A Life of Friendship and Love

In the Upper Room Discourse, Jesus talked a lot about love and friendship. This daily devotional looks at Jesus’ relationship with us.

Nuggets

  • While Jesus is our Master, He is also our Friend.
  • Jesus chooses us to complete tasks to expand God’s kingdom
  • Jesus wants us to love other as He has loved us.

Devotions in the Living Life Connected to Christ series

We talked in the last devotion that the ultimate way to show who are our friends is to lay down our lives for them. Jesus did exactly that.

But first, Jesus changed the tenor of His relationships with the apostles. He was switching them from servants to friends.

That makes sense, doesn’t it? Before, they followed Jesus Who led. Where He said go, they went. What He said to do, they did.

Let’s take a look where it went from there.                       

Let's Put It into Context

Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.

Jesus Is Our Friend

“No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you” (Jn. 15: 15 ESV)

While Jesus is our Master, He is also our Friend.

Jesus was the Master. He knew what plan under which He was working. They didn’t.

But Jesus was now calling them friends. He wasn’t going to be around to physically give marching orders. Plus, they were going to have more input as to whether they were going to accept the mission.

How many times has God said, “Here is your future,” and we’ve said, “Say what?” We just don’t understand sometimes what God’s plan is.

Did you ever stop and think what tone of voice Jesus was using with the apostles here? He is saying some tough words here.

But Jesus also said some comforting words. Just think what you think Peter was feeling when Jesus called him a friend.

We are Jesus’ friend when He is our Savior. Yes, we may mess up and sin. All we have to do is ask for forgiveness, and He will.

Jesus Chooses Us

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you” (Jn. 15: 16 ESV)

Jesus chooses us to complete tasks to expand God’s kingdom

If we were in the upper room with Jesus after all the things He had said, we would have probably been starting to question our worthiness. Jesus stepped up to assure them that it was okay.

Jesus not only tells them that they are chosen even though they will betray Him, but He also says that they will serve Him faithfully. That service will be rewarded.

There were two reasons why the apostles were being chosen. They had already received the commission to “… go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mk. 16: 15 ESV). Jesus knew they would do that and bear fruit.

Jesus also knew that the apostles would imitate Him so that His desires became their desires.

Glossary

We can’t forget that this verse started out with “You did not choose me …” (Jn. 15: 16 ESV). God calls us to salvation. He chooses what mission we are to complete.

We do have our choices, though. Judas chose to betray Jesus after He had chosen him to be an apostle.

Still, Jesus chose Judas as a friend. He played a part in accomplishing the Plan of Salvation.

Scriptures talk a lot about us being fruitful. For example, Paul wrote, “so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1: 10 ESV).

What is meant by saying be fruitful is that we are rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus so that the service we do for God can produce the results He intends.

I almost said so that we are successful in the service we do for God. But I don’t think that is what is always the outcome for what God calls us to.

I think we are called to be obedient in whatever tasks God asks of us. Some might have success. Some might be considered utter failures by the worldview standard.

We are successful if we are obedient to God. Period. End of discussion.

Several places I read said the fruit is spontaneous. Macmillan wrote, “Fruit is the free, unrestrained outpouring of a heart at peace with God, filled with the love of Christ, and stimulated by the presence, and power of the Holy Spirit.”

Resource

So, God really isn’t interested in the tasks. He wants the heart of love.

God really isn’t interested in the tasks. He wants the heart of love.

This love is what abides throughout eternity.

Isn’t that what we were talking about in the last devotion? “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (Jn. 15: 12 ESV).

If love is the foundation of the two greatest commandments, it is logical that love is the fruit that will last throughout eternity.

We want the lasting fruit. We don’t want any fake fruit.

We have to watch how we interpret the “… so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you” (Jn. 15: 16 ESV). We have to remember to hook this back to “… but I chose you and appointed you …” (Jn. 15: 16 ESV).

Jesus wasn’t talking about a prosperity gospel here. He wasn’t saying that we would get every single thing we prayed for.

Paul said it where we can understand it a little better. God will “equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Heb. 13: 21 ESV).

God is not going to call us to do something, and then not see it through with us.

Jesus Loves Us    

“These things I command you, so that you will love one another” (Jn. 15: 17 ESV)

Jesus wants us to love other as He has loved us.

In verse 17, John brings it full circle.

  • Because Jesus loves us as God does, we can abide in His love.
  • Because we follow God’s laws and commandments, we can abide in His love.
  • Because we follow Jesus’ instructions, we can abide in His love.
  • We can love others because we are following Jesus’ example.
  • Following Jesus’ example can extract a high price.
  • Showing our love for others increases our capacity to love.
  • While Jesus is our Master, He is also our Friend.
  • Jesus chooses us to complete tasks to expand God’s kingdom
  • Jesus wants us to love other as He has loved us.

It is all about love. We need to imitate Jesus in the way that He loves.

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Making the Connections

Macmillan reminded us that even believers can get it wrong. We end up doing works because our spirit is wrong.

Resource

We have to watch and make sure we are doing the work that God wants us to do and doing it for the right reasons.

How Do We Apply This?

  • Pay attention to the Holy Spirit as He develops the fruit.
  • Guard against spiritual decline.

Resource

Father God. Thank You for Jesus Who shows us of Your love. Help us to show that love to others. Amen.

What do you think?

Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.

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