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‘What a friend we have in Jesus’…

John 15:9-14 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. (10) If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. (11) These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (12) “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. (13) Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (14) You are my friends if you do what I command you.

Q1/ Are you encouraged by the fact that Jesus calls us His friends?

Q2/ Is this friendship the same as our human friendships… or is it something more? (Vs. 13-14)

We read more of this in the following verses of John 15:18-20 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. (19) If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (20) Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

Q3/ Who in Vs. 20 is the servant, and who is the master?
— Are you comfortable with such a friendship?

On this earth, we are strangers in a strange land, and many Christ-followers suffer true hatred here. However, we are called to make disciples and minister to humanity.

— Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

— Jesus sends us out with all His disciples to bring others to this same master to servant friendship with Jesus.

Q4/ What does Matthew 28:20 tell us is contained in the command to “make disciples”?

— Making disciples is about taking the new Christians and teaching them what God has shown us in His Word, the Bible.

Do you think that this teaching needs to include the facts of what it COSTS to become a disciple of Christ Jesus? (This must always be counted before you enter into His Kingdom.)

— Jesus tells us clearly in John 15:20-21 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. (21) But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

— So why would anyone want to join such a group, to be persecuted and hated by the world?

In answer, I present the story of the difference in friendship with the world and friendship with Jesus…

We find this in the song, ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’.

Verse #1… What a friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer!

— V1/A How can Jesus bear “all our sins and griefs”?
Hebrews 7:22-27 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant. (23) The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, (24) but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. (25) Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (26) For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. (27) He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.

“Oh, what peace we often forfeit”…
— V1/B Do you consider prayer-time a privilege or a duty?
— V1/C Do we sometimes miss out on the peace praying to God offers?

Verse #2... Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; Take it to the Lord in prayer.

— V2A/ What are you struggling with these days? (Can you think of anytime in your life where this world has had more problems, struggles, and ‘strivings’?)

— V2B/ “Take it to the Lord in prayer”… (Does praying to God in the name of Jesus, lighten your cares?)

— V2C/ “Can we find a friend so faithful”? (Is there ANYONE who knows you better?)

— V2D/ Do you sometimes marvel at the fact that even though He knows you so well (even better than we know ourselves), He still loves and cares so deeply for you? (I do!)

Verse #3… Are we weak and heavy-laden, Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there.

— V3A/ “Are we weak?” ~ How are you doing in the HUMILITY ZONE? (Is pride still an issue in your life?)
Luke 18:9-14 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: (10) “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. (11) The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. (12) I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ (13) But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ (14) I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

— V3B/ “Thou wilt find a solace there.” (How do you feel after taking your burdens to the Lord in prayer?) (If you do not feel anything changes, is there something wrong?)

— V3C/ “Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?” ~ This hopefully doesn’t happen too often, but are there times when no one else seems to understand your dilemma, your struggles? (Do you find that understanding you seek in Christ?)

— V3D/ Do we recognize that because Jesus understands our struggling, and that He will sometimes give us correction rather than sympathy?

Matthew 8:26 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then He rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. (Jesus was sleeping in their boat in a storm… It seems He expected their faith to calm their fears.)
— Is our faith strong enough to weather the storms we find ourselves caught up in?

Matthew 23:23-24 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. (24) You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

(THERE ARE SO MANY MORE OF THESE CORRECTION VERSES BY JESUS.)

Just because Jesus “KNOWS our every weakness”, doesn’t mean He will SUPPORT those weaknesses in us.

The last verse is often omitted I assume for time constraints…

Verse #4… Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear;
May we ever, Lord, be bringing All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright, unclouded, There will be no need for prayer—
Rapture, praise, and endless worship Will be our sweet portion there.

V4A/ Do you think that Jesus will “all your burdens bear” if you do not bring them before Him with honesty and humility?
(James 4:1-3 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? (2) You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. (3) You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.)

V4B/ “Rapture, praise, and endless worship Will be our sweet portion there.”
— Do you look forward to a time when all problems and struggles are over, never to return?

(Revelations 21:4-5 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (5) And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also, He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”)

— So why would anyone want to join such a group, to be persecuted and hated by the world?

It hinges on whether we have reached a point of understanding that all this world has to offer is, ‘Vanity, a chasing after the wind!’
Ecclesiastes 12:6-8 before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, (7) and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. (8) Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity.

— Temporal life is indeed fleeting and then gone.

— Eternal life is reached when our ‘spirit returns to God’, who gave it… And then sadly, eternal peace and joy is lost for those who rejected Christ’s FRIENDSHIP, but joyfully it is gloriously given to those who’ve made Jesus their FRIEND.

I will leave you with that encouragement and challenge… May God truly bless! KK

‘Be still my soul’