"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."
Apart from John 15, no other character in all of Scripture is referred to as the friend of God other than Abraham. Until now.
Scripture Focus: John 15:14-15; Psalm 139:1; Revelation 3:20
"I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you."
"O LORD, You have searched me and known me."
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me."
Moses talked to God face to face. David said, "The nearness of God is my good." He prays in Psalm 139, "O LORD, you have searched me and known me"—that word yada in Hebrew, the same word used where it says Adam knew Eve. Intimate knowledge. Enoch walked with God. Noah walked with God. Walking implies traversing through life together, community, fellowship, harmony. Real friendship.
And Jesus says, "I call you friends."
Revelation 3:20—"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him and he with Me." In the ancient world, much like our modern world, eating with someone was a symbol of friendship. Breaking bread. I want to know you. I want you to know me. And Jesus says that is what He wants with you.
Has there ever been anybody in your life that extended friendship to you that was just way beyond your station in life? Someone where you're like, "What's in it for them?" I've had that with a man—just a guy who would call, who would text, who was kind to me. And I was humbled. What's going on here?
That was with a mere man.
This is the King of the universe. And He looks at you through His Word and says, "Friend."
But listen—we always interpret Scripture with Scripture. Because lest we get this twisted. This is a friendship between master and slave, King and subject, Creator and created. The word for friend here is used in the inner circle around a powerful king—privileged access to the mind of the king. This is not "Jesus is my homeboy." He is the king.
Jesus says, "You are My friends if you do what I command you." The friendship with Jesus is with full recognition of His power and authority over our life. Our submission to Him and His kindness toward us is never intended to introduce a glibness or flippancy as it relates to our relationship with Him.
Paul begins Romans: "Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ." He begins Galatians: "If I were trying to please men, I would not be a slave of Jesus Christ." The wonder of wonders is that our master who purchased us with His precious blood says, "You're My friend."
And the question is: how close are you to this friend? Oswald Sanders says, "Each of us is as close to God as we choose to be." He's not stiff-arming you. He's inviting you. And you have been given the instruments—His Word, His Spirit, prayer—by which you enjoy friendship with Him.
1. Do you think of your relationship with Jesus as genuine friendship—not just religion, not just a transaction, but real friendship?
2. Are you close to God? If not, is it because He's kept His distance—or because you have?
3. How does understanding that you are both the friend and the slave of Jesus shape the way you relate to Him?
Stay dialed in
