Already
there is talk about the Presidential election, even though it is a few years
away. Pollsters, political pundits,
and newscasters are already dividing the population up according to gender,
race, age, sociological standing, religion and a half dozen other categories. As
soon as the votes are cast, this process is then repeated.
While this sort of information may have some strategic significance in terms of
strategizing a political campaign, to many of us it perhaps seems like an
exercise in trivia. There were no public polls in Jesus’ day. There were no
computers to analyze his public standing. Of course, he was not engaged in a
political contest. But he was a public figure. People reacted to him one way or
the other. Some people saw him as a threat, while others viewed him as savior.
He made friends, but he also made enemies. There were many, perhaps the
majority, who were simply curious about him.
What I would like to do is consider the constituency of Jesus, the people that
we call his friends. Jesus said to his disciples: “You are my friends if you
do what I command you. Greater love hath no man than to lay his life down for
his friends. No longer do I call you servants, but I now call you friends.”
Who were these friends? What did they have to offer Jesus? What did he have to
offer them?
1. Who Were the Friends of Jesus?
2. What Did They Have to Offer Jesus?
3. What Did These Friends Find in Jesus?
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