Friends of Jesus

"No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you" -  John 15:15.

Believers are called many things in Scripture.  We are called sons of God.  We are called children of God.  We are called brothers of Jesus Christ.  In one passage, we are even called the sisters, brothers, and mother of Jesus.  We are called disciples, which means we are learners.  We are called sheep, which means we are followers.

All these imply intimacy with Jesus.

Here in this verse Jesus goes from calling His followers slaves, to friends.

Think for a minute about what it meant to be a slave.  A slave had no right to enter into the presence of their master.  A slave had no right to know what his master was doing.  There was no intimacy between a slave and master.  A slave was a living tool.  A master never told the slave why, just what to do.  In a slave/master relationship, the master didn't disclose all of his goals, his passions, his loves, his purpose, or his plan to the slave.

Friends, on the other hand, reveal things to each other.  Friends care for each other's lives and have immediate access to one another.

By calling His disciples friends, Jesus is establishing a new kind of intimacy with them.  Jesus has made known to us the Father's goals, the Father's passions, the Father's loves, the Father's purpose, and the Father's plan.  Jesus, the Word, relates to us on an intimate level, coming alongside as our friend, and reveals truths to us about the Father.  As our friend, He shows us the Father.  To know Jesus is to see the Father.  We can also say, since He is the exact representation of God, He is all of God that we ever need to see.  Being a friend of Jesus is knowing and having access to the very heart of God.

Such incredible privilege we have as friends of Jesus!

Which leaves me with a couple of questions for you...

Have you spent time with your wonderful, accessible Friend today?

Who is there that you can tell about this wonderful Friend?