The Lord has surely proven the reality of His desire to be our Friend. In John 15, there are three things that mark, or characterize, the Lord’s friendship with us. In these verses there are also three things that should mark our friendship with Him. Let’s look first at what characterizes His friendship with us:
1) He laid down His life for His friends
Verse 13 says, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Isn’t this incredible? He has sealed His desire for our friendship with the sacrifice of Himself. He gave Himself! (Matt. 20:2828Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28); Gal. 1:44Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: (Galatians 1:4); Eph. 5:2, 252And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor. (Ephesians 5:2)
25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (Ephesians 5:25); 1 Tim. 2:66Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2:6)) What more could a person do? It was a sacrifice of love that was totally His doing, for we did not love Him, but “He first loved us” (1 John 4:1919We love him, because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)).
He died in order to have us as His friends. When you think of the length to which He went and the cost He paid, could you ever doubt the reality of His desire to have us as His companions? He has taken enemies and made them into His friends! Such is the result of His great work on the cross. We, who were once “enemies” by nature and practise, have been “reconciled to God” by His death, and are now made His “friends!” (Rom. 5:1010For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10); Col. 1:21-2221And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: (Colossians 1:21‑22))
What can we do to show our appreciation? It says in Psa. 116:12-1312What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? 13I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. (Psalm 116:12‑13), “What shall I render unto the LORD for all His benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the Name of the LORD.” As the Psalmist says here, the only right thing to do is to receive this great salvation with thanksgiving! Calling upon the Name of the Lord here is a reference to returning thanks to Him for what He has done. If there should be any one here tonight who is still not saved, this clearly shows what you ought to do. Take the salvation God is offering you and thank Him for it. It couldn’t be more simple! When we think of the length to which He went to save us, it would be the biggest insult not to take “the cup of salvation” that He has secured at the cost of His life. Do not trifle with the longsuffering mercy of God. Remember the warning that says, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation” (Heb. 2:33How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; (Hebrews 2:3)). God is “longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:99The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)).
Now it says that the Lord Jesus “died for all” (2 Cor. 5:14-1514For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2 Corinthians 5:14‑15)), but that doesn’t mean that all are saved! The message of salvation is “unto all,” but only “upon all them that believe” (Rom. 3:2222Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: (Romans 3:22)). You have to believe the gospel message to be saved! It is only those who have by faith received Him as their Saviour that come into the blessing of the gospel, and thus, are delivered from the just penalty of their sins. It is those whom He calls, “My friends.” If you are not saved tonight you are still an enemy! The time to come to Him and establish this relationship of “friends” is now. The Bible says, “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him” (Psa. 2:1212Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (Psalm 2:12)). It also says, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:22(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) (2 Corinthians 6:2)). All that come to Him will be received. There should be no fear of being turned away! The Lord said, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)).
Thousands have fled to His spear-pierced side,
Welcome they all have been, none are denied;
Weary and laden, they all have been blest,
Joyfully now in the Saviour they rest.
2) He confides in His friends
John 15:1515Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. (John 15:15) says, “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you.” To add to His great sacrifice of laying down His life for us, the second way in which the Lord Jesus has proved His desire for our friendship is the opening of His heart to us. He confides in His friends. He has disclosed the innermost thoughts and counsels of His heart to those who are His friends! This is a special privilege.
This shows that He wants to be more than your Saviour! He wants to be your Confidant! He wants to do more than just save your soul from going into a lost eternity. He wants to be your Companion for your whole life in this world, and for eternity! This verse that I’ve read tells us that He has opened His heart to those who have received Him as Saviour with confidential things. He has told us of the Father’s heart being toward us, and of His own departure, the coming of the Spirit, His coming again, and His future Kingdom. But more than all those things—wonderful as they are—He wants to tell us of His love!
He wants to open the thoughts of His heart to us. This requires that we take time to be with Him. The more we take time to be with the Lord, the more we are going to learn of His love! Clarence Mayo used to say, “When was the last time that you went into the presence of the Lord, not to ask Him for something, but just to be with Him?” That’s a searching question. It really exposes what kind of a relationship we have with Him. If we only go to the Lord to ask Him for something it really is not much of a friendship.
It has been said that every human heart craves understanding and love. We have that and more in Him! He delights to confide in us, and He wants us to confide in Him. It should be reciprocal. That’s one of the marks of true friendship. He wants to be the One we turn to in every trial and difficulty in life. Whatever you may be going through, He wants you to know that He cares about it; and wants to hear about it, as a true Friend would. The Bible says, “Pour out your heart before Him” (Psa. 62:88Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. (Psalm 62:8)). We can turn to Him at any time—24/7!
He wants us to make Him our nearest and our dearest Friend. What a privilege to be able to confide in a Person as great as the Lord Jesus Christ! To pour out our souls to Him is a blessed thing indeed. Proverbs 16:2020He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he. (Proverbs 16:20) says, “Whoso confideth in the LORD, happy is He.” Psalm 84:1010For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. (Psalm 84:10) says, “A day in Thy courts is better than a thousand.” You say, “A thousand what?” A thousand days spent doing other things without Him!
My concern for you young people here is that you’d understand this, and that you would take full opportunity to be in His presence. It is vitally important. If you get a hold of this, and make the Lord your nearest Friend, a lot of other things in your life are going to be right. If you miss this—that is, learning to walk in the friendship of Jesus—you’ll miss everything! Mary took time to sit at Jesus’ feet. It was something that she had “chosen.” That means there were other things that she could have been doing, but she elected to put them aside to be with Jesus (Luke 10:38-4238Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. 40But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. (Luke 10:38‑42)).
To walk in communion with the Lord Jesus as our Confidant and Friend is the most blessed privilege that a child of God can have! What do you and I know about that? Have you proved it to be true? Have you truly made the Lord your nearest and dearest Friend? Or are you the kind of Christian that basically leaves the Lord out of his or her life—except when you’re in trouble? What kind of a friend is that? There is a hymn we sometimes sing that says, “You treat no other friend so ill!”
Sad to say, like the Shulamite woman in the Song of Solomon, we leave the Lord out of our lives—and it’s to our shame! She made excuses as to why she couldn’t be with her lover: “I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to Me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for My head is filled with dew, and My locks with the drops of the night.” She said, “I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?” (Song of Solomon 5:2-32I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. 3I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? (Song of Solomon 5:2‑3)) She was full of excuses as to why she couldn’t take time to be with him, and she was the loser! What is our excuse?
Now, as I’ve said earlier, there is a difference between having Jesus as your Saviour and having Jesus as your Friend. Some of the things that I see and hear young Christians doing, or proposing to do—as far as their plans and objectives in life are concerned—makes me wonder whether they really know the Lord as their Friend. I remember a brother, referring to a rather careless Christian, say, “I don’t know if he really knows the Lord.” He wasn’t talking about whether the young brother knew the Lord as his Saviour, but whether he knew Him as his Friend and Companion.
Anyway, all I can say is if the Lord were truly the One they walked in fellowship with on a daily basis—Who was helping and guiding them, they wouldn’t be planning or doing those things. From what I can see in the Scriptures, He just wouldn’t lead a person to do such things. An example might be a girl who is planning to spend a number of years in college to be a fashion designer; or the boy planning to make his career in professional football. All I can say is that I don’t think they know the Lord very well. If they lived close enough to Him, He would have showed them principles in His Word that would have guided them otherwise. It’s simple; if you don’t spend time with the Lord, you won’t know His mind on the various issues of life, and you’re liable to make some serious mistakes. To have the Lord as your Friend is one of the greatest privileges that you can have in life. But if you don’t take advantage of it, you’ll be the big loser.
3) He grants the prayer requests of His friends
John 15:1616Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (John 15:16) says, “Whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My Name, He may give it you.” This is another mark of His friendship with us. He wants us to make known our petitions, and to ask Him for those things that we have need of in the path of faith. The Scripture says, “Let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:66Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (Philippians 4:6)). Though it may not seem like it at times, it truly is the Lord’s desire to grant our prayer requests.
However, I suspect that if you’re like a lot of young people, you might wonder whether prayer really works. You may not want to say that out loud for fear of people thinking that you’re unspiritual, but you might have those thoughts. Perhaps you are discouraged with your prayer life, and don’t pray like you know you should. Maybe you’re saying, like Job, “What profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?” (Job 21:1515What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? (Job 21:15)) Job had gotten so discouraged with His crying out to God in prayer over all that had happened to Him, and God’s apparent silence, that He began to wonder what profit there was in praying at all! It’s a sad thing when we lose confidence in the Lord, and wonder whether we should even continue praying, but some of you might be at that point in your Christian lives.
Nevertheless, the Lord delights to answer our prayer requests. Mr. Brown used to say that God has three ways of answering our prayers; yes, no, and wait awhile. Whatever the case may be, we mustn’t question the wisdom of His ways. He knows what is best in our situation. We must leave the answers to Him Who will always do the very best for us. Let us continue to pray, for the Lord said, “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18,1; 1 Thess. 5:1717Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)).
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Looking over these three things that mark the Lord’s friendship with us, we can truly say, as the hymn writer does, “What a Friend we have in Jesus!” He laid down His life for us, He opens His heart to us confidentially, and He gives us the things that we ask for. What a Friend indeed!