Jesus spent intimate time with his disciples before entering the ordeal on the cross. During these hours with those closest to him on this earth, he blessed them in a powerful way:

I no longer call you servants, because a servant no longer knows his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

No more merely servants, grown beyond student, these mentorees discovered a friendship with Jesus.

A friendship reveals deeper levels of relationship. I talk with friends with an ease and comfortability I shy away from with others. As I person who guards his comments with most people, a friend allows for an open dialogue. Trust can be counted on.

Jesus opens this friendship to his disciples today. I speak to Jesus, and I listen for Jesus as well, because as a friend he has things to say to me. I bring my frustrations and my excitements, heartaches and joys without holding back.

In my prayers, I approach Jesus without worrying about saying all the proper words—because there’s no need for formality with a friend.

John 15 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Harli Marten