John 15:15
“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”
What a Friend we have in Jesus
Have you considered that Jesus once said that a friend displays no greater love than to give his life for another (John 15:13)? Can you think of any love that would be greater than that which costs your friend’s life? That is exactly what Jesus showed for those who have repented and placed their trust in Him. Do you have a best friend? Do you share your life with him or her? Do you share your successes and failures, your victories and struggles? That’s what friends do, and so we can share with Christ what we are going through or what is ahead of us that has us concerned. Jesus cares, and Jesus was called, thankfully, a friend of sinners, or at least He was said to be associated with them (Mark 2:16-17). I am thankful that He was good to me, a sinner.
Is Jesus Your Friend?
If Jesus is indeed your friend, this would mean that you would frequently be keeping in touch with Him. We cannot see Jesus, but we can communicate daily with Him as we would our best friend. If Jesus is our friend, we should be trying to please Him by living in obedience because Jesus said that those who are His friends do what He commands them to do (John 15:14), and He commands that we love one another (John 15:12). That’s what friends do…they love one another and do what pleases their friends or they wouldn’t be friends for very long.
Friends Stick Close
Friends support one another in good times and bad, and a true friend is one who sticks closer to us than even our brothers do (Prov 18:24). Jesus died for His friends, but His own all fled when He was betrayed, arrested, scourged, and taken to Calvary. They were later restored, but I know that I have betrayed Christ by my silence around those who are lost, by my sinning when I knew it was wrong, and by my denying Him before others, even though I was restored. I want to stick close to Jesus, and He promises to never leave us (Heb 13:5), so I should do better in never leaving Him.
A Closing Prayer
God, please forgive my times when I run from Your presence, when I deny You before others, and when I am silent when I should be professing You before others. I know that You have loved me to the uttermost. You showed that love on the cross, and You loved me even when I was unlovable. Who is a friend like You of God? Thank You for calling me a friend, Jesus, even when I do not act like one. I pray this in Your Holy Name.
Amen
Republished by Blog Post Promoter
