According to Facebook, I have 125 “friends.” I know, that in the Facebook world, that’s not a lot of “friends” . . . and I’m only mentioning it ’cause that’s what Facebook says. I’m not a really engaged “Facebook-er” . . . I don’t post . . . other then when I post to my devo blog . . . I’ll chat occasionally . . . I’ll send messages . . . and every so often I might even “like” something. But mostly I just leverage Facebook to keep tabs on “my friends.” 125 “friends” . . . really? 300 . . . 400 . . . 500 . . . 600 “friends” . . . is that even possible? I guess there are “friends” and then there are “friends.” But I wonder if, in the world of Facebook, we haven’t cheapened a bit what it means to be “a friend.”

“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)

Now there’s a “friend request” you don’t want to decline . . . Jesus telling His disciples that He calls them friends . . . how amazing is that? He was their Teacher . . . He was their Master . . . He was being recognized more and more as their Lord . . . and now, as He instructs them for the last time before heading to the cross, He calls them friends. And what makes them friends? They know what Jesus is doing . . . they’re being let in on what Jesus knows . . . they’re being schooled in the things of the kingdom . . . and as such, Jesus calls them friends.

What a thought . . . to be the friend of Jesus. And it’s not just that every so often He’ll post something on “my wall” . . . or comment on something I’ve posted. No, instead it is about intimacy . . . about getting really real . . . about imparting to us His mind through the Spirit via the Word . . . and about knowing us from the inside out . . . our thoughts . . . out motivations . . . our highs . . . our lows. It’s not played out on some public forum for all our other “friends” to follow along with . . . instead, mostly it’s played out in the quite times . . . when we’re One on one.

Oh, that Jesus would call me His friend should cause me to pause and reflect in awe and wonder. Me . . . once dead in trespasses and sins . . . once an enemy of God . . . now a friend of Jesus. Not because of who I am . . . not because of what I’ve done (actually despite of what I’ve done) . . . but because of who He is . . . and because of what He’s done . . . and because of grace immeasurable.

We don’t “friend” Jesus . . . He “friends” us (John 15:16). It’s not His privilege to be added to our list . . . it is our eternal blessing that our names have been written in His Book.

I can draw near as I would to a friend . . . and He draws near to me. I can confide in Him as to a friend . . . and He comforts and gives a peace that passes understanding. I can boldly approach His throne as a friend . . . and He welcomes me into His presence. And though He calls me friend . . . I call Him Savior and Lord.

What a friend we have in Jesus . . . amen?