WHO IS YOUR FRIEND?
“The greatest love is shown when a person lays down his life for his friends”. John 15: 13 L.B.
Many times people inwardly or outwardly ask this simple question: Who is your friend? Some are even quick to say such and such is my ‘friend’. But alas! What do such friends offer to their so called ‘friends’ and what do they get in return? Think of it, they are blessed with sorrow, agony, regrets, disappoints and the like.
However, there is a friend that cannot be equaled or compared with any worldly friend or associate. This friend is tested and proved from generations to generations; He is ever the same, yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13: 8). Circumstances, position, preferment, parish status, marriage, wealth or what have you cannot change this friend from the same loving and trusted position he occupies. This friend is Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is the true vine (John 15: 1). He laid down his life for his friends. “greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15: 13). God became man for the sake of you and I. Jesus the great friend, the Son of God, humbled himself to become man, born in manger, insulted, spat upon and crucified to take the place of his friends, that they (his friends) won’t have to die for their sins; he took your place and mine. He became poor for his friends to become rich, he died for his friends to live and live eternally. The king became a wanderer, condemned and humiliated just because of his friends. Jesus Christ the greatest friend bought heavenly inheritance for them by His own blood; they became co-inheritors, joint heirs with Him and by His love God became their portion (Galatians 3: 13, I Corinthians 15: 56 – 57, Matt. 11: 28, I John 3: 1 – 3 and Psalm 16: 5 – 6).
The Hymn writer says “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief to bear? …Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble any where? Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of cave? Take it to the Lord Jesus Christ: a fried so faithful; In His arms He’ll take and shield his friends, they always find solace with Him.
Testimony abounds of men and women who in the past and even today have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ with their lives, making Jesus their one and only friend and was the better for it. From experience, I boldly affirm that there is no friend like Jesus in this world. Friends in the world will deny you when you need them most (consider Simon Peters attitude to Jesus (Luke 2: 54 ff) Then Peter show cased the friend of the world.
Beloved, who is your friend? I recommend Jesus Christ to you; anytime, anywhere, anyday, any situation, any circumstance, any, any, any…… He is ever faithful, trust-worthy, dependable, reliable, never failing and He is alive forever more.
He stands at the door ever waiting for you to come to Him. (Revelations 3: 20).
I have found a friend in Jesus
He’s everything to me
He’s the fairest of then thousand to my soul
The Lily of the valley, In Him alone I see
All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay.
He tells me every care on Him to roll
He’s the lily of the valley
The bright and Morning Star
He’s the fairest of then thousand to my soul.
Stay Blessed.
Very Revd. Babatunde Ogunbanwo
Dean
Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Sagamu.
