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276 "I Am a friend of God"

John 15:9-17
Key Verse: "Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His life for His friends."
John 15:13

Now again, Jesus brings His message to its main point, only this time, He lets it be known why it's so important to Him that they get it by letting them also know how much He thinks of them. "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you, "friends," for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you."

This makes our relationship with Jesus even more personal, more significant, and it makes His words more important because they are the confidences of a friend. It's one thing to do something for your boss or your king. If you don't obey your boss, you can live in fear of losing your job. If you disobey your king or other governing body, you fear punishment. But, to disappoint a friend is a different matter altogether. We want to please our friends out of mutual love and respect. To disappoint a friend may result in damaging the relationship. We don't risk losing our job or freedom, but if that friend is truly precious to us, we want to please them out of love.

"As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you. Now remain in My love." (John 15:9) "Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me." (John 14:21) Now, that it is explained as a friendship, doesn't that make sense?

Then He raises the bar even higher by returning to His new commandment in John 13:34-35. "My command is this: love each other as I have loved you." John 15:12) And, how much does He love us, His friends? He laid down His life for us. (John 15:13) He wants us to love each other that much and love Him that much as well. How would you enjoy your personal friendships if all of your friends liked you, but didn't like each other?  If, however, your friends also enjoy each other's company, then there can be much shared joy and celebration as all of you hang out together.

Jesus is setting a very high standard for us to follow here, but it is not a standard that He Himself has not maintained. If you are tempted to say, "Well, yes, but He is Jesus, fully God and fully man! Of course He can love like that and obey the Father and behave amazingly toward everybody, even difficult people! God can do that!" But isn't God, through the Holy Spirit, in you as well? Yes, you still have your flesh to live with, but you also have God dwelling within you. Isn’t it amazing to think that God allows Himself still to be limited by us because we don't trust Him enough to believe he can help us live out what He is calling us to do and be.

Jesus allowed Himself to be limited, as a man, as He walked among us on this earth, so that He could earn the right to call us friends. Well, friend, He still walks on earth, within us. What a friend we have within us. Pray with me that, this day, we will not limit Him as we walk among our fellow human beings. Let us pray that in all we do, we will not betray our best friend. Let's work hard at hanging together so that there is more joy for Jesus as well.

Hymn: "What a Friend We Have In Jesus"

Also:  I am a Friend of God

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