The Friends of Jesus

[Upholder]

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
(John 15:13-16)

It seems an incredible thing that the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth, should have among the mortal inhabitants of this world those whom he calls his "friends". We are all decendants of Adam, and are sinners by nature, and one would think that the sinless Lord Jesus would have little need of our company. And yet, Jesus had friends on this earth. In this passage in John chapter 15, Jesus is speaking to his disciples. The disciples were a group of men from diverse backgrounds. Among them were fishermen and a publican, or tax collector. Some members of high society frowned upon Jesus' association with men of such backgrounds. In Mark 2:16, the scribes and Pharisees asked: "How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?" But as Jesus explained to them, he had come to call sinners to repentance, not the righteous. In fact, Jesus was (and still is) the greatest friend a sinner could ever hope for.

The Lord Jesus was gracious in his dealings with his disciples. Although he was their Lord and they were his followers, he called them his friends, not his servants. There was nothing remote or aloof about the way he spoke to the disciples. They could converse with him freely, and he kept back nothing from them that they needed to know. He told them why he had come to this world and what he was going to do, even if the disciples did not always understand. In his behaviour toward the disciples, Jesus was more of a friend than a master. He demonstrated this to them on several occasions. A master in those days might have expected his servants to wash his feet, but in John chapter 13 it was the Lord Jesus who washed his disciples feet. A master would expect his servants to bring him food, but at the last supper, it was Jesus who broke the bread and gave it to them. And his greatest act of love to his friends was when he gave up his own life for them, and suffered for their sins. Unlike earthly rulers who expect their servants to fight for them, the Lord Jesus went alone to the cross to fight the battle against sin and death that only he could win.

25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
(Matthew 20:25-28)

The Lord Jesus is the supreme example of power and greatness without the pride and arrogance that is so often found in the powerful people of this world. Here is a seeming paradox: the Master who lived as a servant. As the Son of Man, the Lord Jesus demonstrated in his own life the way that we as believers should behave one toward another.

Jesus told the disciples that they were his because he had chosen them, not because they had chosen him. It was Jesus who had called them from their former lives and occupations, and it was Jesus who had ordained them and was sending them forth to bring forth fruit. This is further demonstration of the love of the Lord Jesus for his friends. If Jesus had not called them, and had simply left them to go their own way, then they would have never come to know him as their friend and Saviour, and they would have died in their sins. This is the case both for these disciples, and for every other believer, for all born-again believers in Christ are disciples of Christ. The Lord Jesus does not choose his disciples because of any merit of their own. Of our own selves, we have nothing good to offer God. Our righteousness is but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), and our sins make us fall short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). Only through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ are we able to find forgiveness of sins.

In verse 14 of John 15, Jesus says to the disciples, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." This is a warning to all who might take being a disciple of Christ lightly. We have a duty to do the things that God tells us to do, and as true friends of Jesus we should want to obey our Lord. This should not, however, be taken to mean that our salvation is conditional on our perfect obedience to God's commandments. The disciples did many foolish and sinful things during their time with Jesus, and although Jesus often rebuked them, his love for them did not diminish. When Jesus was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, the disciples forsook him, and fled. (Matt. 26:56) But Jesus still regarded them as friends, and soon afterwards he performed the ultimate act of friendship by laying down his life for them. In his death, his friends found life and freedom forever from the terrible curse of sin.

The Lord Jesus left his throne and came to this earth to suffer and die for sinful men and women. But he did not abdicate his throne. When his task on earth was done, Jesus went back to heaven and sat at the right hand of God. (Mark 16:19) He is there now, and he continues to make intercession for us. (Rom. 8:34)

It is truly a privilege without equal for a believer to be called a friend of Jesus.

[candlelight]

Amen, Upholder! You have written so passionately about the love and friendship that we can only have from our creator and saviour, Jesus Christ. When I think about the beautiful friendship that Jesus has with me. Me!? Why would He choose to love and make friends with a sinner such as myself? Man will always let man down. It is human nature. Contrary, Jesus never leaves us lonely nor does He abandon us. His love is wonderfully unconditional and His way of life is the path of happiness and true freedom... because we have responded by faith in the Living God. The grace of God is umerited favor from Our Father in heaven. Faith is how we react to that grace.

As I think about Jesus' disciples... they were "ordinary men." And, they were all so different from eachother. They were perfectly selected by Jesus. We are also "ordinary people" called out by an extra-ordinary God. What a privilege it is to serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I hope and pray that I may be grateful for the things I have received in this earthly life through the grace of God. Our Lord is magnificant beyond my imagination. I continue to pray that I may not expect the worldly things that this "temporary" life has to offer. The rewards that come from serving God/Jesus far surpass anything that this wicked world can ever hope to give me. May I be content in knowing that all good things come from my creator, and my saviour... Jesus.

Thank you for sharing... Upholder. May God bless you.

Molly

ROMANS 12:2... And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. "Duties required of us" King James Bible