research at Saint Jude's and others, the survival rate today is 94%. A young child named Pat Patchell entered Saint Jude's in 1966 and was the first child to be taken off therapy. He commented: "Saint Jude's is the greatest!"...47 years later.
Angel Crum traveled from Ohio to Saint Jude's Hospital, being told in the early 1970's she would not live past the age of 12 due to embryonal carcinoma cancer. Angel spoke of how St. Jude's was the greatest blessing she had ever received...making her pilgrimage to see Saint Jude's once again...in the spring of 2012.
Over 70,000 children come to Saint Jude's Hospital each year, and their families never receive a bill for treatment or assistance in travel, for housing or for food. Their focus according to the staff at Saint Jude's...is to be on the life of their child. There are many reports of how Saint Jude's Hospital have not only affected the countless lives of children with no hope, but has touched the hearts of many throughout the world.
Danny Thomas passed away in 1991, yet his prayer to Saint Jude...at a time when he gave all he had...a mere $7 dollars...lives on! Thomas in his later years of life stated: " The greatest reward...is the smiles...when you see a child saved...from the jaws of death."
As we enter this time of Thanksgiving and the Christmas season...may we all follow this example, much like what Saint Jude is known for even today...to assist in offering hope to those who have no hope, a time to encourage those around us...who appear to be a "lost cause". In Proverbs 23:18 it reads: " Surely you have a future...and your hope will not be...cut off!"
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