A Friend Like Jesus

Friends are an amazing part of life. Our society and culture has changed so much. Growing up I knew most of my neighbors (including which ones to stay out of their yards.) Our two closest neighbors it was nothing to knock on their door and ask to borrow a cup of sugar, or butter, or my most embarrassing a roll of toilet paper. And for them to come knocking on our door if they needed anything.

Now we live in a world of fast paced, temporary, superficial, and artificial relationships. We lived in Wichita for five years before some of our neighbors even got close enough to learn their names.

People pay lots of money to buy followers, friends, and likes on nearly every social media site.

An old farmer was questioned in court about an election scandal.

"Did you sell your vote?" the attorney asked.

"No sir, not me," the farmer protested. "I voted for that there fella 'cause I liked him."

"Come, now," threatened the attorney. "I have evidence that he gave you fifty dollars for a vote."

"Well, now," the farmer said, "it's plain common sense that when a fella gives you fifty dollars you like him."

How much are your friends worth? Sometime ago a lady in Germany filled up with gas but then realized she didn't have enough money to pay the bill. She asked her friend to stay behind as a human deposit while she went to withdraw some more cash. Unfortunately, the woman did not return. For two hours the friend was left waiting with the gas station attendant until the police questioned and finally released her.

Obviously the driver didn't value the worth of friend. Our text contains two great truths about friendship:

The Requirement for Friendship - "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly." The Reliability of a Friend - "And there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." A true friend will stick by you in good times and in bad. - I think this verse describes the friend we have in Jesus to a "T"

Jesus showed himself friendly by His Coming to us.He took it upon himself. We couldn't save ourselvesHe didn't have to leave his heavenly splendor to come to this sinful place - but he showed himself friendlyWe couldn't get to Him - So He came to us. He condescended to where we are - to who we are. Condescend - to voluntarily descend form the privileges of superior rank, to do some act for one who is an inferior. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:5-8).He came to us - condescended - showed himself friendly.

Showed himself friendly by being a friend to sinners - Mark 2:15-17 (KJV) 15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? 17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. It is amazing how much Jesus showed himself a friendly even in his teaching. Listen to these verses and notice the friendly tones even when the message is not friendly. In the parable of the vineyard, when the work was done and the workers came to collect their pay, a discrepency broke out listen to how Jesus answered this - Matthew 20:13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? In the parable of the wedding garments - one came in without a garment and in fact refused to wear the garment, listen to how Jesus answers him. Matthew 22:12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. On the night of Jesus' arrest, Judas one of his disciples betrayed him, how does Jesus respond?Matthew 26:50 And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus and took him. Yes Jesus showed himself friendly and he :He loved them

KJV John 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

Jesus showed himself friendly - by being a friend of mine - A Christian lady visited a young girl who was blind. The lady taught her to read the Bible in Braille

"I went into her room one morning, and before I had time to reach her hand and let her know that someone was present, I found her speaking to Christ about the verse which she had just spelled out, 'Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you' (John 15:14). Lifting her sightless eyes to the Lord, she said, 'Oh, I like to hear You say that! You only told me before that You were my Friend, the sinner's Friend—I did not know that we were friends of Yours.'"

Isn't it wonderful to know that if we do those things which He has told us to do, He calls us His friends?

Walter B. Knight, Knight's Master Book of New Illustrations, (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1956), s.v. “Friendship,” WORDsearch CROSS e-book.

Joseph Scrivner penned that comforting hymn which happens to be a favorite of my wife , "What A Friend We Have In Jesus."

Mr. Scrivner knew what it was to be estranged from family. He knew what it was to experience great loss. The night before his marriage his fiancé accidently drowned. And yet Bro. Scrivner knew about a friend that sticks closer than a brother. A friend he could pour his heart out to. A Friend who understood his tears, and the language of them.

No wonder he could write:

"Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?,

Take it to the Lord in prayer;

In His arms He'll take and shield thee,

Thou wilt find a solace there.

He's A Friend To SinnersHe's A Friend of MineThere's No Friend like JesusThere's no friend like the lowly Jesus the songwriter wrote. Another said, "What a precious friend is He"

An early Christian during the time of intolerant Roman emperor's was threatened with banishment if he did not give him his faith in Jesus Christ. His reply, "Me thou canst not banish, for the world is my Father's house."

Well then said the Emperor, "I will take your life"

Nay , but thou canst not, sire, for my life is hid with Christ in God."

The Christian was no doubt drawing from, Luke 12:4 where Jesus says, "And I say unto you MY FRIENDS, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. "

Then I will deprive thee of thy treasures, retorted the Emperor.

I have no treasures that thou canst seize, for my treasure is in heaven, and my heart is there.

Well I will drive thee away from man, and thou shalt have no friend left.

Nay, thou canst not" replied the bold and faithful witness, "For I have a Friend in heaven, from whom thou canst not separate me.