These are words spoken by Jesus, written in the gospel of John, words Jesus was telling His disciples while dining with them at the last supper before being crucified. The reality of the laying down one's life for his friends was to be fulfilled by the literal laying down of His life at His crucifixion. Jesus was commanding His disciples to follow this example, "that you love one another, just as I have loved you."
This is the only passage in the gospel of John where Jesus addresses His disciples as 'friends.' However, he says, "You are my friends if you do what I command you." If I turn that phrase into negative terms, he's saying, 'You are not my friends if you don't do what I command you.' So Jesus is not negating being enslaved to Him, because His commandment is clearly to be obeyed and followed. By saying, "No longer do I call you slaves," and saying, "I have called you friends," Jesus is speaking of those being drawn closer to Himself. By telling His disciples that the crucifixion He is soon to face is the laying down His life for His friends, He is telling His friends what the Master is doing, saying "for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you."
"You did not choose Me but I chose you," Jesus is telling you that it is not by your free will that you are disciples or 'friends,' but by the sovereign will of His Father, He chose "and appointed you that you you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain". The image of bearing fruit came up earlier in the conversation, where Jesus Introduces a metaphor saying, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser". When telling of his relationship with His disciples, He later states, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."
This is the only passage in the gospel of John where Jesus addresses His disciples as 'friends.' However, he says, "You are my friends if you do what I command you." If I turn that phrase into negative terms, he's saying, 'You are not my friends if you don't do what I command you.' So Jesus is not negating being enslaved to Him, because His commandment is clearly to be obeyed and followed. By saying, "No longer do I call you slaves," and saying, "I have called you friends," Jesus is speaking of those being drawn closer to Himself. By telling His disciples that the crucifixion He is soon to face is the laying down His life for His friends, He is telling His friends what the Master is doing, saying "for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you."
"You did not choose Me but I chose you," Jesus is telling you that it is not by your free will that you are disciples or 'friends,' but by the sovereign will of His Father, He chose "and appointed you that you you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain". The image of bearing fruit came up earlier in the conversation, where Jesus Introduces a metaphor saying, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser". When telling of his relationship with His disciples, He later states, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing."
Finally, Jesus reiterates His words, "This I command you, that you love one another." We must call Jesus 'Master' if we are to obey His commands. In this way, we are enslaved to Him, because to be truly His, our free will cannot be thought to exist apart from abiding in Him. However, as Christ draws us closer to Himself, making known His Father's will, we abide by His command to 'love one another,' restoring our free will unto the salvation of Jesus Christ, that we understand His Father's will of salvation for the saints, so that whatever we ask of the Father in the name of Jesus Christ the Father may give to us.
No comments:
Post a Comment