I was recently reading in the book of John – Chapter 15… most of us are familiar with the description of Jesus as the vine, and us as branches – it’s an engaging example.  I love the reminder that it’s only through Jesus that I can accomplish anything!  But right after that, in the same chapter, Jesus goes on to talk about being our friend: 

John 15:11-15

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 

Jesus says, “You are my friends…”!  Seriously? The Creator of the Universe, the very Word of God is my friend???

When we have an important friend we want to tell everyone!

When I was in my late 20’s, I was a bank manager.  At that time my step-father was the President of a company where I lived in Alexandria, Virginia.  And in Alexandria the mayor was a part time gig – and my step-dad hired the mayor at that time to use his extensive network of connections to help promote his business.  Jim and his wife were friends of my parents, and were even part of our family Thanksgiving one year.

As a bank manager, part of my job was to be an active part of the community where my branch office was located, which meant attending fundraisers, chamber of commerce luncheons, and local community events.  And guess who I ran into every once in awhile?  Yep! Our family friend, Jim!  Only he wasn’t the mayor anymore, he had become our U.S. Congressman!  I really liked being able to tell people I knew him, and he always took time to talk to me, and to ask about my career and how my family was doing. Somehow I felt like I was important because I knew someone important!  

And it makes me ask myself: What made it easy to tell everyone I knew a congressman, but not so easy to tell people I know Jesus?

Why wouldn’t we share such amazing news?

Here’s a silly example: My family and I are enjoying a meal at a restaurant.  So let’s just say while I was eating, I found diamonds in the coleslaw! (Let’s just say I’m smart enough to know they are real diamonds). What might I do about it?

• I could whisper to my family that I’d found diamonds in the coleslaw, and we could all order more hoping we’d get more diamonds – but do it quietly so we could get all the diamonds. We would just order LOTS of coleslaw.
• I also might call my friends, and whisper to them to come to the restaurant and get the coleslaw so they could get some diamonds, too.

• But what about the strangers in the restaurant?  What would make me hesitate to share this great fortune with strangers?
  • Maybe I believe that I should have all the diamonds to myself.  If I tell, I might get less (totally selfish).  
  • Or perhaps I want to be the one who decides who gets to know and who doesn’t. (Control)
  • Or maybe they will just think I’m crazy to think there are diamonds in the coleslaw!  So I keep the news to myself (because I want to look good.)

So let’s connect the dots.  There are reasons we don’t share Jesus – maybe you connect with one of the “diamond” reasons: selfishness, control, looking good…  Jesus is better than diamonds, right?  

My friend Jesus is big enough to be friends with EVERYONE… and sharing the Good News of Jesus never diminishes the supply.  Somehow He’s just big enough to go around!  

• So, have you shared the good news of Jesus with your family?
• Have you shared Him with your friends?
• And what is keeping you from sharing with EVERYONE?

I appreciated the verses I read a few minutes ago… I think it’s so cool that Jesus says, “I have called you friends”.    But, that’s not all he says.  Those verses tell us that we are His friends if we keep His commandments – in these verses the commandment is LOVE.  

Here’s what it says at the end of the book of Mark – chapter 16.  Jesus has risen, and is talking to His disciples:

‘And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”  Mark 16:15-18

God wants to act decisively and powerfully in the lives of people we encounter every day.  He wants to do that through us.  For us it’s probably Phoenix.  For some it might be very far away … but it starts with the command to share the Good News.

Here’s the end of the section in John chapter 15 that we started with – these are verses 15-16 (remember, it’s Jesus talking):

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.”

I’m praying as I write this, for the willingness to be more bold than ever about sharing Jesus.  I hope you might, too.