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A Friend of Jesus

"When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple He loved standing there, He said to His mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home." ~ John 19:26-27

Jesus knew that His time on earth would be limited, so when He started His ministry, He chose twelve disciples to walk alongside Him in this journey. Out of these twelve, there were three (Peter, James, and John) that got to experience miracles that others did not.

Jesus knew the ministries each of His disciples would lead, so He invested extra time in these three knowing the leadership roles they would have in the early church. Out of these three men, Jesus developed a special friendship with John. Jesus referred to John as the "disciple He loved", and when Jesus' time on earth came to an end, only John was there, out of all the disciples, at the foot of the cross.

John was a friend who walked with Jesus through thick and thin. Much of John's writings talked about Jesus' love for us, and the love we should show others. Jesus is love, and John got to experience that firsthand in the ministry and friendship he shared with Jesus. Proverbs 18:24 tells us that "there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother", and this is the type of friend John was to Jesus. When Mary watched her Son die on that cross for our sins, Jesus entrusted her to His good friend John.

• What kind of friend are we to Jesus?
• Can he trust us to obey him and stay faithful to him in all circumstances?

• What kind of friend are we to others?
• Do we inspire trust and are we someone who will walk with them through thick and thin?

True friendship is the result of following Jesus' model for love. If we can obey His command to love Him above all else and love others, our friendships will flourish and be God-honoring.

Suggested Prayer:

Dear God, what a beautiful gift it is to have a true friend. Someone you can count on, who will provide words of wisdom, who will pick you up when things get tough, and who will show you the love of Jesus and encourage you to do the same to others. Lead me to those who will be this kind of friend to me and help me to be this kind of friend to others. In Jesus' name, amen.
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~ Crystal B. (www.actsweb.org)

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