Calling Jesus Friend


Sometimes it's the in thing to say--calling Jesus friend. Everybody wants to be friends with him, not understanding what it really means. To most people, it's like having a selfie taken with their favorite showbiz star. "Hey look! I'm with Jesus!" [Picture above from Remi Walle, Unsplash].

Preachers call non-believers to the altar with the promise that Jesus would be their friend. That sounds reassuring and will get crowds going to the altar call. People feel like Jesus just moved into the neighborhood and became one of them. Who wouldn't go to the altar to have that privilege? Sometimes we use terms people don't understand just to lure them to the altar or membership.

But who does Jesus see as friend?
15 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]
First, Jesus said you'd be his friend if you "know the Master's business." Do you? Second, you're his friend if "everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." And he said, "everything I learned." EVERYTHING. Has Jesus made known to you everything he's learned from the Father? Friendship with Jesus is conditional, just as salvation and forgiveness of sin are. Only God's love is unconditional. 

Abraham was God's friend, said James [2.23], and God wanted Abraham to know everything he was about to do. That's how God has been treating his friends ever since. God's friends received his revelations. They were told everything they needed to know.

Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?


If you are disobedient to his Word you have no business calling Jesus friend. Or if you don't love and meditate his Word. You are either a mere servant of religion who knows nothing about Jesus, or a downright enemy of God. God's servant, like an anointed man of God, is different from a plain servant who knows nothing about Jesus, his work and Kingdom.

A true friend of Jesus also receives fresh and deep revelations straight from Jesus Christ, something what Paul had--what I call third-heaven revelations. Calling Jesus friend means Jesus saying to us how, "Everything I hear and get from the Father, I tell you." This means you have an open heaven. If you don't have this experience daily, it's useless calling Jesus friend.

Imagine--everything he hears from the Father he tells his friend. EVERYTHING. If you're a pastor who claims to be friends with Jesus, you don't have to invent programs or gimmicks or attractions for your church. Jesus will tell you what to do. No need to sit together and plan. Jesus will tell you all the details the Father wants you to do. The apostles just waited for the gift of the Father to come. Then they were led by the Holy Spirit all throughout.

They didn't plan for a prayer meeting program, didn't decide what songs to sing, who'd be the worship leader, who'd preside, who'd lead the opening prayer, and all that garbage. The worship team didn't need to practice. They simply obeyed Jesus' instructions to wait (and they did) and suddenly God moved. That's real church with all the believers being genuine friends of Jesus.

So, are you really Jesus' friend?