20 years ago, someone lent me the DVD of a Hillsong’s concert. I must have enjoyed it because I still remember it today. The song that really stuck out was called ‘My best friend’. Good tune, upbeat and electric guitars. What more could you want?

It was only later, with the chorus going through my head that I began to ask questions of the lyrics. ‘Jesus, you are my best friend’ was the line that repeated several times.  Sounded great, but can it really be true?

I’d grown up going to church and heard about Jesus all my life. If you were to ask me who Jesus was, I would have used terms like God, King or Saviour. There’s nothing wrong with those words. The Bible uses them and says they’re all true.

Yet, ‘friend’ seems so much more personal. A friend is more than just someone you meet; they’re someone who’s interested in you. A friend is more than someone you spend time with; they’re there when you need them. A friend is someone who cares. A friend is someone who’s willing to make sacrifices to help. A friend is someone who’s happy to get their hands dirty and get involved in your life.

Can that really be said about Jesus? The Bible says yes! In John chapter 15, Jesus is speaking to his disciples. Three times in three verses he refers to them as his ‘friends’. Friends he cares for, friends he has shared his life and plans with, friends he would die for.

I want to be careful how I understand that. If Jesus is God, then I’m not his equal. If Jesus is King, we need to honour him. Yet, if I take the Bible seriously, the invitation to trust in Jesus is an invitation to become his friend. For me, that’s pretty amazing.

On three Sundays, the 12^th, 19^th & 25^th June, we’re going to be looking at this claim in our morning services. Friends with God. Friends with the King. Friends with the Saviour. What does it really mean? If you’re interested in finding out more, why not come along to one of our services. They are at 10:30am at our building on Gracious Street, or you can connect via the stream on our YouTube channel.