JESUS - I HAVE CALLED YOU FRIENDS

The Gospel of John introduces Jesus as the Messiah in chapters 1-12. He presents Himself through teaching, performing miracles, and fulfilling Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. In chapters 13-17, He instructs His disciples for future ministry, and in chapters 18-21, His crucifixion and resurrection affirm Who He is, not only Messiah but God the Son.

This Gospel is a rich book with the purpose announced at the end in John 20:30-31, Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

In John 15:12-17, Jesus made a declaration to His disciples and to us who have received Jesus by faith alone. He told them, I have called you friends. Let’s examine the context of this passage which contains that amazing statement and then see what that means for you and me.

John repeats Jesus’ instructions to the disciples:

Verses 12-13: the centrality of the Christian life is love.

Jesus commands believers to love one anther (12), This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John Hart, The command to love requires a supernatural component to fulfill, requires faith, and is more a choice than an emotion ... Charles Swindoll, The Greek word here is not the fickle eros, or even the heartfelt philia, but agape. Agape often involves deep feeling, but it begins with a decision ... Agape is the kind of love exemplified by God, especially in relationship with His Son. Moreover, the tense of the verb is present, which suggests repeated or ongoing action: "keep loving one another."

Jesus declares that the greatest evidence of love is sacrifice (13) Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. Note Romans 5:7-8, For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Thomas Constable, He would shortly show them how great it was by making the supreme sacrifice for them. After that they would not only have His command to obey but also His example to follow.

Verses 14-16: Jesus' relationship to His followers is friendship

Friendship with Jesus demands obedience (14), You are my friends if you do what I command you. John 15:10, If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. Charles Swindoll, This statement involves a condition ... this speaks of our intent to pursue His aims by following His instructions ... We are His friends when we support His aims.

Friends of Jesus are instructed in the will of God (15), No longer do I call you servants, for 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. Galatians 4:7, So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. William Barclay, Jesus called us to be his friends ... It means that no longer do we need to gaze longingly at God from afar; we are not like slaves who have no right whatsoever to enter into the presence of the master; we are not like a crowd whose only glimpse of the king is in the passing on some state occasion. Jesus gave us this intimacy with God, so that he is no longer a distant stranger but our close friend.

Jesus chooses His friends for service (16), You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. William Hendriksen, The ground of God's love for us never lies in us, always in himself ... Grant Osborne, God's choosing of us, is not just to salvation but also to mission. William Hendriksen, He asks God to give whatever is in accordance with his will.

Verse 17: A reminder of the importance of love (17)

Repetition is the key to learning, John 15:17, These things I command you, so that you will love one another. Charles Swindoll, Failing to love one another makes us like the world, which is characterized by hate. There is no middle ground between love and hate; we must choose one or the other.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A FRIEND OF JESUS

The meaning of friend in the New Testament: it is from the Greek word, phileo, which means beloved, devoted, a confidant, one who is entrusted with secrets because he is loved and trusted. It is used as a term for Christians in 3 John 15, Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name. Anonymous, A friend is one who knows you as you are, understands where you've been, accepts who you've become and still, gently invites you to grow. In John 15:15, Jesus contrasted servant to friend. The servant does not know why he is told to do something. The friend knows because everything is made known to him.

The magnitude of Jesus' friendship with you and me:

• Jesus chose us as friends, John 15:16a, You did not choose me, but I chose you.

• Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins, 1 Corinthians 15:3, For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.

• His payment removed the barrier between heaven and earth, Matthew 27:50-51, And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

• Our friendship is with Jesus Who is God the Son, the Messiah, our Savior and Lord, Isaiah 9:6, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Characteristics of Jesus' friendship:

• He knows us, John 10:14, I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.

• His love for us is sacrificial, Romans 5:8, but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

• He is always faithful, 2 Timothy 2:13. if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.

• He knows our temptations, hurts and fears, Hebrews 4:15-16, For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

• His grace is sufficient, 2 Corinthians 12:9, ... My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. His commitment to us is forever, John 10:28, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Marks of our friendship with Jesus:

• We are to reverence Him, Psalm 25:14, The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him ...

• We are to pursue holiness, 1 John 1:6, If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

• We are to obey/follow His commands, John 15:14, You are my friends if you do what I command you. John 10:27, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

• We are to love others, John 15:12, This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

• He enables us to do all that He commands us to do, Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

• Jesus is to be our greatest love, Oswald Chambers, The dearest friend on earth is a mere shadow compared with Jesus Christ.

SUMMARY

Friendship with Jesus begins when one places faith in Him alone. Knowing about Jesus is admirable but knowing Him as a friend is supreme. One is intellectual information but the other is having the greatest friend of all.

Intimate friendship with Jesus can be based on four points:

• It starts with obedience: John 15:14, You are my friends if you do what I command you.

• It demands proper motivation: We must move from having to serve to wanting to serve.

• It demands proper attitude: We must enjoy serving Jesus. It becomes a delight not a duty.

• It demands time management: Our priority must be making time for Jesus, His followers and those He came to save.

Charles Spurgeon, Having made Jesus his all, he shall find all in Jesus. What a friend we have in Jesus.

From Slavery to Freedom

What is the first word that comes to your mind when you hear Fourth of July? The key word to the Fourth of July is freedom. This is a rich word found throughout the Bible. The reason it is so prominent in the Bible is because it deals with the key issue in the Bible, slavery which we will look at today.

First, let’s consider the definition of freedom. It means to have control of oneself and not under the control of others. The opposite of freedom is slavery. Many of us consider ourselves free because we think we have never been enslaved. The Bible informs us in Genesis that everyone was born in slavery to sin because of the disobedience of Adam. In seminary, in one of my first classes, the professor declared that when Adam sinned, we were there. Adam is our representative and once he sinned, slavery to sin passed down to every human being since that moment in the Garden of Eden.

The key issue of the Bible is how can mankind, enslaved in sin, become free. Our forefathers fought for freedom from England and gained partial freedom for us. But, full freedom is not earned but received. Let’s take a look at the biblical road from slavery to freedom. Each step deals with an aspect of freedom with all of them centered on Jesus.

The Steps to Freedom

A. Freedom from the bondage of sin - JUSTIFICATION

1. Mankind is enslaved to sin

a. John 8:34, Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.

b. Romans 6:16, Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

2. The penalty of sin is death

a. Romans 6:21, But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

b. Romans 6:23a, For the wages of sin is death,

3. Only Jesus sets one free

a. George Beasley-Murray, Unlike slavery that is external, this is an inward condition from which one cannot flee, with its roots in a wrong relation to God. Such a slave needs a redeemer!

b. Jesus is the second Adam. He lived a sinless life which enabled Him to make payment for our sins, John 8:36, So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

B. Freedom to not sin

1. We have been changed from the inside out

a. Hebrews 10:16, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,”

b. Matthew 11:29-30, Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

c. Warren Wiersbe (1929-), Freedom does not mean I am able to do whatever I want to do. That’s the worst kind of bondage. Freedom means I have been set free to become all that God wants me to be, to achieve all that God wants me to achieve, to enjoy all God wants me to enjoy.

d. Erwin Lutzer (1941-), Freedom comes by filling your mind with God’s thoughts.

2. We have the same tools Jesus had to live a holy life - SANCTIFICATION

a. Jesus was one person with two natures, divine and human (hypostatic union). Yet, while on earth, Jesus subordinated His deity to God the Father (kenosis). He confronted sin and trials with the tools we have, the Word of God, the Holy Spirit and prayer. Holiness is a choice which we must make daily - to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh.

b. 1 Peter 2:16, Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.

c. Warren Wiersbe, The believer who spends time daily in the Word and prayer, and who yields to the Spirit’s working, is going to enjoy liberty and will help build up the church.

d. When we sin, 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.C. Freedom from works and alive to grace

C. Freedom from works and alive to grace

1. The treadmill of works

a. Romans 7:4, Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

b. John Stott, The Christian has been set free from the law in the sense that his acceptance before God depends entirely upon God’s grace in the death of Jesus Christ received by faith. To introduce the works of the law and make our acceptance depend on our obedience to rules and regulations was to bring a free man into bondage again.

2. The assurance of grace through faith in Christ alone

a. Max Anders, ... under grace we have progressed from being slaves to being sons and heirs. Grace is adulthood. Law is childhood. With the privileges of adulthood, why regress back to the law?

b. Charles Spurgeon, God grant us grace to keep to grace! God grant us faith enough to live by faith, even to the end, as the freeborn children of God, for His name’s sake!

D. Freedom to serve others

1. A Christian is called to be other-centered instead of self-centered

a. Galatians 5:13, For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

b. Galatians 6:2, Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

c. William Ralph Inge (1860-1954), Christianity promises to make men free, it never promises to make them independent.

2. Christians are called to freedom from works to grace, lived out in love for others

a. Romans 5:13b-14, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

b. John Stott, It is freedom not to indulge the flesh, but to control the flesh; freedom not to exploit our neighbour, but to serve our neighbour; freedom not to disregard the law, but to fulfil the law.

c. Malcolm Muggeridge (1903-1990), The only lasting treasure is spiritual; the only perfect freedom is serving God.

E. Freedom from the world

1. We are children of God

a. Romans 8:16, The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

b. 1 John 3:1, See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

c. William Hendriksen, When an accused man is declared not guilty, he is free. Likewise when a slave has been emancipated, he is free. But the judge or the emancipator does not, as a rule, adopt the freed individual as his own son. But when the Son makes one free, he will be free indeed, rejoicing in the glorious freedom of sonship.

2. We are ambassadors of the kingdom of God

a. John 18:36, Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews.

b. Thomas Constable, We are in the world, but we are free to live apart from the evil that dominates it thanks to Christ’s work for us.

c. 2 Corinthians 5:19-20, that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

F. Freedom for eternity - GLORIFICATION

1. Christians will be conformed to Jesus’ likeness, 1 John 3:2, Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

2. Christians are forever free, Romans 6:22, But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

3. Christians are blessed beyond our wildest imagination, 1 Corinthians 2:9b, What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him

Conclusion

• David Walls, The freedom of the New Testament is not political freedom but spiritual freedom.

• The Fourth of July is special but our freedom paid for by Jesus Christ is forever.

Easter Reflections on Jesus

Religious holidays always abound with mixed messages. Spiritual truth is mixed with carnal tales. Of course, Christians should expect this from the world. Yet, we should take care not to diminish the message by minimizing the truth.

It is impossible to overestimate the importance of this season. Easter should be a time when the powerful message of the Gospel bursts forth from our lips. This season is full of dramatic events - betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection. All of the events of Easter are tied to the person of Jesus Christ. What we think of Jesus directly impacts what we think of the season.

Jesus knew that Who He is determined what He could do. In other words, the person of Christ is foundational to His work. That’s why Jesus’ question to Peter still cries for personal response today, But who do you say that I am? (Mark 8:29)

For a moment consider the words of Jesus from the Gospel of John. There is no more fitting way to enter this special season than by hearing and responding to the Word, Written and Living.

. . . for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me

(8:42)

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will

live forever . . . (6:51)

I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall

have the light of life (8:12)

for unless you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins (8:24)

Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am (8:58)

I am the resurrection and the life; Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall

live (11:25)

Jesus said to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the

Father except through Me (14:6)

. . . Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father . . . (14:9)

Who do you say Jesus is? Measure your response by considering the following statements.

• He is David’s Lord and David’s son.

• He is the Ancient of Days and born in a manger.

• He upholds all things and became weary.

• He is King of Kings and a servant.

All I can say is what Peter said, the Christ, the Son of the living God. What I believe about Jesus determines what I think about Easter. He is my Savior Who paid my sins in full. He is my Lord Who is worthy to be served. There is no sweeter name than Jesus. May that name be proclaimed by what we say and how we live.

He is risen. He is risen indeed!