Jesus spoke about friendship in a profound way, particularly highlighting its depth in John 15:12-15. Here, Jesus elevates the concept of friendship from merely being about mutual affection or benefit to something deeply sacrificial and intimate. He says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. 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” .
Three main takeaways from Jesus’ teaching on friendship are:
- Sacrificial Love: The highest form of love in a friendship, according to Jesus, involves a willingness to lay down one’s life for a friend. This reflects the ultimate sacrifice Jesus Himself made, indicating that true friendship is selfless and sacrificial.
- Obedience and Mutual Respect: Friendship with Jesus is contingent upon obedience to His commands, which are rooted in love and truth. This implies that a genuine friendship, especially with Jesus, involves mutual respect and adherence to shared values and truths.
- Intimacy and Sharing: Jesus no longer calls us servants but friends, because He has shared with us everything He learned from the Father. This level of intimacy—where there are no secrets—is a hallmark of true friendship, where friends share their thoughts, experiences, and lives with each other openly.
Jesus’ words underscore the depth and commitment inherent in true friendship, which goes beyond surface-level interactions to involve deep love, mutual respect, and a willingness to sacrifice for one another.
