Let's begin this study in prayer...
John 15:9-12As the Father has loved me [Jesus], so I have loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
Three studies ago we saw that Jesus Christ was the Majestic Lord and
God through Whom all things were created. As a reminder, let us
consider the following,
Colossians 1:15-20
Now as we reflect upon this last verse and also reflect upon our last
two studies in how through the sacrifice of His Body, the Lord Jesus
Christ saved us from our sins; one can not help but come to realize
that Jesus, the Majestic Lord of all, King of kings is also our
friend. In order to see this a bit more clearly, let us consider what
a friend is.
QUESTION: What is a friend?
Well, according to Webster's New World Dictionary, the second college
edition, a friend is:
1. A person whom ones knows well and is fond of; intimate
associate; close acquaintance.
2. A person on the same side in a struggle; one who is not an enemy
or foe; ally.
3. A supporter or sympathizer.
4. Something thought of as like a friend in being helpful;
reliable, etc.
In order to see that Jesus Christ is our friend, let us just take each
one of the above attributes and expand upon them to see how our Lord
and Saviour fulfills each and every one of them.... OK?
I. A PERSON WHOM ONE KNOWS WELL AND IS FOND OF; INTIMATE ASSOCIATE;
CLOSE ACQUAINTANCE.
A. [HE] KNOWS [US] WELL
In order to see just how well our Lord knows us, let us consider
the following Psalm.
Psalm 139:1-18
In addition to knowing us we also find that,
B. [HE] IS FOND OF [US]
We Find that God is not just fond of us but instead He loves us
more than we can imagine.
Romans 5:6-8
or perhaps put another way,
John 15:13
As it turns out, in addition to knowing us and loving us,
C. [HE IS AN] INTIMATE ASSOCIATE [OF OURS]
We find that not only will Jesus Christ not leave us but through
the Holy spirit, He actually lives inside us. Consider,
John 14:15-21
Notice vs 17 "...be in you."
18 "...will come to you "
20 "...I am in you."
Let us just stop and think about these things.... awesome isn't
it? Consequently, with all the above we find that,
D. [HE IS A] CLOSE ACQUAINTANCE [OF OURS]
Actually we find that Jesus is more than a close acquaintance
of ours for we find that He considers us as His children.
John 1:10-18
Let us now move on to the next characteristic of a friend.
II. A PERSON ON THE SAME SIDE IN A STRUGGLE; ONE WHO IS NOT AN ENEMY OR
FOE; ALLY
A. [HE IS] ON THE SAME SIDE IN [OUR] STRUGGLE [AGAINST SIN & THE
EVIL ONE]
What we find is that in addition to having made the atonement
for our sins and redeeming us from the power of sin, Jesus is
ever present to help us when we come under the temptation to
sin. To see this, consider the following scripture.
Hebrews 2:14-18
Since Jesus is on our side, we find that,
B. [HE] IS NOT [OUR] ENEMY OR FOE
To see this, let us just stop and really consider why He came to
this earth,
John 3:16-17
Consequently we see that,
C. [HE IS OUR] ALLY
Maybe the best way to see this is by reading the following Psalm,
Psalm 23:1-6
The third attribute that Webster listed for a friend is that of being,
III. A SUPPORTER OR SYMPATHIZER
Well as it turns out, the Bible tells us that Jesus fully understands
our needs and hurts. To see this, let us read,
Hebrews 4:14-16
Finally, we find that a friend is,
IV. SOMETHING THOUGHT OF AS LIKE A FRIEND IN BEING HELPFUL; RELIABLE, ETC.
A. [JESUS IS MORE THAN] HELPFUL
As usual, we find that not only is Jesus helpful as the Apostle
Paul states in,
Philippians 4:13
But we actually find that we really can not do anything good
without Him. This is beautifully given to us through the parable
of the vine.
John 15:1-8
And last but not least,
B. [JESUS IS] RELIABLE [AND FAITHFUL]
To see this, let us consider what Jesus said to the disciples
just prior to His ascension into Heaven.
Matthew 28:20(b)
Let us also consider what is written in,
Hebrews 13:8
Given the above, let us conclude with the following thoughts,
Romans 8:31-39
Let's end this study in prayer...
John 15:14-17You 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 to go and bear fruit-- fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.
Read the book by John Sweet, Jr.
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