John 15:14, 15 - Friend or Servant Relationship?
John 15:14, 15: Friend or Servant Relationship?
John 15:14, 15 (NIV) You are my friends if you do what I
command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not
know his masters business. Instead, I have called you friends, for
everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
John 15:14, 15 (NLT) You are my friends if you do what I
command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesnt
confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you
everything the Father told me.
COMMENTARY PEARL
God wants more than servants. Its true He is worthy of our
unequivocal service; we owe Him our entire lives. But He didn't create human
beings in His image simply so we could carry out orders. Angels and any
number of unknown creatures could do that (Psalm 103:20-21). No, He
wants a relationship founded in love and reciprocated by hearts like
His. We may serve Him, but we aren't simply servants. Jesus calls us
friends.
That's one of the many features that makes the Kingdom of God
an extraordinary environment. All Kingdom citizens are friends with
the King. It isn't an equal friendship, of course, but there are
times in Scripture when God treats it as though it is. He gave Abraham
the right to negotiate with Him and called him friend," wrestled
with Jacob, spoke face to face with Moses as with a friend, and let
David speak to Him in intimate terms and even argue with Him at times.
The Potter and the clay, the Shepherd and the sheep, the Master and
the servant these are true illustrations of our relationship
with God, but they aren't sufficient. By themselves, they are too
impersonal. Clearly God wants the kind of relationship where hearts connect
and converse and exchange ideas and desires and dreams.
Don't squander that relationship. We all need to learn to
serve well, but God doesn't leave you strictly in the role of servant.
He is calling you higher. Its entirely possible that when you
are most focused on obedience, He is trying to draw you into a
deeper conversation on more intimate terms. Express your heart to Him
and listen to His. Ask Him what His deepest desires are - for your
life and for those around you. Like John at the Last Supper, lean
against Jesus and listen to His whispers. He shares confidential
information with those who have learned to love Him well. In so doing, you
begin to fulfill your original design as one made in His image. You
step into the relationship you were designed for. [The One Year
Heaven On Earth Devotional by Chris Tiegreen]
COMMENTARY
Because Jesus Christ is Lord and Master, he should call us
servants; instead, he calls us friends. How comforting and reassuring to
be chosen as Christ's friends! Because he is Lord and Master, we
owe him our unqualified obedience, but most of all, Jesus asks us to
obey him because we love him. [Life Application SB]
Jesus modeled the pattern of a true friendship. This kind of
friendship is rare in our day and age. When Jesus says we are his friend
if we obey Him, He is saying that when we do from habit what we
know His will is, then we may be considered His friend. A person
knows what his friend likes and dislikes. If you habitually do what
the other person dislikes, you can hardly be called a friend. But
this knowledge is given. Jesus says we aren't servants to Him
because a servant doesn't necessarily know what the master is doing.
Jesus told His disciples exactly what He was doing, all that God the
Father had said to the Son. A close friend comes to have an
instinctive response to you, knowing what you are thinking, the direction
you're going. This is the relationship Jesus wants for us. And we can
have this with Him, and with others in His family. If you have no
such friend, ask the Lord and He will send one. [In His Time; Walk
With Wisdom]
ILLUSTRATION
Years ago, when I was first hospitalized after my diving
accident, I dreaded the long, lonely nighttime hours when friends weren't
allowed to visit my ward. So I comforted myself by imagining a personal
visit from another Friend - the Lord Jesus. I was inspired to do that
after reading today's Scripture verse, where Jesus specifically names
His disciples as friends.
I pictured Him coming through the doors of my hospital ward,
walking over to my bedside, and saying, "Hey, friend. What did you learn
in physical therapy today? Was it nice to see your sister at
dinnertime? Anything you'd like to talk about or get off your chest? Tell me
all about it, Joni." Talking with Jesus like that strengthened my
confidence in Him. He became my Friend who saw me through months of dark,
suicidal depression. If you find yourself alone with no friends around,
remember Jesus is your comforting friend. He will support you.
Dear Jesus, even though I can't see You, I know beyond any
doubt that You are with me. Your companionship calms my anxious heart,
stills my racing thoughts, and lifts the dread and worry from my
shoulders. Thank You for being there, ready to talk about things great or
small - or to just hold my hand - at two in the morning. [A Spectacle
of Glory by Joni Eareckson Tada and Larry Libby]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
I am your best friend, as well as your King. Walk hand in
hand with Me through your life. Together we will face whatever each
day brings: pleasures, hardships, adventures, disappointments.
Nothing is wasted when it is shared with Me. I can bring beauty out of
the ashes of lost dreams. I can glean Joy out of sorrow, Peace out
of adversity. Only a Friend who is also the King of kings could
accomplish this divine alchemy. There is no other like Me!
The friendship I offer you is practical and down-to-earth,
yet it is saturated with heavenly Glory. Living in My Presence means
living in two realms simultaneously: the visible world and unseen,
eternal reality. I have equipped you to stay conscious of Me while
walking along dusty, earthbound paths. (John 15:13-15; Isaiah 61:3; 2
Corinthians 6:10) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
Relax in My peaceful presence. Do not bring performance
pressures into our sacred space of communion. When you are with someone
you trust completely, you feel free to be yourself. This is one of
the joys of true friendship. Though I am Lord of lords and King of
kings. I also desire to be your intimate Friend. When you are tense or
pretentious in our relationship, I feel hurt. I know the worst about you,
but I also see the best in you. I long for you to trust Me enough to
be fully yourself with Me. When you are real with Me. I am able to
bring out the best in you: the very gifts I have planted in your soul.
Relax, and enjoy our friendship. (Rev. 17:14; John 15:13-15) [Jesus
Calling by Sarah Young]
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo [old, but one of the best]
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David DeRose, MD, MPH:
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/
ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK
Restoring The Power by Pastor John Bradshaw:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Last Day Prophecy: His Other Sheep by Pastor Gerald Babanezhad:
https://vimeo.com/162267518
