The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 273

tions c>f bygone :"<'Rl'II ;--&11 fornish enmples of the power and the beauty of friendship even nmongst fA.ulty nnd impc.-rfect bcin11:s, Who is not grnteful for friends? Who wonld be without the.m? Who bas not found friendship a chArm, a stimulus a power in life? Dut whether cRrt.bly friends are few or many, faithful or unkind there is ~ Divine, a heavenly Frieud, whose love is declared to UA by his own lan~uage and pro'l'cd by his own acts nnd sufferings. Christ deigns to call his disciples friends I ' I. CHBIBT18 PBI'ENDSHTP TOWARDS ms PEOPLE JS A WONDERFUL FACT, DECLARED DY Hn.rtlf:LF. 'l'he wonder is apparent when we consider who we are; when we reflect that we are poor, sinful, and helpless beings, who could not, apart from bis assurances vent1Jre to claim or to hope for the friendship of Christ. For who is he? Jesus is not merely the best of beings ; he is the Son of God, It is b11rd for us to l'Calize that ., God is Love." But in the Person of Christ the eternal and supreme Lord comes down t.o our level, walks our way, dwells on our earth, reveals to us his love. He is the Friend, the Well-wisher, of sinners; he is the Friend, in a fuller sense, of those who know and love him. If this is a wonderful truth, it is al~o a delightful truth. IL CH111ST 1S FRIE))o"DSIIIP I8 PROVED DY HIS INTlMACY AND HIS CONVERSATIONS, Men's talk with one another oft.en indicates their relationship. There is conversation which is ordinary and C&Sual, and there is conversation which is confidential and inti:. mate. There is the speech of acquaintances, upon common subjects; there is the speech of the mast.er to the eerv11.nt, conveying orders; there is the speech which ie distinctive of close and aff'ection11.te friendship, t1pon matters of persona.l interest and concern. Now, the intimacy between the Divine Father and the Divine Son is of the most confidcnt.ial. and nnreserved nature. The Son is "in the bosom" of the Father, i.e. is in possession of the counsels and feelings of his mind; he is " one" with the Father. It is very observable that, according to our Lord's own declaration, he, having perfect knowledge of the Father's thoughts, communicates those thoughts to his people. As the Father h~ no secrets from the Son, so the Son has no secrets from his disciples, This is a conclusive proof of our Lord's friendship for us. He makes known to us" al~ things" which the Father purposes that bear upon our salvation and eternal life. This accounts for the unexampled power of our Lord's language, its sublimity, its tenderness, its authority. The words of the Redeemer are the communications of his friendship; the tokens of his brotherly love. 'l'o the unspiritualand unsympathetic, Christ's words are now, as they were when they were first spoken, uninteresting and without value. But the true friends of Jesns feel their sweetness and their might; applied by the Spirit of God, they are the lessons, the counsels, the promises, of a Divine and faithful Friend. How could he bett~ prove his friendship than by revealing to us .in bis words the thonghts and the purposes of the Father's heart? There is one way even more effective, and this our Lord describes. ill. CHBIST's FRIEl\"DSHil' 1B FUBTHEB PROVED DY HIS SELF-SACRIFICING BENEVO- LENCE. Self-denial is a recognized element in true love and friendship. Men are found willing to give up m<n1ey, time, rank, etc., for the benefit of their friends. But it is the highe..t proof of love when one is found ready to resign life to secure the life of a friend. "Peradventure for a good man one would even dare to die." This is the proof of self- sacrificing friend&bip which the Lord Jesus was resolved to give, He laid down his life for the sheep. " Greater love hath no man than this, that a. ma.n lay down his life for his friends." Jesus not only gave us knowledge by his teaching; he gave us salva- tion by his death. This willing sa.crifice was in order to win our hearts, to make us hie friends in.deed, to bring to bear upon onr nature a spiritual principle and power, to bind UB to himself for ever by the chains of gratitude and devotion. IV. CHRIST'S FRIENDBHil' 16 PROVED BY BIB WHOLE DEMEANOUR AND BIB WHOLl!I TREATII.ENT OF us :NOW THAT HE RAS ASCENDED, In his ministry he taught us, by h41 death he saved us, in his mediatorial life be blesses us. He is a sympathizing Friend, touched with a feeling of our infirmities. He is a forbrnring and patient Friend, who is not repelled by the imperfect response he meets with on our part. He is a. ,practical and helµful Friend. who expresses bis friendship in deeds and spiritual ;ministrations. Be is an unchanging and eternal Friend. " Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? "-T. Vc-rs. 12-15.-01,r friendsliip for Cl,rW,, Friendbhip is a relation between two tm, xv. 1--27.] 'l'fIR GOSPRL ACCORDING TO 81'. ,JOHN.