Today, studying through the Knowing Jesus by His Names Bible study, I came to the name of Jesus as Friend. There are many names of Jesus that we know about in our minds but don’t experience in reality. As I consider knowing Jesus as a Friend, I want not only to see that it's true but also to experience my friendship with Him.
As I looked up and pondered verses referring to Jesus as a Friend and Scriptures about friendship in general, I could define some of the essence of friendship. My list includes authenticity, honesty, and showing up as earmarks of friendship. Does my friendship with Jesus contain these qualities? This question led me to dig deeper.
Miriam Webster Dictionary defines “authentic” as “genuine, bona fide, meaning being actually and exactly what is claimed.” From this definition, I know Jesus is authentic with me. John 15:15 says, “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” Jesus has never presented us with a false front or a self-serving agenda. He is who He says He is and does what He says He will do.
Am I an authentic friend of Jesus?
This led me to ask myself: Am I an authentic friend of Jesus? Do I talk to Him without propping myself up to look better than I’m acting? Do I appreciate that I can come to Him as I am and that He accepts me? These questions are helping me to open my mind and heart to develop my friendship with Jesus based on authenticity. I need to be real with Him. And in being real, I find comfort and acceptance in His presence, a reassurance that He knows me inside and out.
Another quality gleaned from the Scriptures about friendship is that honesty needs to be in the mix. Proverbs 27 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” It is better to be challenged by a loving friend than flattered by a pretend friend. Jesus always speaks truth to His friends, challenging us to grow, and He does it all in love (Ephesians 4:15). I know Jesus does this for me, but do I welcome and appreciate His truthful challenges? How about those of my other friends? More to ponder.
Lastly, I considered the mark of a friend as one who “shows up.” They’re there. Proverbs 18:24 notes, “A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Even Jesus had an inner circle of friends, and He knows the pain of them taking off when He needs them. Yet, Jesus is the friend who “sticks closer than a brother." In friendship, showing up is essential. Consider Job’s lousy comforters. They physically showed up but forgot to be present with Job in his suffering—which Job needed. Am I showing up for Jesus—being present with my Friend?
Studying Jesus’s name as Friend opened a new paradigm for me to experience with Him. The joy and fulfillment that can come from deepening our friendship are beyond words. This realization has sparked a renewed inspiration and motivation in me to continue to take time to grow my relationship with Jesus as a friend. I expect that growing in this area with the Lord will also help me grow as a friend to others. To God be the glory!
Start your own journey through the Bible study Knowing Jesus by His Names: Growing Closer to Christ Through His Names and Titles.
