Why did Jesus say, “I have called you friends” in John 15:15? (2024)

Answer

In John 15:1–17, Jesus illustrates His relationship with believers: He is the “true vine,” and we are the “branches.” Christ is the center and source of the Christian life. The key to a healthy and productive relationship with Him is abiding in Jesus because, apart from Him, we can do nothing (verses 4–8). Obedience is another vital element to the vibrant love relationship we share with Him (verses 9–12). That obedience stems not from a sense of obligation or servitude but from a bond of friendship: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (verses 13–15).

Christ’s statement, “I have called you friends,” must have deeply moved the disciples since only Abraham and Moses were called God’s friends in Scripture (Exodus 33:11; 2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23). Jesus credits the disciples’ promotion to friendship status to their becoming privy to His insider teachings: “A master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me” (John 15:15, NLT).

Disclosing confidential information has been a feature of close friendships since the beginning of time. God shared His previously undisclosed plans with Abraham (Genesis 18:16–22) and spoke privately with Moses face to face (Exodus 33:11). Now, as friends of Jesus Christ, believers have the extraordinary opportunity to get to know God intimately. He takes us into His confidence (Psalm 145:18; James 4:8; Revelation 3:20). As members of His inner circle, the Lord lets us in on the secret mysteries of God (Ephesians 1:9; Romans 16:25). Jesus makes known to us everything He has learned from the Father. Christians receive unrestricted access to the truth, although we are limited by our ability to comprehend it all (John 16:12).

While Jesus is our Lord and Master, and we are His willing servants (Luke 12:35–36; 1 Corinthians 7:22; Colossians 3:23–24; Ephesians 6:6; 1 Peter 2:16), our relationship with Him takes on a different quality than mere Master and slave. A slave or bondservant was expected to obey his master’s orders without explanation. Because Jesus calls us into a loving alliance, we are privileged to partake of His divine revelation (Hebrews 1:1–2; John 1:18; 14:10; 17:6). With “those who fear him,” the Lord holds nothing back (Isaiah 50:4; Psalm 25:14; John 8:31–32; 14:7).

In Jesus, we have the greatest possible friend. He loves us so much that He was willing to lay down His life on the cross to save us (John 3:16; 5:13; Romans 5:7–8). He is the “Good Shepherd” who “lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). He is “a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24) and a faithful companion who “will never leave [us] nor forsake [us]” (Joshua 1:5). He loves us “to the very end” (John 13:1), which in the original language means He loves us “to love’s fullest extent and uttermost limit.”

Because Jesus said, “I have called you friends,” we ought to treasure that relationship by drawing near to Him every day, spending time in His Word, learning what He wants to teach us about the Father, obeying His commands, abiding in Him, bearing fruit, and doing “the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10). We have the privilege and honor of being called His friends only because of His grace in choosing us (John 15:16).

For Further Study

John: Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament by Edward W. Klink III

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