The Gospel of John: John 15.9-17

Read and meditate on John 15.15, 16.
Jesus has made us His friends. And by a special means, and for a special reason.

¹⁵“No longer do I call you servants, for
a servant does not know his master’s work;
but I have called you friends, for all things I
have from My Father heard, these also I
have made known to you. ¹⁶You did not choose Me,
but I chose and appointed you to be
My friends, and bear much lasting fruit, that all
you ask the Father in My Name, and call
on Him to do, He will.”

- John 15.15, 16

Reflect
1.  Jesus did not call His disciples servants, but friends. What’s the difference? What are the implications of this for you as a follower of Christ? Complete this prayer: Thank You for calling me Your friend, Lord. Help me to demonstrate that friendship by…

2.  Since we are Jesus’ friends, we know what He’s up to, as He reigns at the right hand of God the Father. Meditate on Psalm 110 and John 14.1-4. What in heaven is Jesus doing on earth? How should this affect the way we live (Matt. 6.33)? Let my life today, Lord, be a means whereby You…

3.  Jesus entrusted His friends with a very precious mystery – the will of God the Father. How did Jesus make this precious gift known to His disciples? How does He make it known to His friends today? What does He intend His friends to do with this gift? Meditate on Matthew 25.14-30. How can we know when we are being good stewards of the will of the Father? Help me today, Lord to use the gift You have given me to…

4.  Jesus stated emphatically that He chose His disciples to be His friends. They did not choose Him. What did He mean by this? Is this true of us as well? Explain. Thank You for choosing me, Lord, because I…

5. Why did Jesus choose His disciples? What are Jesus’ friends for? How does Jesus expect us to show that we are His friends? What can we do to help make sure this is consistently true of us? Bring together into one your prayers from questions 1-4.

Summary
Since, therefore, he has given us power to become the children of God, let us not be servants but children, so that, in some wonderful and indescribable but real way, we may as servants have the power not to be servants. Let us be servants, indeed, with that virtuous fear that distinguishes the servant that enters into the joy of his lord, but not servants with the fear that has to be cast out and that characterizes one who does not abide in the house forever.” Augustine (354-430 AD)

What are friends for? Well, if you’re Jesus’ friend, your purpose is to bear fruit. What are the greatest obstacles to a life of consistent and increasing fruitfulness for the Lord?

Closing Prayer
Trust in the LORD, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring itto pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.

Psalm 37.3-6

Psalm 37.1-6 (Neumark: If Thou but Suffer God to Guide Thee)
Let not the wicked make you worry;
Envy not those who break God’s Word.
Like dying grass will they be sorry,
And fade like every dying herb.
Trust in the Lord and do His will;
Dwell in His grace, be faithful still.

Delight yourself in God’s salvation;
He’ll give you all your heart’s desire.
Commit to Him your every station,
And His good purpose will transpire.
Your righteousness a blazing light
He will bring forth against the night.

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series IV a and b: John, edited by Joel C. Elowsky, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Verse translation of John by T. M. Moore.