Jesus in His Relationships - Jesus and His Disciples (Daily Devotional)

Shalom and it is wonderful to have you here join us for a series of Living Supernaturally as we look into a series of Jesus in His relationships. We hope and pray that this is a blessing and that we will be mindful in our relationships and be to people around us like how Jesus was in His earthly life. Today, we are focusing on yet another one of His relationships: Jesus and His disciples and we see one of the biggest aspects of that relationship was true friendship. In John chapter 15, verse 15, it reads, ‘I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.’ We will agree that friendship is one of life’s greatest gifts. We long for people who will walk alongside in our lives journey and stand with us at times of joy and maybe at times of struggle also. Yet, friendships in our world often really fall short. They can be shallow, self-centered and something that easily breaks. But when we look at Jesus, we see a different kind of friendship. He just didn’t call His disciples ‘servants’ or ‘followers’. He called them friends. This title really reveals something about the heart of God. Friendship with Jesus was always based in love, in honesty and in investing. As we reflect on Jesus’ relationship with His disciples, we are invited to learn what it means to build true Christlike friendships. These are relationships that should go beyond just convenience but something that should bring life, encouragement and growth. Jesus shifts how the disciples see themselves. They no longer were just followers carrying out instructions, they were called friends which means He invited them for a deeper friendship and this meant intimacy, trust and shared knowledge. He was never distant but He shared His heart with them, He shared what He had in mind and this was often radical because rabbis of that time usually maintained strict distance between them but we see how Jesus closed that gap. He showed that the kingdom of God is relational at its very core. We see that Jesus’ relationship was never shallow. He walked with them, ate with them, lived life with them, spent time with his disciples, He taught them, corrected them, entrusted them with His mission and prepared them to continue it on and ultimately, we see that He demonstrated sacrificial love by shedding His own life. Jesus shows us that real friendship is much more than companionship. It is about sharing life and love. Friendship means being open and honest just as Jesus revealed the Father’s heart. Who are the people that God has placed in your life? How can you deepen those friendships? Not just for fun but for spiritual encouragement and growth. Do you think your friendship reflects the same kind of love that Jesus showed, patience, honesty and self-giving? We are reminded that Jesus Himself calls us friends and invites us to be in an intimacy with Him, where we can share our hearts openly and receive His wisdom and love. Let’s pray together, Heavenly Father, thank you for what you have modeled in your relationship with your disciples where you showed patience and sacrificial love. Teach us to love others, people you have kept in our lives as our friends that we would love them like you loved- selflessly and with unconditional love. Thank you for calling us your friends and for building intimacy with us, in Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

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