What would Jesus do for his friend? A friend – one he personally is connected with and cares deeply about. One who is more than just known or seen or heard, but one who is truly considered a friend. For his friend, Jesus woke him up from the dead. He literally gave his friend life again.
The one person listed as Jesus’ friend was Lazarus, and Lazarus had become very sick. Lazarus’ sisters reached out to Jesus in despair to tell him. John 11:3, “So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, ‘Lord, your dear FRIEND is very sick.'” Jesus waits two days after hearing the news, then he travels to him. Verse 11, Jesus said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.”
By the time Jesus arrives to his friend, he’s already been in his grave for 4 days. Jesus demanded they roll the stone away and verse 43 says. “Jesus shouted, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ and the dead man came out.”
This is what Jesus did for his friend. He did the impossible. He went the distance. He brought him out of his grave.
Are YOU a friend of Jesus? Is there a special relationship between you and the Lord?
Do you know that’s actually what God wants for you more than anything else. He wants a RELATIONSHIP with you. He’s not only your heavenly father. He’s not only your creator. He’s not only your savior. But he is your friend.
Somehow that’s the hardest for me to get. How could he WANT to be MY friend? Why would he ever CHOOSE ME as his friend? The truth is, it’s so much easier for me to imagine God as angry, disappointed and distant than it is for me to imagine him as seeking the relationship of a friend with me. Do you feel the same way?
A friend – one you would want to spend time with. A friend – one you want to talk to. A friend – one you find joy in. A friend – one you want nothing but absolute goodness for. A friend – one you will share every emotion with. You can be happy with them, you can be sad with them, you can be excited, you can be quiet, you can be crazy, you can just be real. That’s a friend.
And that’s what God desires of you. Be his friend.
Don’t believe me? Read it for yourself – Romans 5:10-11, “For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”
It’s always fun to name drop. I have a friend who went to high school with Snoop Dog. I have another friend who dated Ricky Schroder from Silver Spoons as a teen. I have none of those great stories. I know no one famous, heck I’ve never even met anyone famous. My name drop game is lame … except for this one. Ready? GOD IS MY FRIEND! That’s right, the maker of heaven and earth is my friend. The one who holds the whole world in the palm of his hand is a friend of mine. And Jesus, well yeah, he died on the cross just so God and I could be friends.
Boom. I just won the name drop game.
And it’s actually true. I’m not making it up. I’m just claiming it. I’m letting it become part of my identity. God is my friend, and I am God’s friend.
It’s true for you too, my sister. Jesus did that for you, all so you could be friends with God.
Now, here’s the really wild part – without Jesus, we were enemies of God. Sin had separated us from our Creator. We couldn’t even come into his presence. There was a thick veil separating us from the presence of God. Only the Priest could enter his presence, and only once a year after sacrifices and atonement. God was untouchable, inaccessible, distant.