JESUS – WHAT A FRIEND!

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knows 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 – John 15: 13

A friend is a person whom one knows well and is fond of; an intimate associate; a close acquaintance. On all counts, Jesus qualifies as our best friend. He knows us, loves us, and is our intimate associate. In spite of our failings and weaknesses, He remains fond of us (Rom.5:6-8). Jesus laid down His earthly life to save us from our sins and provide us eternal life. True friendship is a valuable and rare commodity! We make many acquaintances as we pass through this life, but only very few true and genuine friends.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down His life for His friends (Jh.15:13). There is a story behind the song “What a friend we have in Jesus.” It is the story of Joseph Scriven. This young man had been engaged to a lady he deeply loved, but tragedy struck on the eve of their wedding as she drowned when the boat she was in capsized. In the hope of forgetting the shock, which he never did, Joseph left his native Ireland for Canada. There he taught school and chose to live very simply, spending his means and strength in service to the poor. In his loneliness, Joseph Scriven longed for and found a steadfast Friend in Jesus Christ. Then, he wrote these simple but profoundly moving lines: “What a friend we have in Jesus / All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry / Everything to God in prayer!

In John 15:12-17, Jesus reveals something about the nature of His friendship with His people. When you have Him for your Friend, you discover a friendship that knows no limits. He is, by definition, the ultimate Friend: “A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother” (Pro.18:24). No matter how blessed you already are with deeply enriching friendships, you need the True Friend – Jesus. But to know Him as your Friend is to first know Him as your Saviour. Through all life’s changing circumstances, He will be the One you can depend on – your Unfailing Friend.

People are looking for friends, not just for “seeker friendly churches.” Are you a friend of Jesus? Are you a friend like Jesus? Are you willing to become His friend and a friend like Him?