Slave and Friend

Slave and Friend

May 11, 2025

John 15:12-17

READ verses 12-17

If I threw out the most contentious words, or if I did a word association with you, I wonder what I would get: a positive or a negative response? So, I don’t want you to respond out loud, but what do you think when I say these words? Anger, Jealousy, Hate, Slavery. What do you think when those words are used? Maybe an abusive spouse? An insecure mate? Maybe an uncontrolled racist? Or for slavery, you think of a system of oppression on a minority?

We find these words bitter on our tongues, and if said in a mixed crowd, they bring with them immediate emotional thoughts. We think that these words only have the meanings of hurt and destruction. They would be words that we do not want to be associated with. I am wearing one of those words on my shirt this morning. Anyone want to guess what this says? = Slave to Yahweh.

However, when used how God uses them, we need to change our view. Do you know that God does Anger (Ex 20:5), Jealousy, Hate (yes God does hate in Psalm 5:5;15:8) and slavery perfectly? Each of these words are used by and about God.

But today we are going to focus on that last word, Slave. For generations, that word “slavery” has been the target of the cancel culture before “cancel culture” was a thing. The translators of your Bibles have even done their best to remove its use from the pages before you.

Today, we will use the right words to define our state both before Jesus and after our new relationship with our Savior. We can try and make our Bibles less offensive but that does not change who we are. Truth does not change because it’s hard to hear. The Bible is both prescriptive (tells us what we should do), and descriptive, (telling us what we actually did).

Our position on slavery is:

1.             We are a slave to sin = the harsh and deadly task master that will lead to your death (Before Christ) (John 8:34 “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. )

2.             OR, we are slaves to Christ for our salvation from death. (John 8:34 “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed[1])

Why is it so important to understand this? Because we want to jump to “I am a friend of God” elevating ourselves without understanding the unimaginable work of our Lord in changing our status. Our Lord elevates the relationship making it a privilege to be His slave.

Over the last several weeks we have been studying the word Abide: Sermon #1, True Vine, branches that bear fruit (disciples and those truly of the vine), Branches that do not bear fruit are cut away and burned. In sermon #2 we talked about obedience in abiding through the Word of God.

After the last supper, Jesus is walking with His closest followers. Judas is not here. He is giving the last real message to His true believers. It is an intimate conversation and one that we must approach with our shoes off and in a serious tone. The setting is heavy and serious, and so is the message.

As we start, this section reads with bookends of love. This entire chapter has the undertow of God’s Love, Our Love to Him in response to His love and now the command to love others. For verses 12-17, we see the book ends of love (12 and 17) but what is in the middle tells us why we are loved and why we should love. It describes what a true relationship looks like with Him and other believers.

1.             Our Slavery.

Vs 12: “This is my commandment…”

What would you say if I wanted to be your friend and I came to you and said, if we are going to be friends, you have to do everything I want. That is not a great intro for friendship. But, this is exactly how Jesus starts. Let’s look at what Jesus is saying.

We need our minds right around the word “slave”. I know that you are sitting here saying, My Bible does not say “slave’ in verses 15 and you are making a bigger deal of this pastor. Well, you are right, your Bibles, for the most part, will not say slave. There is a reason, and it is not a good reason.

Early in the 16th (1557-1560) century, the authors (William Tyndale, Theodore Beza, John Calvin, William Wittingham (John Calvin’s brother-in-law), John Knox and several others came together in response to the catholic persecution and set out to get the Bible in the hands of the English-speaking world. So, under great persecution, they translated the Bible into English and gave us the Geneva translation.

Now, we stand on these men’s shoulders, and we must be careful not to be overly critical of their decisions. What they did cost them their lives in most situations, and because of them, we have the Bible in English. But, in their translations, the words “slave” was substituted for servant. The issue is that even over the hundreds of years and translations, no one has seen the need to translate the Greek and Hebrew correctly.

The reason why is that “slave” is offensive especially in our western culture. Unfortunately, man wants to help God out for some reason to soften the edge of the word based on cultural definitions and in response to the vileness of that word “slave”. Because of this, we miss a valuable point that Jesus is really trying to get us to know. When the word “servant” is used instead of “slave,” a heavy weight is missing. When we cut away meaning in exchange of our sensitivities, it’s like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

The reason why the word was changed is found in the definitions:

Servant means: “one that serves others; a person employed for domestic or personal work.

Slave means: a person held in forced servitude; a person who is completely subservient to a dominating influence; a device that is directly responsible to another; a state of a person who is held in forced servitude.

See the massive difference? A servant is something you do. Slavery is something you are. The two are not the same. The servant goes home at the end of the day, the slave does not. Slavery is the destruction of personal freedom, dignity, and identity. Its definition comes with it the image of a slave trade that marked our countries history (along with most others). Think of a cattle auction, and instead of beef, it’s people.

It is no wonder that the translators wanted to substitute the word slave for servant. But, to do that we are missing a critical point! If you look at your English Bible, you won’t find the word slave very often. If you look at the OT in the KJV, you will find the word slave very seldom.

But the Hebrew word for slave (ebed) appears over 800 times as a noun and nearly 300 times as a verb. In the NT you will find the Greek word for slave (doulos) about 150 times in all its forms. But in English, it’s only used a few times, and unfortunately, not here in our passage.

There is a push by some new scholars to put the right word back into our passages but they are pushing against offensiveness of that word “slave.” Why is it so important? Because 2 Tim 3:16-17 says that all scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching.

When we substitute words, meaning is at risk. In our passage today, the risk of missing what Jesus is saying is HUGE!

Vs 15 No longer do I call you servants (dulos), for the servant (dulos) does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. [2]

That word in the Greek is NOT servant! It is 100% slave (dulos). Just like Paul’s writing in Romans 6:16 where Paul’s words are not altered in the ESV:

16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?[3]”

Paul pulls no punches. The slave trader of sin is holding onto the unbeliever’s leash. Sin is standing there auctioning off to the highest bidder those held captive. It is a vivid picture of the oppression of slavery on the person not freed from sin’s chains.

When we read that word “slave,” we must be very careful not to impose our understanding of slavery on what Jesus is saying in John 15. Did you know that God does not abolish slavery or dondemn it in the Word of God? BUt the abuse of it He was very much against. In the hands of a Holy God, it is a good thing.

Jesus does not even address the institution of slavery while doing His earthly ministry. The reason is that we do not fully understand what a Hebrew slave was.

Before I show you this, I am in NO way condoning or accepting or justifying this horrible institution as we understand it. But, in the OT, the institution of slavery was one of protection and care. A Hebrew could sell themselves into slavery to their kinsman to settle a debt, gain protection of someone with means and be provided for. Then in the year of jubilee (7th year), they were required to be set free.

Often, the slaves would fall in love with their masters and choose not to leave. They would pierce their ear as a sign of loyalty and submission to being the slave of their masters until they die. They knew that their masters would care for them for the rest of their lives.

When Jesus used this term, the people of that day saw this in reality. We can’t get our heads around it because of our sanitized cultural view. We struggle with the context of that term “slave” because we bring our disinformation.

But these people had a real understanding of this word because they saw it lived out and experienced it firsthand. Even seeing it, they still referred to their relationship with their God: Mary’s Magnificat with the term “slave.”

They still use the word because they are using it rightly. They actually lived it out and they saw the horrors of it first hand under Rome and still chose to use that word. If anyone had a right to not use that word, it would be them, not us. It was said that in the first century (time of Jesus), 1 in three people were slaves. If anyone should shy away from that word, it was them. Rome did NOT treat their slaves like the Jews treated their own slaves.

Rome’s idea of slavery was anything but good. It was just as oppressive and hellish as we envisioned. And yet, in that context, Jesus uses that word to teach us our passage today. In light of that, Jesus says, I no longer call you slaves. So, Lord, you are saying that I once was a slave? Am I still one?

According to the Word of God, there are two types of slavery:

A. Slavery under man - the most vile and repugnant view of slavery.

B.             Slavery under a just and loving God - the reason to abide.

It’s not like we can avoid this word. There are only two options: slave to man or slave to God. You will say, I am no slave to anyone. Well, yeah you are. If you are not a slave to righteousness, you are a slave to sin. If not in Christ, your master and owner is a heavy-handed task master who is cruel and merciless. At the end of your leash is the oppression of sin.

Go back to that verse in Romans 6

16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?[4]

We are slaves to something. Either of sin that leads to death or obedience which leads to salvation in Christ Jesus. Ten years ago I would have used this example and it would have landed. You are either male or female. There is no in the middle. There are two genders, you are either male or female. Although this is argued today, it still does not change the truth.

With that in mind, you are a slave to one or the other. Slave to man (you and your sin) or you are a slave to Christ. There is not middle ground.

Maybe you are a lifelong Christ follower. Would you describe yourself as a slave to righteousness?

2.             Our Friendship

Have you ever heard that song “I am a friend of God” I HATE THAT SONG. We will not be singing it. Although it may be accurate, it cheapens our starting point. It steps over the fact that I am ALSO A SLAVE! If a slave to Christ, then we are in a saving relationship with God. There are no other options or Plan Bs. This is the way salvation works. That is why I am wearing this shirt. It says “slave to Yahweh.” I would rather us remember our true status before we sing, “I am a friend.”

Are we friends? Well, I hope so. But that should be done very carefully. If we understand our slavery, we would never assume or demand friendship. Envision a man or woman who was in such debt that they sold themselves into the service of a good king. As a personal slave of the king, they knelt at His feet as he swung his feet off his bed. The slave would be there to put the shoes on his feet. The slave would get the robe.

The slave would hand him his toothbrush and walk with him to the great judgment hall. The slave would hand him the cup of water/wine and drink, ensuring that no poison was in it. The slave would hear every conversation, every thought, and every utterance. The slave would follow that king everywhere he went. That slave would know his king more than the king’s own mother.

Would that slave ever stand up and slap the king on the back and say, “Hey man, you really blew that decision?” NO! A slave can NEVER assume the relationship. It is the king who changes the relationship, not the slave! Church, this is knowing your God right, knowing your sin right, and finally, knowing yourself right.

Read 13-17

The words that Jesus use there is conditional on the relationship that we have been studying these past two weeks. There is a huge word “IF” you abide, you are my friends. That word Friend is philos like a true friend is. It speaks of community and abiding in a joint task. This type of friendship is dependent on our abiding. In short, our obedience.

Look back at verse 13: 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.[5]”

In the first century or even today, what master would die for a slave? A master would not die for a slave, but He does die for a friend.

It is very clear who He is talking about. He is talking TO the 11 and referencing what HE is getting ready to do for those who are His true friends. He, Jesus, is telling them the 11 that He is going to lay down His life for those who are called friends. Allow me to be clear, He is talking about the 11 that are true believers. Here is the immediate observations:

a.              He calls those who abide friends. NOT everyone. The application still stands. He is saying that there are friends and then there is everyone else (not friends). It is not universalism.

b.              He is the one who makes them friends, NOT them! Left by themselves at this point, what has the disciples done that would earn their friendship? No slave can make the King be their friend. It is the Master who does that.

c.              Vs 16 : 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit[6] By sovereign grace, God is the initiator, never the responder. God is the Seeker, never the one who is sought. God is the Savior, Man is the one rescued. God is the Provider, man is the debtor. God is the subject and verb, man is the object who is acted upon. From start to finish, every aspect of man’s salvation is of God.

d.              Because He called them, He changed their status from slaves, to friends. It is and was an action of the savior changing the position from a lowly slave to a friend of the Most High.

How did He do that? He did it through the unconditional loving and costly act of laying down His life for slaves for the Glory of the Father. It cost Him everything to change our relationship from those with no value and rights to now being called friends.

Vs 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

The Word of God is God telling you what He is doing. What He is doing is changing the relationship for the believer. Instead of being a slave to sin, we are to be a slave to righteousness. Vs 14 “IF YOU DO what I have commanded” is the qualifier. We don’t stop being slaves when we are saved. We just change who we are slaves to.

We are still slaves, just elevated in title. We are no longer thinking of the negative views of Slavery, rather we are seeing it from God’s perspective. An intimate abiding with the savior. Only a few people get this title in the OT, Moses and Abraham. In the NT only One, Jesus. And now, because of what Jesus did, we too are now called friends.

But, we are friends with an expectation on us. Christ is still telling the 11 and us that we are to be DOING something.

3.             Be the slave to Christ.

VS 16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide…”

I read this and re read this. “You did not choose me.” He in His sovereign plan chose the 11. And He appointed them to their positions as slaves to righteousness and friends. Why? So that they would bear fruit AND that their fruit should abide in Him. This applies to us believers today! We can claim these promises.

Did the disciples bear much fruit? Yes! Peter’s first sermon resulted in 3,000 people coming to Christ. I know that some are saying that I am making it sound like they and us have no say in the matter. No, God does not supersede our will; He precedes our will. Meaning, we are reacting to something that He has already done. When we are born again, our disposition change from self to God. Our wills start to align with His will, becoming Chrsit like.

We are reacting to His calling, His choosing, and His desire to elevate slaves to friends that, if they abide in Him, will bear fruit. We are not just saved, but we are saved for a purpose! That our fruit bears fruit!

I always wondered why He threw this slavery/friendship in the chapter on abiding. But, when we fully understand the weight of our old condition as being a slave to sin, and now we are slaves to righteousness, the natural question is, now what? How do I be a slave to righteousness, Lord?

The answer is that little word “abide.” The word Slave describes the relationship with the One whom God loves, a great love that He redeemed and saved.

Conclusion:

I want you to allow your mind to go with me on this. I want you to imagine the slave trade pictures you saw in movies or even in history books. Think about the darkness that the artists used to capture the gloom of such a horror. Envision the chains, shackles, and the faces of those to be sold.

Now, put yourself in that picture. In your sin, you are not the ones free to observe this horror. In your sin, you are the one in the chains. Your body has been overcome by the damage of sin. Your mind has given itself over to the death that your sin has caused. Instead of you remaining there, the Savior has come into that horror and paid your fees. He came and took your chains off of you, paid the price and has now taken you to be with, rest with, and join with Him. Would you stay on the auction block or go with Him?

John 8:34 “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed[7]”

Guys, I’m going with Him! I want to go to His house, not stay on that auction block. Who is with me? Who wants to come with me as He has taken my chains off? If you do, let’s GO!

Let us be a slave to the Most High and because of that, we are called friend. No more chains, no more death and no more shame. It’s okay to be His slave. It is the only means of your salvation. Be a slave to righteousness. Follow His commands! Abide with Him!