A Chosen Friend
Scripture
You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other.
John 15:14–17 (NLT)
These are the words of Jesus. And here we are reminded that He is not only our Master, but also our friend. Pause for a moment and let that truth sink in: Jesus calls you His friend. The Creator of all things, the Savior of the world, chooses to share His heart and His mission with you.
It’s humbling to sit with that: you didn’t choose Him. He chose you. Before you ever went looking for God, He had already set His love on you. That’s not something you earned; it’s something you were given. You’re loved, called, and chosen, simply because He wanted you. Jesus goes on to say, “I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit.” A few verses earlier in this same chapter, He explains where that fruit actually comes from: abiding in Him. Apart from Jesus, you can do nothing of eternal value.
“The dearest friend on earth is a mere shadow compared to Jesus Christ.”
— Oswald Chambers¹
Every earthly friendship you cherish, no matter how close or loyal, is only a faint reflection of the friendship Jesus actually offers you. Friendship with Jesus means walking in obedience to His will and aligning your heart with the Father’s purposes. As you abide in Him, you can approach the Father with confidence, knowing He hears your prayers and delights to respond when you ask in Jesus’ name.
But friendship with Jesus is not only about closeness with Him, it is also about love for others. “This is my command,” He said, “Love each other.” So today, let the friendship He’s already given you overflow into the next person you meet.
Reflection
- What does it mean to you personally that Jesus calls you His friend?
- In what ways can you remain or abide more closely in Him this week?
- How can your friendship with Jesus overflow into love and service toward others?
Prayer
Thank Jesus for choosing you and calling you His friend. Ask Him to help you abide in His love each day and to bear fruit that lasts. Pray for a heart that loves others the way He loves you.
Footnote
¹ Oswald Chambers, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount (Gideon House Books, 2016).