Jesus: Our Intimate Friend
Matthew 26:47-50 

I’ve counseled plenty of folks who argue that they are not worthy of God’s love. Of all the passages I could point to that describe the Lord’s devotion, today’s is the one I think best showcases the unqualified friendship He offers His followers.

As Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane on the night before His crucifixion, Judas Iscariot approached him with a band of men. The betrayer stepped forward and kissed the Lord’s cheek. And what was Jesus’ response? According to another disciple, Matthew, He called the man “Friend” (Matt. 26:50).

Judas expected Jesus to establish His kingdom on earth and drive the Romans out of Israel—anyone who could calm a storm at sea could easily remove an oppressive government! But Judas’s interest in Jesus was more personal and political than spiritual. In fact, John reported that his fellow disciple stole from the money box (12:6). Today the man’s name is synonymous with those who betray others for personal gain.

In spite of Judas’ greed, blind ambition, and betrayal, Jesus never stopped loving him; He still used the word “friend” to address the one-time disciple. The Lord does not place conditions on His love or reject people who fail to meet certain standards. He simply cares for us as we are.

People cannot earn Jesus Christ’s love and friendship. He takes the initiative, reaches out, and draws into fellowship those who are willing. We are not worthy, but we are privileged to live in His love anyway. In the Lord, we find a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24)

Serve the Lord with Gladness

Psalms 100:2

Delight in divine service is a token of acceptance. Those who serve God with a sad countenance, because they do what is unpleasant to them, are not serving Him at all; they bring the form of loyalty, but the life is absent. Our God requires no slaves to grace His throne; He is the Lord of the empire of love, and would have His servants dressed in the uniform of joy.

The angels of God serve Him with songs, not with groans; a murmur or a sigh would be a mutiny in their ranks. That obedience that is not voluntary is disobedience, for the Lord looks at the heart, and if He sees that we serve Him from force, and not because we love Him, He will reject our offering.

Service coupled with cheerfulness is heart-service and therefore true. Take away joyful willingness from the Christian, and you have removed the test of his sincerity. If a man be driven to battle, he is no patriot; but he who marches into the fray with flashing eye and beaming face, singing, “It is sweet for one’s country to die,” proves himself to be sincere in his patriotism.

Cheerfulness is the support of our strength; in the joy of the Lord are we strong. It acts as the remover of difficulties. It is to our service what oil is to the wheels of a railway carriage. Without oil the axle soon grows hot, and accidents occur; and if there be not a holy cheerfulness to oil our wheels, our spirits will be clogged with weariness.

The man who is cheerful in his service of God proves that obedience is his element; he can sing,

Make me to walk in your commands,

It’s a delightful road.

Reader, let us put this question–do you serve the Lord with gladness? Let us show to the people of the world, who think our religion to be slavery, that it is to us a delight and a joy! Let our gladness proclaim that we serve a good Master.

The family reading plan for January 9, 2012

Ezra 9 | Acts 9

The Seeking Savior
Revelation 3:14-22 

The Christians at Laodicea were self-deceived, picturing themselves as rich and self-sufficient, when in reality, their spiritual blindness and self-righteousness had prevented them from seeing their true poverty. Though they had “closed a door” between themselves and Jesus, He never gave up on them. Can you relate to this idea of a loving Savior reaching out to you?

• Stands at the door—Jesus takes the initiative. He’s ready and willing to seek us, even when we’ve erected a barrier.
• Knocks at the door—He tries to get our attention through a variety of means: circumstances, needs, pain, trials, conviction, sleeplessness, or His Word. Then He patiently waits for us to respond.
• Invites us to open the door—Though Christ is omnipotent, He never pushes His way into a relationship with us. He lets us choose whether or not we will respond.
• Enters through the door—If we open up to Him, He’ll come into our lives. Through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we’ll actually partake of Christ’s divine nature and be transformed into His image.
• Dines inside the door—Now that nothing stands between us and Jesus, we can begin to enjoy all the benefits of an intimate relationship with Him and be nourished by His Word.

Where are you in this process? Have you built a barrier between yourself and the Lord? The Laodiceans show us how miserable and wretched we are when we try to keep Jesus at arm’s length. Only when we let Him have unhindered access to our lives will we experience the joy of intimacy with Him

The Lord’s Exclusive Portion   –   My sister, my bride.

Song of Songs 4:12

Observe the sweet titles with which the heavenly Solomon with intense affection addresses His bride, the church. “My sister, one near to Me by ties of nature, partaker of the same sympathies. My bride, nearest and dearest, united to Me by the tenderest bands of love; My sweet companion, part of My own self. My sister, by My Incarnation, which makes Me bone of your bone and flesh of your flesh; my bride, by heavenly betrothal, in which I have married you to Myself in righteousness

My sister, whom I knew of old, and over whom I watched from her earliest infancy; My bride, taken from among the daughters, embraced by arms of love and joined to me forever.” See how true it is that our royal Kinsman is not ashamed of us, for He dwells with manifest delight upon this twofold relationship. We have the word “my” twice in our version; as if Christ dwelt with rapture on His possession of His Church.

His delights were with the sons of men because those sons of men were His own chosen ones. He, the Shepherd, sought the sheep because they were His sheep; He has gone about “to seek and to save that which was lost,” because that which was lost was His long before it was lost to itself or lost to Him.

The church is the exclusive portion of her Lord; none else may claim a partnership or pretend to share her love. Jesus, Your church delights to have it so! Let every believing soul drink solace out of these wells. Soul, Christ is near to you in ties of relationship. Christ is dear to you in bonds of marriage union, and you are dear to Him; behold, He grasps both of your hands with both His own, saying, “My sister, my bride.” Consider how the Lord gets such a double hold of you that He neither can nor will ever let you go. Be not, O beloved, slow to return the hallowed flame of His love.

The family reading plan for January 7, 2012

Ezra 7 | Acts 7