Jesus, Our Friend

Something profound that I appreciate about the heart of God was His willingness to become vulnerable as a human being. Even though Jesus possessed an all-powerful nature, He was willing to give up any independent exercise of His divinity and experience life just like we do. But unfortunately, this meant that He was capable of being injured physically and hurt emotionally.

We see here an image of Jesus shaded with pain and sorrow. The picture we get in Gethsemane isn’t that of a mighty God that is somewhere else, distant from us. It is of someone just like us. Perhaps the thing that sets Jesus most apart from the pagan gods of the world was that He was willing to suffer with and for those He created. His willingness also communicates to us that our worship of God affects His heart. Our gratitude must please Him, and our betrayal must bring Him pain. What a friend we have in Jesus.

Think: Do you tend to think of God as someone unaffected by you or the things happening in the world? How does this passage challenge your thinking or confirm your thoughts?

Pray: Today, take some time to express your affection for Jesus, knowing that your words matter to Him. Thank Him for His willingness to enter into the human experience on your behalf.

Respond: What mindset shifts can you make in your prayer life to invite the mutual friendship of God? What attitudes, thoughts, or behaviors in your life might need to shift as you recognize that you impact God?

Author: Lane Greenleaf-Perez, Director of Youth + Young Adults