「你们是我的朋友」
约翰福音十五章12至22节
12你们要彼此相爱，像我爱你们一样；这就是我的命令。
13人为朋友舍命，人的爱心没有比这个大的。
14你们若遵行我所吩咐的，就是我的朋友了。
15以后我不再称你们为仆人，因仆人不知道主人所做的事。我乃称你们为朋友；因我从我父所听见的，已经都告诉你们了。
16不是你们拣选了我，是我拣选了你们，并且分派你们去结果子，叫你们的果子常存，使你们奉我的名，无论向父求甚么，他就赐给你们。
17我这样吩咐你们，是要叫你们彼此相爱。
18世人若恨你们，你们知道（或作：该知道），恨你们以先已经恨我了。
19你们若属世界，世界必爱属自己的；只因你们不属世界，乃是我从世界中拣选了你们，所以世界就恨你们。
20你们要记念我从前对你们所说的话：仆人不能大于主人。他们若逼迫了我，也要逼迫你们；若遵守了我的话，也要遵守你们的话。
21但他们因我的名要向你们行这一切的事，因为他们不认识那差我来的。
22我若没有来教训他们，他们就没有罪；但如今他们的罪无可推诿了。
信息分享
在第13节，基督指出祂甘愿为我们舍命，这就证明祂是我们的朋友了；祂在第14节更直言我们是祂的朋友。能够与基督以朋友相称，当然是我们的莫大荣幸与光荣；不过，它同时亦要求我们承担很大的责任。
朋友之间，要互相信任、彼此分享和彼此爱护。我们与基督之间，有没有这种真诚的相交呢？借着与主相交，我们除了可以向祂坦诚倾诉和剖白自己的心声，还可以明白祂的心意和计划──更可以参与、推动和实现祂的计划，这真是何等大的福气！我们竟然可以邀请这位愿意作我们朋友的主，进入我们的生命之中，与我们分享一切，实在是何等的令人振奋！
在这种朋友的关系中，我们愈深体会到祂对我们的爱，而我们亦学习如何爱祂；过程中的快乐，实难以言喻。我们更借着基督而获得赦罪的喜乐。而且，更重要的是，基督已从死里复活，祂如今已永远活着，所以，祂将永远与我们为友，且随时在我们的身边，成为我们的帮助。以下一首诗歌，相信正是你我的心声：
祂与我同行，又与我共话，
对我说，我单属于祂；
与主在园中，心灵真快乐，
前无人曾经历过。
'YOU ARE MY FRIENDS'
John 15: 12 - 22
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose Me, 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.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.
22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
Message
In verse 13 Christ speaks of proving his friendship for us by laying down his life for us. In verse 14 he clearly states we are his friends. Friendship may be one of our greatest privileges, but it carries with it also tremendous responsibilities.
As friends, we share confidences; we share plans; we feel deeply for each other. Isn't that true between us and Christ? How wonderful to be able to share everything with Christ. What a blessing to enter into his plans and purposes - to become a part of them ourselves. How thrilling to be able to ask him, our friend and our Lord, to enter into our lives and share everything with us.
Then to know his love for us and to be able to love him is surely one of our greatest joys. We rejoice in the forgiveness that has come to us through Christ. But remember, because he rose from the dead and is alive today, we can know him as our daily friend and constant companion. Can you say these words?
'He walks with me and he talks with me,
And he tells me I am his own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.'