My post this time was inspired by a hymn song that I heard when I on my way from the church to my home this morning. “What a friend we have in Jesus” A beautiful well-known hymn song composed by Joseph M. Scriven. Do you have many friends? I am very sure yes you have so many friends. So do I. I have so many friends, even friends from different country. I love make a friendship with everyone. Friends could make my life more colorful, cheerful, and excited. But the question is how many true friend we have? I am pretty sure we don’t have much. When I was teen my mother once said that, “It is so easy to find friends, but isn’t easy to find and have a true friends. There is a difference between ordinary friends with true friends. An ordinary friend could easily come and go but the true friend is someone who always is there in any of our condition. The true friend is someone who could give us encouragement and motivation when we are weak. Could make us feel safe because we know that we are not alone, could be a good listener, strengthen, help, and comfort us when we are in grief. With a best friend we can laugh together, cry, arguing, even quarrelling, but will not leaving each other.”
“What a friend we have in Jesus” remind us that even though we have very best friend, there is a friend above of all. Jesus is an extraordinary true friend that we can find. We may have a very best friend but they are still human being who has weakness. There is a time they could disappoint us but not with The Lord Jesus. He will never disappoint us. Jesus longs to be our true friend and He himself reached out His hand offers a true friendship with us. If to build a true friendship with humans already provide a lot of advantages and benefits, much less if the friendship that intertwined between us and Jesus. He said:
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business.
(John 15:15a NIV)
When I ponder this verse, I felt that I have a very big privilege. “I no longer call you servant” This is the first big privilege. Jesus not places us under Him. Jesus didn’t make a boundary between servant and master. He places us align with Him and made us a His friend. What are other privileges that we can get through making a friendship with Jesus? Let’s have a look together.
Love
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. (Proverb 17:17 NIV)
The Jesus’ love is always shed for us, whatever our condition, because He remains faithful. Jesus understands what became our struggle because He had suffered on this earth and bear all the sins of mankind sins. Jesus is always there for us, although as though He feels away, He is always there in our hearts. And He always listen our complaint and prayers. Anytime we want to confide, He always await us.
Sacrifice
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13 NIV)
Jesus’ sacrifice cannot be doubted. His greatest love has been proven by His death on the cross. He willingly laid down His life to redeem all of our sins. Jesus is a true friend who really loves. We may have best friends but we may not have best friends who willing to sacrifice their lives for our sins. His redemptive work is cleans every sins that we confess before Him. His blood cleanses us and brings up to standard to be able to come into His presence with courage (Hebrews 10:19 NIV)
Closeness
… But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24b NIV)
When Job experience of suffering, all the family and friends left him, and even forget him. But there is one person who never left and forgotten Job, He is the Father in heaven. In our daily lives maybe we once experienced that our brethren left us in misery and at the time a companion even accompany us faithfully. So it is with Jesus. He will never leave and forget us. He always closes to us.
Receptiveness
I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:15b NIV)
Friendships very close with receptiveness. There is no secret story to a true friend. Likewise, Jesus will reveal all the secrets of heaven to us His people. We shall know God’s heart, His messages, advises, and His reprimand because Jesus himself who will tell us. His extraordinary grace will be poured out for us, when we build a friendship with Jesus. He will guide us and show His bright ways to our lives. He will provide the way out for every of our problems.
Trust
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. (James 2:23 NIV)
Friendship contains a bond of trust. When we believe in Jesus, we become His friend and we become people who can be trusted by Him. Trust will lead to the provision of greater responsibility. We see that the Lord gives a remarkable promise to Abraham, and the promise was fulfilled.
Is it difficult to be Jesus’ friend? Let’s see what the Bible say to answer this question. First, have a look to this verse:
The Lord is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant. (Psalm 25:14 NLT)
Fear Him. This first condition that He wants from us to become His friend. What is next?
You are my friends if you do what I command. (John 15:14 NIV)
What kind of God’s command that we should to do? Let’s have a look at verse 12:
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
We will get privilege as Jesus’ friend we love each other as He loves us. Then, what other thing we have to do?
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
(James 4:4 NIV)
This verse clearly says that if we are friends with the world, we will become the enemy of God. This means that we should not be double-minded. We must choose to love God and to be His friend or loved the world and death as the consequences. (Romans 8:6-7 NIV)
I strongly believe that we all want and longing to make Jesus as a true friend and actually it is not difficult to be that way. It all is only depends on us. Whether we want to do all what is commanded by Him? Whether in our daily lives we have already fear Him? Have we loved each other as He loves us? Whether we are still friends of the world and love the worldliness things?
There was an inspiring story about friendship. There were two boys named Zac and Vincent. They were friends. When Zac was 6, he had the acute lymphoblastic leukemia and should take chemotherapy. Vincent as Zac’s best friend realized that the medical treatment for Zac was costly. Then he took the initiative to raise funds to help Zac’s medical treatment. He sold 20 scarves and was able to donate $200 to Zac’s family. Vincent did not stop there, his sense of friendship also shown by coming to school with a shaved head. He said he did not want Zac feel weird having to bald alone, so he too shave his head.
If we make comparison between Vincent in that story with Jesus, Both of them did something for their friend. But Jesus not shaves His hair for us. Jesus did something greater and important than shaving hair. He willing to suffer endured terrible pain because tortured for many hours. He let His body covered in blood beaten and caned, and in His powerlessness He still had bear the cross. His Head wounded punctured with crown of the thorn. And finally He nailed and dead on the cross. For whom Jesus did all of that? For all of us! For what Jesus did it all? For redeem all of our sins! He paid it all of our sins that hinder our way to salvation by sacrificing Himself. Is there a friend like Jesus? If we have friends who are willing to suffer and sacrificing his own life for the sake of our salvation like Jesus did for us? I am afraid in this today world we cannot find a friend like Jesus.
My beloved readers, in His resurrection day, I ask all of us to ponder again where we place Jesus in our life? Whether we have been placed Jesus as our true friend? Or whether our heart are still ambiguous, even choose make a friend with the world? With all that Jesus has done for us, whether we are still hesitating to make Jesus as our true friend? In this Easter day, allow me to encourage all of us to always remember that God always longing and always reached out His hand to be our true friend. Human being still has weakness and limitations but neither to Jesus the Lord. There is a time human could let us down but neither to Jesus. Jesus has proven His perfect love to us through the great redemption work on the Cross. Jesus fulfilled all that was prophesied. In this Easter day let’s again examine ourselves. Have we become a true friend to Jesus? And if we have made Jesus as a true friend, whether we have done all His command? Let’s make this Passover to be a momentum to rebuild and renew our relationship with the Lord Jesus and truly make the Lord Jesus as a true friend. What a friend we have in Jesus. Amen
My dear friends, I, my husband Kevin, and our little precious Andrew says, wishing your Easter is decorated with love, peace, and joy of spring and the season’s blessings! HAPPY EASTER.
For more detailed story about Zac and Vincent please click here:
http://www.today.com/health/little-boy-shaves-head-comfort-best-friend-fighting-cancer-2D11975522
Karina – Living by faith
This post also can read in my other blog at http://karinalam.godinterest.org
Image source: http://www.theendlesslife.org
Rejoice and sing praises to God. For Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, just how he had promised. Here’s wishing a very happy Easter to you and your family. May your hearts be filled perpetually with compassion, hope and love.
Dear Mihran
Amen! Happy Easter to you and your family too. Many love and blessings 🙂
Karina this is a lovely Easter post. What a friend we have in Jesus indeed and I am so thankful for his friendship! Happy Easter to you and your family!
Dear sister T,
Thank you, sis 🙂 Happy Easter to you too. Have a blessed Easter.
Karina, HE is my friend. When I read posts such as yours, I look forward to meeting the friends I most likely won’t know in person on this earth. One day, in our Heavenly Home, we will have all the time in the world to be true friends. Blessings on this Easter Day.
Hello dear,
Amen! Where the time comes we will be true friends. Thank you very much for reading and the beautiful comment 🙂 Have a blessed Easter day.
Karina
What a great post, and I love that song. Blessings to you this Easter Day.
Dear brother in Christ, Wally.
Thank you very much for the lovely comment 🙂 Happy Easter to you.
Hi Karina.
Thank you for a practical but challenging post. I am a friend of Jesus but I want to go deeper. He truly is my Best Friend. A Friend who puts up with a lot from me and a Friend who is very very patient!! 😄
Happy Easter to you, Kevin and little Andrew!!!
Dear brother Rolain,
You are much welcome 🙂 yes same with me. I always want to go deeper and deeper to be a friend of Jesus 🙂 Happy Easter to you too, brother. God bless.
What a wonderful reminder that we are friends with the Lord Jesus! May we continue to choose Him over the world and walk in His truth. I’m so grateful for His friendship! Happy Easter, Karina 🙂
Dear sweet friend, Lauren.
Thank you very much. I am so grateful too to have Jesus as a true friend. Happy Easter, Lauren 🙂 Blessings
He is Risen!
12Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” 1 Cor 15
Dear Scarlett,
Thank you very much for important Bible verses related with the resurrection of Christ. I really appreciate it. Happy Easter to you.
Happy Easter, Karina! Lovely post.
Dear sister in Christ, Anna
Thank you so much. Happy Easter to you too 🙂
You’re right– we can always count on Christ.
Hello there,
Amen! Yes we can always count on our true friend, Jesus Christ. Thank you and blessings.
Wonderful post, Karina! Happy Easter to you and your family!
Dear sister Dawn,
Thank you, sis. Happy Easter to you and your family too.
Beautiful observations, Karina! Your heart can certainly feel the love of God through Christ Jesus. Thank you for sharing it all with us…
~Steve
Dear brother in Christ, Steve.
You are much welcome. Thank you very much for your lovely comment on my post. Happy Easter to you 🙂
You are welcome. I really enjoy reading your posts, they are very well done! God bless you in your work, both in your career and in His service…
~Steve
Thank you for your like of my post, Jesus, “The Gentle Shepherd”
You are much welcome 🙂 Happy Easter.
Really good and timely analysis, Karina! I’ll be spotlighting your post at ufuomaee.godinterest.org tomorrow.
Hello dear,
Thank you so much for reading and for your kindness to spotlighting my post at your godinterest. It was such a great honor to me. Thank you and Happy Easter.
What a friend we have in Jesus, the most wonderful words that we can ever hear, when everyone else seems so far away He tells us come to me you who are carrying a heavy load.
Matthew 11:28 -30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Thanks for sharing Karina, it’s True, people may let us down but Jesus never will. I have been blessed with good friends some I have known for over 35 years and a few longer but I’m always ready to make new friends. I remember that those who are my close friends now were once strangers before they walked into my heart and yes it was the same with my Best Friend Jesus, it’s so hard for me to believe that once I didn’t know Him, that time in my life seems such a waste … yes Karina what a wonderful Friend we have in Jesus….
.
Christian Love in Friendship Always – Anne
Dear sister, Anne.
You are much welcome 🙂 Thank you for always beautifully commenting my post. I always make a new friendship with every one and I also have good friend since childhood. But once again, what a friend we have in Jesus. There is no one can be a true friend like our Jesus the Lord. Jesus is will never disappoint us and He never fail. Thank you for sharing the YouTube link. I will go there ASAP 🙂 Happy Easter to you Dear sister.
Dear Karina, Thank you for your good, solid writing and beautiful personal testimony. Please keep us full of your important work.
Your bro-in-Jesus
Len Gloryteller.
Dear brother in Christ, Len
You are much welcome. Thank you very much for the lovely comment 🙂 Happy Easter to you.
Karina my sister your selfless heart shines brightly through your words. I pray you had a very wonderful Easter also. Your message is so very true! One can always easily see you are a daily part of His love as His love is always a part of you! That relationship you have with God was the same spirit that gave life to this poem… Have a beautifully blessed day!
A Part Of Your Love
My heart delights
as it embraces the glow
it sees in your smile
For it lifts me
filling me with
a joy that stays
And each day I long
for its brightness
to become a lasting
part of my life
For being a part of Your
smiles radiant glow
I know I will always be
‘A part of your love”
Wendell
God bless you and your family always my sister!
Dear brother in Christ, Wendell
Thank you very much such a beautiful poem. It was a honor you wrote a poem as a response on my post. I will copy and save it into my library. Also thank you for your very encouraging comment. Happy Easter to you and your family too. Have a wonderful and blessed day.
Beautiful post Karina! Enjoy the blessings of this Easter season!
Dear sister Lilka,
Thank you, sis 🙂 Happy Easter to you. Blessings.
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Jesus is my King, Savior and best friend
Hello there,
Yes and Amen! Jesus is our King, Savior, an extraordinary true friend. Thank you and blessings.
Jesus, our friend
Oh yeah
Hello there,
Amen! Jesus Christ is our true friend, indeed.
Wonderful thoughts on friends. Many look at Jesus more as a father than as a friend. A blessed father is indeed a blessed friend too.
Regards and goodwill blogging.
Dear brother in Christ, Rudy
Amen! Thank you very much for reading and the lovely comment 🙂 many blessings.
Bow
Hello there,
Thank you for reading my post 🙂 by the way, so sorry I am a bit confuse with “Bow” if you don’t mind, could you describe more the meaning of Bow related with my post? Thank you very much and blessings.
Bow for me is Believing and Honor my friend
Ooh ok. I got it. Thank you for kindness to gave me an explanation 🙂 Blessings.
Bow to you
Thank you for the honor 🙂
Wonderful! Thank you, for reminder us that we have a wonderful friend in Jesus. Not that I needed reminding because Jesus is everything to me, but for those that sometimes feel alone I am sure this was very helpful. May you continue to be a blessing to others.
Dear, Cheryl.
You are much welcome 🙂 Thank you for reading. Amen. Hope and pray that my simple writing could be a blessing to many others. Have a blessed Sunday to you.
Your posts are thought-provoking and beautifully written. Together they would make a wonderful inspirational book. Thank you and blessings. 🙂
Dear sister in Christ, Sheryl.
Thank you very much for you lovely comment 🙂 Blessings to you.
I like the shaved head story very much. It isn’t a cross, but Vince makes a costly identification with his friend Zac. As Jesus made a costly identification with us. Thanks, Karina, for this wonderful Easter post–appropriate for any day of the year!
Elouise
Dear Elouise,
You are much welcome 🙂 Thank you for the lovely response on my post. Blessings.
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Hello there,
I am so honored you nominated me to this award. I really appreciate it! Thank you very much for your kindness 🙂 God bless.