1)            A touch on the button of friendship emotes a phenomenal gregarianism. The mere thought of friendship with a popular schoolmate evokes fantasy of emotionalism. What transpires in the realm of ecstasy is best left to imagination, when an opportunity fingers an entertainment star, a popular political giant, the wealthiest or the great pastor as a potential friend. Can I help in a reminiscence of the first time ever I struck the love deal with a girl? I was so glad; so very satisfied with this intimacy so much that the satiation it enraptured me in gave me no need, whatsoever, to eat dinner: for I was so full of joyous goodness knowing fully well that the pulchritudinous reality of this good girl is truly all mine! 

His disciples are no longer servants but His friends

                Consequently, so flabbergasted with the deluge of emotionalism I found myself when I read, almost disbelieving, the words of John 15:15, “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” Who are the friends of the Lord Jesus? They are the ones of John 13:5, “After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.” Do you have the slightest idea of what it betokens to ‘wash’ and ‘wipe’ their feet and what connotation is derived therefrom? ‘Wash’ is the Greek word niptō (nip’-to): ‘To cleanse (especially the hands or the feet or the face); ceremonially to perform ablution.’ The word ‘wipe’ is ekmassō (ek-mas’-so): ‘to knead out, that is, (by analogy) to wipe dry.’ What it does bespeak and signify is that Jesus carried out a kneading process that epitomizes the facticity of Divine gregariousness.                          

The Second Member of the Godhead: Jesus

                Is it not a mind blowing baptismal treat getting jolted into the scriptural infallibility that acknowledges your rapprochement between Jesus and you: knowing fully well this is not just anybody, but Jesus, the Word of God, the Second Member of the Godhead, the One of the epithetical ‘which is, which was, and is to come, the Almighty,’ even the LORD God of creationism? In order to bring the gregarianism into a legality of perfection, Jesus carried out a cleansing ceremony. It was more than a ceremonial wash, He wiped out every vestige of alienating abnormality. Amen!                                                                                                                                     Christ made us holy.

We became the sacredness of vessels: men of quality, chosen instruments for Divine gregariousness. Amen. One comforting joyous hope is that this friendship, authored by Him, is perfected and wholly maintained by Jesus, the Eternal Author of salvation. How can flesh and blood redeem a compromised spiritual reality? Only Jesus is the Redeemer. “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” [Philippians 1:6]. In classical Greek, the word ‘confident’ is πείθω with a transliteration peithō (pi’-tho), it speaks of: ‘to persuade, i.e. to induce one by words to believe; to tranquillise; to be induced to believe: to have faith: in a thing; to believe; to be persuaded of a thing concerning a person; to listen to, obey, yield to, comply with.’ By this Pauline couch, I am obedient to God’s finished work, ergo, I believe it. Amen.                                    

A Friend so close: Jesus

                The word ‘perform,’ of John 15:15 is epiteleo (ep-ee-tel-eh’-o) ‘1. to fulfill further (or completely), i.e. execute 2. (by implication) to terminate, undergo.’ The consummation of this friendship is not by any commitment of my doing. It is wholly the Lord’s doing. The implausibility of this phenomenon dazzles one with the incredulity of its uncanny pose. The Bible’s revelation to this fact, that Jesus, very God of very God, is the Performer of this phenomenal cater-cousin with Divinity simply puts my mind at rest and at the same time blows my mind in all directions of the atmospheric winds.

Jesus is Jehovah, our righteousness

You can choose to be another friend of Jesus. Get born again. Meaning it from your heart, say this prayer:

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!”   

 (…to be continued…)

To read part two click here

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