Read: John 15:9-17
. . . lay down his life for his friends. (v. 13)
If you are on Facebook, you know what the term friended means. Someone sends you a friend request. You can choose to accept it or not. If you choose to accept this request, you have “friended” that person. Relationships with Facebook friends through social media tend to be superficial. Real friendship is more than just clicking a like button or sharing a heart emoji on Facebook. Real friendship is being present for a friend in their time of need. This shows genuine love.
Jesus genuinely loved his disciples and called them friends (v. 14). He said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (v. 13). He encouraged them to abide in his love (vv. 9-10). He called them to love others with the same love that he has loved them (v. 12). One day, their friend, Jesus, would show them how much he loves them. He would lay down his life on his own accord (John 10:18) and die for them. This was a sacrifice of love for his friends.
Jesus is our real friend. He doesn’t want a superficial relationship with us. He wants to spend time with us. He wants to show his deep love for us. He wants us to trust him with all our hurts, our worries, and our troubles in this world. The title of a familiar hymn says it clearly: “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”! Will you trust him as your friend today?
As you pray, know that your friend Jesus loves you.
About the Author
Nancy Boote
Nancy Boote, an ordained minister in the Reformed Church of America, lives in Holland, Michigan, with her husband. Besides being a mother, a grandmother, a song writer, and lover of horses, Nancy also has a heart for prayer and seeing racism dismantled.
