John 15:12-17 (NIV) “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.”
The greatest friend of all is one who is willing to lay down his life for a friend. That is what Jesus Christ was willing to do for every person. Whilst you and I did not deserve it. He freely gave Himself. He came to serve and not to be served. He did not try to get anything out of man, but instead, He gave man His all!
The song What a Friend we have in Jesus, was originally a poem written by a son to comfort his mother whom he had left behind in Ireland while he was in Canada in the 1850s. The preacher-poet wrote it to assure his mother that though he couldn’t be there with her, Jesus is with her, and He is a friend like no other.
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
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.
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 your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.
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.
Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV) “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
If you want Jesus as your friend, you must lay down your life for Him.
Matthew 16:25 (NLT) If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
This means giving up your own ways of doing things and then do things God’s way.
The Bible has examples of people who were friends with God. God called Abraham, His friend.
James 2:23 (NLT) And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.”
Abraham met the condition of friendship with God. Genesis 26:5 (NLT) “I will do this because Abraham listened to me and obeyed all my requirements, commands, decrees, and instructions.”
It feels good singing, ‘What a friend we have in Jesus,’ doesn’t it? Who wouldn’t want to have a friend to help us bear our griefs and sorrows? But the more important question is: Does Jesus have a friend in me? Am I a friend of Jesus?