He calls me Friend!

                In the past few weeks I have been speaking in a series of messages called Countdown to the Cross. My intent is to in some feeble way understand what happened and what is happening on the way to the cross in Jesus life and in ours today. This past Sunday we looked at the account found in John 15 where Jesus defines the relationship he now has with his disciples. He calls them and us friend.

                We throw that word around a lot. Friend can mean all different levels of relationship we see these days. I have three classes (by which I mean no definitive inclusion or exclusion). They are:

Facebook Friends. You know the kind. You friended them on Facebook and that is about all you know of them or about them. Acquaintance, someone you know kind of. There is no action, knowledge, choice other than liking them or love. They really are not friends. Usually a lot in number.  

                Fair Weather Friends. While things are good and easy, they are friends. But, let you mess up and they cannot be found. Require anything of them and their “I’ll be there for you” turns into “except I have to wash my hair.” Not as many in number.

                Faithful Friends. These are the ones who bail you out of jail and then read you the riot act the next day. On the other hand, they may not be able to bail you out because they are sitting next to you. They KNOW you are an idiot and they call you friend.  These are the ones who are stuck to you. They are few in number if ever a multiple. Jesus is the later Faithful Friend. We see this in his life living evidence of the definition of friendship he is bestowing on us:

                Action: ¹³ No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴ You are My friends if you do what I command you. John 15:13-14 HCSB He died in our place for us because of us. That is action.

                Knowledge: ¹⁵ I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father. John 15:15 HCSB He has revealed all he knows to us.

                Choice: ¹⁶ You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. He chose you and me to be friend.

                Love:  ¹⁷ This is what I command you: Love one another. John 15:16-17 HCSB I am his friend because he loves me so. Once again he is elevating me to a status I do not deserve nor have I contributed to attaining. I cannot even contribute to this friendship. Nevertheless He calls me friend.

What does it mean to be friends with Jesus? On the way to the cross we see what that means to Jesus to be my/our friend. What kind of friend am I? What can be seen in my life that gives evidence of my friendship with him?

 

Oh God, I am grateful for your Grace in friendship!

 

In HIS Service and yours,
Bro G