“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. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you” (John 15:15-16).
Something changes here in this conversation. Jesus tells the disciples that their relationship is no longer a matter of master-servant or teacher-disciple. They are friends. And that changes everything.
In the company of a Friend, there is a mutual understanding. Friends know one another’s actions. “The slave does not know what his master is doing,” Jesus said. The implication is that He is opening his life to these men. His motives, His reasons, His vision, His purpose.
In the company of a Friend, there is revelation of the heart. Jesus once said that “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Here He tells them that He has shared with them all the Father had made known to Him. That’s what friends do. They trade secrets. They share wisdom and insight – not intrusively, but out of love and respect.
In the company of a Friend, there is clarity of purpose. Friends recognize the value they add to the other’s life, and vice-versa. Jesus told the disciples that they were chosen and appointed. That they had value to Him and purpose beyond this time they were sharing together.
In the company of a Friend, there is choice-driven strength. Friendships based on geography, convenience, or mere feeling eventually go by the wayside. Friendship based on choice and purpose remain, even past conflict, disappointment, failure, and betrayal.
In the company of a Friend, there is lavish generosity. Far beyond the limitations of material things, friends give something much deeper. They give their identity to the other. This is ancient covenant language, surviving today only in a fleeting glimpse in our marriage ceremonies. I give you My name, Jesus said, that whatever you ask of the Father He may give you. On the basis of our friendship, I represent Jesus Christ wherever I go – even to the throne room of Heaven.
What a breathtaking privilege to have anyone in my life like that. What an eternal honor that the Savior of the World would use such a term for the likes of you and me.
My Ovation today is to live like a Friend of Jesus. How could I possibly refuse that?