Friend, Slave, or Both
Notes
Transcript
12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
14 “You are My friends if you do what I command you.
15 “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.
17 “This I command you, that you love one another.
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
We know that Jesus tells us to love one another, the same love that He has for us
Jesus also talks of the love that He has for us. that is love is so great, that He would die for His friends,
No love is greater then that.
14 “You are My friends if you do what I command you.
Friends - what does it mean to be a friend?
Friends - what does it mean to be a friend?
In the Greek the meaning of friend, means to be beloved friend
Because Jesus is willing to lay down his life for his friends,
To be a friend means to be loyal, committed to another person.
we as believers are friends of Jesus. In being obedient to him,
we are learning how to do what he does,
and we begin to be conformed to the image of Christ, that as we are friends with Jesus, we begin to transform into his likeness as his people because we obey him.
When you are abiding in Christ it is impossible not to obey His Cmmandments
15 “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Jesus elevates the status of his disciples by letting them know that they are no longer slaves but friends.
And being a friend, to Jesus, you now know the Revelation of God.
Terry story ‘friend”
Because we are friends of Christ, we get to have information from God.
But Jesus says something here. “No longer do I call you slaves......”
No longer a slave
No longer a slave
Jesus says that He would no longer call them slaves. but friends
The word Slave is in the Greek, δοῦλος (dolus)
It is the lowest form of a slave
The Slave is owned by His Master.
Bond Servant/Slave
Bond Servant/Slave
We know that in the opening if Philippians, Titus, James, Peter, and Jude, the word Bond Servant is used (dulos) meaning slave.
So Why did the translators us the word bondservant rather then slave?
So Why did the translators us the word bondservant rather then slave?
The harmful word on slave and Americans view of slavery.
But the word is used in a interesting way.
slavery did happen in America
due to the horrific facts of slavery, the word is not used.
Slavery
Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.
slave masters knew the crimes committed. Because of that they sinned.
the Bible states that we can be slaves to sin.
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.
35 “The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever.
this text does not say bond servant. but dolus is used
dolus is a slave that has dependence on his lord
We belong to the Lord.
So are we slaves to Christ or Friends?
Jesus just said that He does not call us slaves but friends,
??????????
Truth is.....We are both
We are friends of Christ, but we are also slaves because we are not apart from Him, we abide in Him, our master.
Jesus says here that no longer will you do things out of religious order, or religions materialism, but you will do things having a intimate relationship with Christ.
16 “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.
When Jesus says that he choose the disciples and not the other way around,
not only is Jesus saying that he has given them the power to follow him, but he is appointed them to bear fruit.
So again, Our thoughts start to become His.
For Jesus to call his disciples friends it’s in more elevated position, then a disciple
So once we start to be obedient to Jesus Christ and his commandments, there is a joy in that to know that, in being obedient, you are a friend of God.
To be a friend of God....
This is not an idol privilege, but it is a position of huge responsibility .
Remember: To be a friend means to be loyal, committed to another person.
So, when Jesus says, abide in me (meaning to stay,) and He also abides in you.
He is saying that, just as much as we are loyal, and committed to him he will be loyal and committed to us.
The difference is is that he is still Lord.
you have been bought!!
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
you are not your own!
17 “This I command you, that you love one another.
Jesus reminds us to love n another.
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.
19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
we are not alone in this. Jesus warns us that the world will hate you because the World hated Him.
The World love its own, Christ loves His own.
which are you with?
20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
Jesus just tells them that
4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
Jesus places His believers, His friends as part of Him, His body.
So we are Friends of Christ because we obey Him, because of the work of the Holy Spirit. Because of what Christ did on the cross.
We are also slaves to Christ, because we were bought with a Price,
Because Jesus is the true Vine, and we can do nothing independent from Him.
Being a Slave and Friend to Christ brings relationship, joy, peace, and Salvation