How Friendly With Jesus

JESUS IS MY BEST FRIEND 

Did you know that Jesus wants to be our Best Friend? 

We praise Jesus, worship Him, and serve Him, but friendship is what Jesus wants most of all. 

What makes someone a good friend? 

A friend is someone who accepts you just the way you are, believes in you and encourages you. Someone who is trustworthy, who never forsakes you, who forgives your mistakes, who enjoys being with you, and who makes you laugh. 

Jesus wants to be this way with us. He is not a far away God. He wants us to spend time with Him. He wants to be your very best friend, and He wants you to be His! 

Jesus is the best of everything we look for in a friend. 

The Bible shows that Jesus was "cool". People wanted to be around Jesus. They wanted to hang out with Him. They wanted to be His friend. Jesus' last message to His disciples was that He wants to be our friend. (John 15:15) 

In this we will learn about some of Jesus' friends from the Bible.

PETER

After Jesus' death He arose from the grave and appeared to His disciples on several occasions. One day Peter went fishing with a few of his disciple friends. Early in the morning Jesus stood on the shoreline. The disciples did not know that it was Jesus. He asked them if they had caught any fish. They replied "No". Then Jesus told them to throw their nets on the other side and they would find some fish. When they did they were unable to haul the net. John told Peter "It is the Lord". As soon as Peter heard that it was Jesus, he quickly put on his clothes and jumped into the sea from his boat. He swam as hard and fast as he could to get to Jesus on the shoreline. Once Peter knew that it was Jesus he could not wait to get to Him.

Don't you think it is funny that Peter put on his clothes before he jumped out of the boat in to the water? Most people take their clothes off and swim in shorts. But the scriptures say that Peter put his clothes on. 

Peter must have been so excited to hear his best friend's voice that he temporarily lost his mind. Or maybe Peter was just ready to go where ever Jesus would lead. He did not want to have to go back to get anything, including his clothes.

Peter had been one of Jesus' closest disciples. Peter walked on water with Jesus, he lived beside Jesus during His ministry, was with Jesus on the Mountain of Transfiguration, he went to the Mount of Gethsemane with Him, and even cut off an ear of a soldier when they took Jesus away to be crucified. But Peter also let Jesus down when he denied that he knew Jesus to 3 different people after Jesus was arrested. Jesus warned Peter that he would deny Him, and Jesus still forgave Peter. 

Peter knew how special it was to be a friend of Jesus. And now he would not hesitate to get to Jesus as fast as he could. He leaped into the sea and swam as hard and fast as he could to get to the shoreline where his Lord and Best Friend was! You too can have Jesus as a Best Friend! Someone who will love you even when you do wrong, Someone who will comfort you when you are sad. Someone who will Love you no matter what happens! A friend for life, and when death does come you can live with Jesus forever in Heaven!

When the disciples reached the shore Jesus was already cooking fish on a fire. He told them to bring some of the fish they caught and he cooked them a great dinner of fish. 

After they ate Jesus asked "Do you love me, Peter?" And Peter replied, "You know that I love you Lord!" "Then feed my sheep," Jesus said. Twice more during the night Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. Finally Peter realized that Jesus was going to leave them soon and go to Heaven, and Jesus wanted Peter to be a shepherd to the believers of Jesus, and to guide them and take care of them like a shepherd takes care of his sheep. Peter became a mighty leader for Jesus. You can read more about Peter's first sermon by

Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.” And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. (John 21:3-8)

Jesus Forgives Our Mistakes

Peter was one of Jesus' closest friends and disciples. Peter knew that Jesus was The Christ, Peter walked on water with Jesus, Peter was with Jesus on the mountain of transfiguration. Peter even cut off a guards ear when they arrested Jesus. Jesus warned Peter that he would deny Him. But Peter bragged that he would never deny being a follower of Jesus. However, on the night that Jesus was arrested Peter broke that promise. In fact Peter broke it more than once.

When the disciples ran off, Peter went to sit where he could watch where they had taken Jesus. He sat far enough away so no one would see him. Peter was very afraid and confused. He lied when a woman asked him if he was one of the men with Jesus. He said he did not even know who Jesus was. Later someone else asked him if he was with Jesus, but Peter again said he was not. The third time Peter denied knowing Jesus, a rooster crowed. Then Jesus turned and with a hurtful heart, looked at Peter. Peter remembered that Jesus had told him "Before a rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will have said three times that you do not know me."

When things go wrong, we need friends, don't we. Jesus needed friends, too! But they all ran away. And now even Peter, one of his closest friends was denying him. Peter felt so bad about what he did that he cried and cried. The wonderful thing is that Jesus forgave Peter and gave him a second chance. Because Peter was forgiven it made Peter even stronger in Loving Jesus. Peter became a mighty leader for Jesus Christ. He led many people to believe in Jesus Christ. His story continues in the book of Acts.

Jesus will forgive you of your mistakes. He loves you just the way you are. He shows love, grace, mercy and friendship.