Friends are important. Friends provide companionship, support, entertainment and comfort, amongst other things. God designed us to be in relationship with others. Jesus needed friends during his earthly ministry, which indicates that we will need a few friends as we travel through life. Jesus hand-picked twelve individuals to be his disciples/friends. These men would do life with Jesus. These men had the awesome opportunity of learning directly from Jesus. Each of them had a unique relationship with Jesus. Even though you could consider all twelve men His friends, there were three of the twelve that he developed a deeper bond with. They were Peter, James, and John who got to witness things that the others weren't privy to such as the transfiguration of Jesus. This teaches us that there are different levels of friendships. There will be some friends who will be around when it is convenient and then there will be some friends who will really show up for you.
In John 15:15, Jesus is talking to his disciples and he is explaining that a shift has occurred. He lets them know that he would no longer call them servants but he would now refer to them as friends.This is a major moment in human history because Jesus gives us the opportunity to be his friend. He is able to call them friends because he has revealed everything he had learned to them.
I will leave you with the kind of friend Jesus is:
Jesus is the kind of friend that will pray for you (John 17:20-23)
Jesus is the kind of friend that will never leave you ( Matthew 28:20)
Jesus is the kind of friend that will never give up on you ( 2 Timothy 2:13)
Jesus is the kind of friend that died for you ( Romans 5:8)
Jesus is a true friend. He loves us without conditions.
As always, stay rooted in God.
Verse of the Week:
No longer do I call you servants, or 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.
John 15:15 ESV
Awesome Job!!!