"BEST FRIENDS!"

JOHN 15:12-17

A real friend is someone who knows all about and doesn't tell anyone. A real friend is someone who knows the worst about you and still loves you. A real friend is able to take all there is of you, to gently sift it like wheat, to carefully blow away the chaff and to keep the grain. There are acquaintances, there are fair-weather friends, there are good friends, and there are best friends. Jesus Christ fills that last category to a "T!" Henry Van Wesep tells of a woman, we'll just call her Maggie, whose rather drab and mundane life was brightened by a "secret friend" who remembered her birthdays and anniversaries, and in other ways filled the days with sunshine. This secret friend is a paradigm of the kind of friendship Jesus Christ wants to share with each of us. There are some truths we ought to consider in regard to our friendship with Jesus. As our Best Friend:

• HE KNOWS HOW TO LIFT OUR SPIRITS:
• Jesus had a way of knowing when His disciples needed cheering up and encouraging.
• Matthew 9:2 "And behold, they were bringing to Him a paralytic, lying on a bed; and Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, 'Take courage, My son, your sins are forgiven.'" When we are crushed by the onus of guilt, Jesus has a word of cheer for us.
• The disciples were on the Sea of Galilee and saw Jesus walking to them on the water and were afraid. "But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.'" Matthew 14:27. When we are in fearful situations, Jesus speaks calm to us.
• Just before Paul was shipwrecked, "the Lord stood at his side and said, 'Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.'" Acts 23:11. When we are doing His will and suffering for it, He has a word of hope for us!
• Jesus described His mission while reading from Isaiah in the synagogue. He said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are downtrodden, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord." Luke 4:18-19. The King James has the phrase, "to heal the broken-hearted."
• Does Jesus know when you are tired to the marrow of your bones? Does He care when you feel like giving up and yielding to despair? Does it matter to Him that life has you backed into the corner and is hammering you mercilessly? Is He moved when you feel like you've gone a few rounds with George Foreman?
• The answer, of course, is a resounding "Yes!" And not only does He know and care, but He knows how to lift our spirits:
• To the weary He says, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.
• To the desperate and defeated He says, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." John 16:33.
• To those who are beaten and battered, He says, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?" Romans 8:31.
• To the penitent He says, "I do not condemn you; Go and sin no more!" John 8:10-11.

Though Maggie received frequent expressions of love from her secret friend, her joy in life was blighted by a growing animosity toward a formerly close friend we will call Esther. Some misunderstanding had separated them. Well, as time passed Maggie became more antagonistic and sour toward Esther. She criticized and maligned her and snubbed her in public whenever they met. What a grief she brought to Esther's heart. How often Jesus experiences the barbs of pain from those who ought to love and serve Him. Though He has been our Best Friend:

• WE HAVE OFTEN BROUGHT HIM GRIEF:
• When Jesus walked with His disciples, I think he must often have had to shake his head in wonderment at their little faith, their slowness to learn, their stubbornness, their pride, and their immaturity.
• When the disciples thought Jesus would sleep on while the boat sank during a Galilean storm, He said to them, "Why are you timid, you men of little faith?" Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and it became perfectly calm. Matthew 8:26.
• When the disciples could not cast a demon out of a boy, Jesus said, "O unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me." Matthew 17:17.
• Looking over Jerusalem, Jesus lamented, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling." Matthew 23:37.
• When He went into the garden to pray just before the cross, His trusted companions fell asleep! He said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?" Matthew 26:40.
• After the resurrection, He walked on the road with two men who were despondent about His death; they did not recognize Him and he said, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!" Luke 24:25.
• Now, we're not going to be negative and beat up on anybody, but let's be honest with ourselves.
• Our society grieves Him:
• Life is cheapened by abortion, assisted suicide and children shooting children, and He is grieved.
• Sexuality is cheapened by pre and extra marital sex and by homosexuality, and He is grieved.
• Marriage is cheapened by easy and irresponsible shirking of wedding vows, and He is grieved.
• We are more concerned with being politically correct than morally and ethically correct, and He is grieved.
• Children grow up not knowing right from wrong because society doesn't believe there is an absolute right, and He is grieved.
• Even His disciples bring Him grief:
• Do we panic and act like Jesus doesn't know, doesn't care, and isn't in control?
• Do we forget His blessings and, facing difficulty, think we will have to do without what we need?
• Do we let Him down when He has trusted us to be faithful?
• Do we fail to comprehend the lessons He wants to teach us because we are slow to learn?
• If you answered "yes" to those questions, and I speak the truth in love, then you bring grief to His heart.
• When Jesus went to pray in Gethsemane He said to His disciples, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death;" Matthew 26:38. The grief He felt was not because He would die, but because of the sins and failures and unfaithfulness of those He loved which He would take with Him to the cross.

Though they had been good friends, Esther was grieved by Maggie's hostility. After a few months Esther died. In spite of the longstanding bitterness, Maggie thought common decency required that she make a neighborly call and help the grieving husband straighten up the house. In the process of aiding him, she came upon an unmailed letter addressed to her. She couldn't believe that Esther would have any reason to write to her. But perhaps it was a rebuttal of all the things she had said; perhaps it was a defense of her character; perhaps it was a rebuke for the insults and snubbing. Opening the letter, Maggie discovered, to her utter shame, that the secret pal who had brought such encouragement to her life across the years was really Esther, the one she had maligned, snubbed and misjudged! But in spite of that, the lovingly done acts continued until Esther died. Though we have sinned, He has mercy, grace, forgiveness and unaltered kindness toward us. As our Best Friend:

• HE HAS ALWAYS SENT US EXPRESSIONS OF HIS LOVE:
• See how kindly He treated others in spite of their failure.
• To Judas, in the very act of his betrayal, Jesus spoke as if he were a friend.
• He prayed that God would forgive those who crucified Him.
• After Peter had denied Jesus three times, he was still given a place of service.
• Though Saul of Tarsus had dedicated his life to destroy the church, and who had participated in the murder of Stephen, Jesus called him to be an Apostle.
• Though we may not be aware of His love, He has never ceased or failed to express it. The old song says, "On the wings of a snow-white dove, He sends His pure, sweet love." Better than that, though, He has sent His love on the arms of the cross!
• He has loved us with an everlasting love, an unconditional love, an unselfish love, an unfathomable love, an immeasurable love.
• We can say with the Psalmist, "The Lord has done great things for us; We are glad." Psalms 126:3.

After Esther died, Maggie sadly regretted that she harbored resentment toward the very person who actually had been her best friend; but it was too late to seek Esther's forgiveness. The saddest words of tongue or pen are these: "It might have been." Maggie might have been a good friend to Esther. They might have been in close and amicable relationship. They might have been able to share joys and sorrows; peace and pain -- but no! Maggie's sullen and misguided rejection made that impossible; and then it was too late to rectify it. Jesus offers His friendship today; some will reject it. Some will go on grieving Him. Some will one day have regret for what might have been but can never be. Hosea said, "... it is time to seek the Lord Until He comes to rain righteousness on you." Hosea 10:12. It is time -- and while there is time -- establish your relationship with Jesus Christ. He is ready to be your Best Friend. He becomes that when we obey Him as Lord and trust Him as savior. Will He save you in your sins? No way! Will He save you from them? You bet! Will He save you if you indulge, excuse and continue in sin? Never! Will he save you if you forsake those sins? Every time! Oh what a friend!

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