DAILY DEVOTION, Sept. 28, 2021

No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you (John 15:15).

Jesus is speaking to His apostles. They have made a transition from being servants (slaves) of Christ to friends. Early on, the apostles did not know everything Jesus taught. Now they know everything the Father revealed to Jesus. A servant just does what he is ordered to do. Friends know each other’s hearts. Rather than simply responding to orders, friends of Jesus know His heart and act out of a loving relationship with Him.

These words apply to us as well. We are privileged to know even more about Jesus than did His disciples when He spoke those words. We have the full, complete, and final revelation of the Gospel of Jesus in the pages of Scripture. Yes, He still commands us, not as a boss or supervisor we hardly know, but as a friend.

We sing, “What a Friend we have in Jesus.” It is one of my favorite hymns, reminding us that Jesus is not simply our Savior and Lord. He is also our friend. He is a friend like no other, and if Jesus is your friend, you can call upon Him for every need. If Jesus is your friend, He will take you by the hand and lead you into heaven when you leave this life.

Father in heaven, I am so grateful to learn that Your Son is my friend. He has already gone the extra mile for me, taking my sins into His body on the cross. I want to honor His friendship by doing my utmost to introduce Him to others, that they may receive all the benefits that come with friendship with Jesus. Amen.