‘No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends…’ (John 15:13-14a)

We are at the Last Supper.  The disciples know things are about to crash.  There’s great tension and fear in the air.  Everything Jesus says captures their most intense focus.  They are worried for Jesus and for themselves.  If He’s captured, who will take care of them?  If He’s killed, will they be next?  During this time Jesus says some very profound and simple things.

An example of keeping profound and simple in tension in today’s scripture: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

For many years I didn’t like the song that began with these words: “What a friend we have in Jesus…” I thought that calling Jesus our friend diminished him and that such sentiments were undignified.  I have repented of being a song-snob.

When Jesus asked Peter and Andrew to follow him, they didn’t think He was the Messiah, the Son of God, or the Second Person of the Trinity.  They thought of Him as a new and exciting friend.

When Jesus chose the rest of the twelve, He was choosing them to be His followers, yes, and He was also choosing them to be His friends.  The human Jesus wanted the support and encouragement friends can give.

We, too, need friends.  I think it can be harder to make friends the older we get.  We have less time.  We feel preoccupied with life and work, duties, and responsibilities.  But we never stop needing friends.  Never.

“What a friend we have in Jesus.”  I now really like the song.  I sing it a lot.  I often need to sing it because I get lonely.  I need the friendship only Jesus can give.

I encourage you to sing the song.  If singing the song makes you cringe because you are a “song-snob,” may I invite you to get over it.  If Jesus says that He wants to be our friend, who are we to deny Him?

Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and Jesus also wants to be our best friend forever. May we always remember and treasure that there’s no better friend we could ever have.

Reflection Questions:

1. Have you sung the song yet? Or, let me ask the question this way:  Is Jesus your friend?

2. Next Question: What kind of friend are you to Jesus?  Loyal? Trusting? Honest?

3. If you truly believed that Jesus was your friend, your best friend, a friend who would never leave or forsake you, a friend who would always forgive you and love you, a friend who would come alongside you in good times and bad, how would your life be different?