Is Jesus Your Friend?

but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything  that I have heard from my Father.   John 15:15

Friends – Jesus is my Savior.  I know what that means.  It means that He died in my place, accepting the verdict I deserved.  As a result, God views me through Jesus’ righteousness.  Jesus made my forgiveness possible.

Jesus is my Lord.  I know what that means.  It means that He is the commander and I am the foot soldier.  He gives the orders and I obey them.  I am not asked to devise the operational plan.  I am asked only to execute it.  As my Lord, He is responsible for my well-being.  I am responsible to obey.

I also know that Jesus cannot be my Savior if I refuse to allow Him to be my Lord.  He asks me to voluntarily submit, and if I truly understand His sacrifice, I am obligated and honored to do so.

But then Jesus tells me that He is my friend.  This I do not understand.  I want to, desperately.  But what I know about being friends leaves me perplexed about Jesus.  I know that I need Him as my friend.  In fact, there is no one I need as a friend more than this first century carpenter who became King of glory.  Still, I don’t quite understand.  Why?  It’s simple, really.  All the friends that I have are friends because we have a dialogue of heart-felt communication.  The Savior acts on my behalf.  He does not request my permission.  The Lord gives commandments.  He does not need my advice.  But a friend is not a friend unless we mutually engage each other.  Friends find common ground, share common experiences, feel common emotions.  For Jesus to be my friend, I must find in Him what resonates in me – and He must find the same. 

There is no doubt that Jesus makes the first overture of friendship.  The Greek is philous.  It means friends who are beloved and familiar.  Jesus even tells me why I am His friend.  He has revealed all that I need to know about the Father.  He has delivered the whole message to those He loved.  I’m in that crowd and honored to be there.  Jesus calls me His friend.  He’s done His part.  He’s started the process.  He announces that there are no barricades to friendship with Him.

Then why don’t I understand?  It’s simple.  I’m afraid.  What does it mean for me to be a friend of the Son of God?  Will He be disappointed when He discovers how unworthy I am?  Will I fail Him?  Can I be honest enough about my own agendas, sins and dreams?  Am I willing to share all my secrets?  Or do I hold back?

“What a friend we have in Jesus,” goes the hymn.  Do I really know what that means?  Am I willing to expose myself to that kind of friendship?  The truth is that there is no other way.  But sometimes it nearly scares me to death.