Our Friend Jesus

 
"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" (John 15:15). 

I was surprised to hear the words: "I have called you friends". I cannot remember what the preacher said, I was thinking about this profound idea. The Creator God, Lord and Master of everything, says He is my friend. I was already saved so knew that Jesus had brought me into His kingdom, and in some difficult-to-explain way I was "with" Him. But "friend"? That declared a level of intimacy, trust and even affection that I had never considered possible.
 
At church events I would see people bowing before God (Deuteronomy 26:10) and thought that I would do the same as I matured as a Christian, thus recognising God's eternal truth, mighty power and majesty, His glory. But I have never seen friends behaving like that towards one another, indeed it would spoil the friendship if the socially / financially / corporately "lesser" friend began to bow down to the "superior"; it would place great significance on the unimportant and the material and take away from the important. Isn't this true? Friendship is about personality and shared experiences, trust, and ongoing conversation.
 
Now here is Jesus, my Saviour, God's own Son and the "all" person from Colossians 1. This same Jesus is befriending me? "For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him" (v16).
 
That sudden revelation was many years ago and, praise Jesus, He has done what the Bible says He will do. Jesus has grown me in every conceivable way; spiritually, mentally, in my work, especially in my marriage, family and other relationships. Happily, I can read John 15:15 and know it to be true; and this is such a wonderful thing to "know" now that I am growing older.
 
All my life I have made friends slowly. My best friend from school days is still in New Zealand. I've seen him only a few times since I left there decades ago. I will call him "G", (his name starts with "R" but I invariably call him by his nickname). Some years after leaving for Australia I returned to visit my family and saw "G" three or four times. The first of those visits left an indelible memory in me; we arranged the meeting at his house which he was nearly finished building, I got there as planned and was approaching just as "G" came around from the side of the building: "Hi Green", he said, (my nickname), and our conversation flowed on from there, just as though we had last seen each other a day or two previously.
 
So much had happened in our lives and yet it was our friendship which was the centre. Sure, over my visits we caught up on our changed lives and revived many memories, but the (unconscious) essence of our time was the continuing of our friendship. "G" and I played golf in our school years and he became a lifelong golfer, I spent my time in boats, mostly sailing, played squash and trekked in the mountains. "G" became a noted architect while I worked with computer systems. I have lived in four countries while "G" stayed in his beloved N.Z. We are very different yet our friendship endured, it is a treasure to me as I look back over my life.
 

So it is now with my friend Jesus.
 
Recently two big things impacted me and Jesus and it was such a comfort to me to share them with Him, we have become close.
 
• My friend, "L" is a committed Christian intercessor, discipler, pastor (and design engineer - together we enjoy developing and constructing creative solutions to maintenance problems around our homes). He has not long returned from a mission trip to an Asian country where Christians are violently persecuted: bashings, burning of houses and churches and even killings. Our Christian brothers and sisters there are denied rights guaranteed in their law, including the freedom to visit other towns or cities. When "L" told me he was planning this trip I began to pray with our friend Jesus (Hebrews 7:24-25; Romans 8:26-27) and many others. We prayed for every step and encounter of the trip.
 
"L" went straight through customs. He was never stopped, let alone harried, beaten or robbed, at any of the official or unofficial checkpoints or during curfews. Never once. The local Christians were amazed and knew that Jesus was actively protecting "L" and his mission. All the ministry and discipling sessions were clearly anointed, people's understanding of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, grew in ways beautiful to see, with fresh insight, healings and with tears. Unique ministry opportunities arose, clearly they were divinely appointed as they occurred on the only day "L" was near; more Jesus, more healing, more tears.
 
We prayed and communicated our great desire (Philippians 4:6) to our friend Jesus who then came; He went before "L" and prepared the people, enabling then to attend the teaching and ministry. He was at "L's" right hand, and He had his back through every moment of the planning and life of that mission journey. Praise Jesus.
 
• A few days ago Iran launched a hundreds-strong drone and rocket attack on Israel. With hushed voice Trish told me about this when I arose that morning. Immediately I began to pray. I was so aware that I was praying alongside my friend Jesus and countless other "friends" all around the world. I did not have to think what to pray: prayer, mostly from Scripture, simply flowed (Romans 8:26).
 
My heart was full, as was David's when he cried out: "you are [Israel's] strength, [we] watch for you; you, God, are [our] fortress" (Psalm 59:9). I remembered David's response to Goliath: "who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26 ). I prayed that we would see what Saul saw: "they found the [enemy] in total confusion, striking each other with their swords" (1 Samuel 14:20). And I remembered how God went to battle with Gideon defeating a vast military force (Judges 7:19-22). I was able to "pray without ceasing" even as I was busy getting ready for our prayer time before our Sunday church service.

(Praise Jesus: "Iran's attack was largely unsuccessful, with the vast majority of projectiles shot down by Israeli air defences with the help of the US, UK and other allies" BBC. "There have been no reports of [severe] injuries suffered directly through Iranian strikes, according to Israel’s emergency service" CNN).

 

Throughout these times of intercession, I was at peace – I knew I was with my friend Jesus, and we were in the will of our Father. Jesus defeated Satan at the Cross of Calvary, by humbling Himself even to dying on that cross (2 Corinthians 13:4). Then, rising from the grave and ascending to Heaven, Jesus defeated sin and death. Jesus recovered all authority from Satan who had tricked Adam and Eve into giving him that which Father God had initially given them (Genesis 1:28, 3:4-7).
 
Now Jesus rules and reigns and will do so forever. We are in a time which some call "already and not yet". Sin, death and their originator, Satan, are defeated yet we continue to see much sin and pain all around us.
 
That we can be Jesus' friends is an essential part of God's great plan of redemption after the Fall. It is needful that God's people "know His business" (Jeremiah 33:3; John 15:15) because He wants us to truly and fully participate in His work in the world (Ephesians 2:10; Matthew 10:8).

Through our spirit we are joined to our victorious King; we are with Him "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion" (Ephesians 1:20, 2:6). Often my circumstances seem difficult, then I am glad to remember that the spiritual world is real and God rules and reigns over all worlds (Colossians 1:16). Perhaps this is one reason I have come to love the word "perseverance", a very big Bible word (Romans 5:3-4). My friend Jesus helps me hold on to "all that is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:22), with "all my strength" (Mark 12:30).
 
Jesus told His disciples, (His "friends" and our spiritual ancestors), that all authority had been given to Him, and they were to "go [in His authority] and make disciples" of all the "ethne" (people groups) on Earth (Matthew 28:18-20). They had already seen that the spirits were subject to them when Jesus taught: "I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:17-19). They will have been ready to follow Paul’s leading in the physical world and in the spiritual: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12).
 
When Jesus taught about binding and loosing, He tied this exercise of authority to prayer of agreement. Such authoritative praying applies to anything Jesus' followers agree, because He will be there with them (Matthew 18:18-20). So comforting.
 

Let us then honour our friendship with Jesus, and His teaching, and pray together often; He will make "our Father's business" known to us by His Spirit. Our friend Jesus is asking us to give our authority to God's wise use of His mighty power on the Earth. Love in action.
 
Praise Jesus.
 
Favourite Bible Verses
 
"Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3).
 
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6).
 
"I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you" (Luke 10:19).
 
"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give" (Matthew 10:8).
 
"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 one another" (John 15:15-17).
 
Amen.

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