“Greater love has no one than this, that He lay down His life for His friends.”
John 15:13
John 15:13
To be called a “friend” by Jesus is worthy of my contemplation.
The word “friend,” or philos in the original Greek, implies “loved, dear, or friendly.” Primarily used as an adjective, its usage became a noun in both the masculine and feminine genders. The word exudes an intimacy reserved for those who are closest to one’s heart; those who are greatly loved and cherished. It speaks of an affection so vast that there is no depth nor height to which one would go to insure the safety and well-being of another person.
A true friend is the rarest of gems. The intimacy that derives from this person is faceted with unwavering allegiance. There are no limits to which a friend would go for another he loves. His surface sparkles and gleams from the brilliance of the light that emanates from deep within him. The gem of friendship is placed deeply and firmly in its setting, held tight by golden prongs of faithfulness that will never wear out or break. And like the hardness of a diamond, his love for his friends will never be shattered, but will remain eternally unyielding.
Yes, to be called a “friend” by Jesus is more than worthy of my contemplation. He is what I described above - and more. But I am unable to understand the reason He calls me His friend. I rejected Him for so long, refused to obey Him when He called, and treated Him with contempt. And because of all this, I helped put Him on that cruel cross. My sins, so great, nailed Him there. What true friend would hate so much that he would respond to Jesus so cruelly? Yet, He still calls me His friend, and He does so in spite of my unfaithfulness to Him.
He loved me so much, He stepped in to defend me.
He loved me so much, He intervened for me and asked His Father to make me His child.
He loved me so much, He took my sins, ever great before Almighty God, and carried them to the cruel cross.
He loved me so much, He took upon Himself the Father’s wrath that should have been reserved for me.
There, in His precious hands, He loved me so much that He held my sins firmly in the grip of his hands as they were nailed to that tree - and He forgave them.
There truly is no greater love than the friendship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His children. I did nothing to earn it. He did it all through His tremendous display of obedience to His Father, and loyalty and selfless love for me, whom He calls His friend. There are also no other of my friends who can equal what He has done for me. They will fail me, but He will not. And because I know this, I will embrace His friendship, remember it, and in return, I will call Him my Best Friend, forever.
