Now You Are My Friends

Meditations for Ragamuffins

July 21, 2023

Now You Are My Friends

“He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

John 21:5a NIV

Soon after the resurrection of Jesus, Peter and several disciples left Jerusalem and returned to Galilee and their former lives as fishermen. After fishing all night and coming up empty-handed, they returned to shore. That is when Jesus called out to them from the beach, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” These are the same disciples who fell asleep in the olive grove called Gethsemane after Jesus had asked them to pray for him. These are the same disciples who denied knowing Jesus and scattered into hiding after his crucifixion. Jesus had already appeared to them after his resurrection; he had already eaten with them and commissioned them to take the Gospel to the world. But they were not watching and praying; they were fishing, and not very well. On the beach that morning, no other person would have called them friends. However, Jesus did. Why? Jesus wasn’t enabling their bad behavior; he was affirming their truest identity: “I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me” (John 15:15).

Three times in John 15, Jesus calls us his friends. This word “friend” gives me pause to examine my life for evidence that I have more than head knowledge about Jesus. Do I live my life in the reality of a relationship with Jesus? If so, is that relationship more like boss and employee or servant; or do I hear him call me friend?

My Takeaway: Our friendship with God is the heart of the Gospel of Grace so eloquently proclaimed by Paul.  Today, learn to rest in the wonder of God’s affection for you: “So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.” (Romans 5:11).

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.