A Friend of Jesus
“When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the
disciple he loved, he said to her, ‘Dear woman, here is your son.’ And he said
to this disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from then on, this disciple took
her into his home.”1
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 perhaps 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 trusted 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 friend to me and help me be this friend to others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
1. John
19:26-27 (NLT).
Today’s Encounter was written by: Crystal B.
All articles on this website are written by
Richard (Dick) Innes unless otherwise stated.