Dear Christian friends:

One way that we sign CHRISTIAN is "Jesus' friend." And we have a hymn which is called "What A Friend We Have In Jesus," which the choir just sang. And the Pharisees called Jesus "the friend of sinners." Truly Jesus is our Friend. But we must remember that we are also Jesus' friends. Friendship works two ways: Jesus is our Friend and we are His friends. In our text Jesus says, "You are My friends." (verse 14a)


Let us attend to our text and see what it means for us to be Jesus' friends.

It means that we have some wonderful privileges from Jesus. When you have a close friend he or she gives you special privileges that he or she does not give to others. Perhaps your friend gives you a key to his apartment or home and he says to you, "My house is your house; you can use it any time you need it or when you come to the city." Maybe your friend has a motor home and he says to you, "You can use my motor home anytime you want when I am not using it." Perhaps your friend says to you, "If you need money or help, let me know. I will help you with any problem." Your friend gives to you special privileges that he does not give to others.

So Jesus gives wonderful, special privileges to us because He is our friend and He loves us so much. And this is surprising! Why? Because we are not worthy of such special privileges from Jesus. We are not worthy that He loves us and that He is our Friend. But nevertheless He has chosen us to be His friends. He said to His disciples, "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you." (verse 16) Really, we can't choose Him. Why? By nature we are dead in trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1-3)

We were spiritually dead. We were worse than dead; we were enemies of God. (Romans 8:7) But because of His grace Jesus chose us to be His friends. He did not choose us because we are good and nice persons. We are not good and nice; we are sinners. John explains the wonderful love of God for sinners when he writes, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10) Really it is surprising that Jesus chose us for His friends. We are not worthy, but He loves us anyway and forgives our sins, yes, won our forgiveness by His suffering and death upon the cross.

Since we are his friends Jesus gives us wonderful, special privileges. One of these special privileges is that He shares with us. He does not leave us out as a lord leaves out his servants. Jesus Says, "Henceforth I call you not servants; because a servant knows not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; because all things that I have heard from My Father I have told to you." (verse 15) Jesus has no secrets from us. He opens His heart and mind and tells us all that He knows about God the Father. He shares with us the truth of His saving work, our new birth in baptism and the wonderful blessings of the Holy Supper. Jesus has shared with us all the mysteries of God in His Word.

This is a most precious privilege. Jesus said to His disciples, Blessed are your eyes for they see: and your ears, for they hear, for I tell you the truth: many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see and have not seen them; and to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them." (Matthew 13:16-17) Truly Jesus gives us a special privilege by sharing His knowledge of the heavenly Father with us. Are you aware of this privilege? Are you using it?

Another special privilege is prayer. In our text Jesus says, "Whatsoever you will ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you." (verse 16d) We need to use this prayer privilege more faithfully. First, we need to use it for our personal needs: patience, love and perseverance. Secondly, we need to pray for others, for our brothers and sisters here in the church family. Our brothers and sisters need stronger faith, more eagerness to accept responsibility in the church, and more cheerful support of our church. Thirdly, we need to pray for our families. Today is Mother's Day and we think of mothers and their many duties and responsibilities. Today many mothers also have a job. Mothers need our prayers so that they can be good mothers and not despair. Are we using this prayer privilege which our Friend Jesus has given us?

Truly Jesus our Friend gives us many special privileges. Jesus is a good Friend to us. He has done and continues to do so much for us. What will we do for Jesus? If we are really His friends, we should be doing somethings for Him. Remember, friendship works both ways!

Here in our text Jesus tells us what He wants us to be doing for Him. He tells us about our responsibilities as His friends.

Jesus says in our text, "You are My friends, if you do whatever I command you." (verse 14) We should do whatever our Friend Jesus commands us to do. First, that means to learn His Word and then preach and teach it exactly, no false teaching. Many preachers and churches today, do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He arose from the dead. They no longer believe the miracles that Jesus did as recorded in the Bible. They have lost the true Gospel. Also, we must live according to Jesus teaching, even though the world mocks us.

Jesus Says, "If the world hate you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own (you): but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." (verses 18-19) Have we accepted this responsibility? Are we doing it?

Another responsibility which our Friend Jesus gives us is that we love one another. Jesus says in our text, "These things I command you, that you love one another." (verse 17) We should love one another the same as Jesus has loved us. Jesus died for us and He expects us to die for one another if necessary. He says, "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (verse 13) This is our responsibility as a friend of Jesus. This also means sharing one another's burdens, suffering one another's weaknesses and faults, forgiving those who sin against us. Are we loving one another? Are we accepting this responsibility?

"You are My friends," Jesus says. Are you using and enjoying your special privileges as His friends? Are you accepting and doing your responsibilities as His friends? Blessed are you, friend, if you are!

Amen.