By Shenalyn Page
Have you ever wondered what it means to be friends with God? I mean, God is up in heaven and you’re here on Earth. How are you supposed a build a friendship with a supernatural being you can’t interact with as you would with someone you can physically see, hear, and touch?
It’s a good question! To find the answer, let’s imagine what it would be like to have a conversation today with some of the apostles, the men who Jesus called His friends when He was on Earth.
MIQ: You guys spent three years with Jesus. What was it like to be with Him every day?
John: It was incredible! We saw Him, touched Him, listened to Him, and watched Him at work. When we didn’t understand something, He would explain it to us. It was obvious that He really cared about us. “Truly our fellowship [was] with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).
MIQ: You know, there are some people you meet and just immediately get along with. Was it like that with Jesus? In other words, was it easy to be friends with Him?
James: Well, we didn’t understand Him a lot of the time. It was more like He knew us better than we knew Him. Our friend Paul says that “the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Romans 8:7). That pretty much describes all of us. We were a bunch of hard-headed, hard-hearted, foolish men. But Jesus chose us anyway.
MIQ: Why did Jesus choose you?
John: I spent three years wondering about that. Jesus explained it to us on His last night with us. “You did not choose Me,” He said, “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” (John 15:16). He chose us to work with Him and help others learn about Him.
Nathanael: There’s another reason too. The prophet Moses told us that God chose our nation “because the LORD loves” us (Deuteronomy 7:8). And how He does! In fact, “we love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). And I’m not just talking about us apostles. God loves the whole world (John 3:16).
MIQ: What did Jesus mean when He said, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14)? I’m not a fan of bossy friends.
Andrew: One time, Jesus told a couple of us to go to a certain home and untie the colt standing out front (Mark 11:1–3). It seemed like a crazy thing to do. But we’d learned by then that doing what Jesus told us to do was the best policy. He always had our best interests in mind, so we learned to trust Him completely.
John: Jesus explained it to us this way: “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love” (John 15:9, 10). It was obvious that Jesus and His Father were incredibly close, to say the least. Making His Father happy was the highest priority of His life. And it’s similar to Jesus and us. I’ve realized that obeying Jesus is simply doing the things that make Him happy. What makes Him happy is to do what is best for me. He loves me more than anyone else in the world ever could. How could I not want to bring Him joy?
MIQ: Yes, however, what if I want to be Jesus’ friend, but my “carnal mind” gets the better of me? Will Jesus “unfriend” me? Will He “ghost” me?
Peter: Jesus asked a few of us to pray with Him that last night in Gethsemane; we fell asleep instead (Matthew 26:36–45). Then I denied Him three times while He was on trial (vv. 69–75). I wasn’t there for Him when He needed me most. I should have been the one to carry His cross. It breaks my heart thinking about it. I know it hurt Him deeply. But He didn’t “unfriend” me. He forgave me—in fact, that’s what His death on the cross was all about (Ephesians 1:7). He wanted to see me again (Mark 16:7); He still loved me. He wanted me—who treated Him so poorly—to teach others about how to be friends with Him (John 21:15–17). That’s the kind of Friend Jesus is.
MIQ: Wow, but what if you kept on hurting Jesus? Would He continue to forgive you and be friends with you? That seems like a toxic relationship. Jesus isn’t a pushover, is He?
John: He most definitely is not. Jesus not only forgives; He also “[cleanses] us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). If you’re truly sorry for hurting Him, you’ll confess your sins. You’ll want to be different; you’ll ask Him for help. And Jesus will help you—as long as you want Him to. He’ll change your character (2 Corinthians 3:18) so that, ultimately, you will stop hurting Him and instead genuinely love Him with all your heart. He did that for me.
Peter: And for me too. So now that you’ve heard what friendship with Jesus is like, I have a question in return for anyone reading this interview: Would you like to be one of Jesus’ friends?